Baking with Olivia and Caroline

May 2021 Recipe – Gluten-free Molten Lava Cake

By Published On: April 27th, 2021

There are so many chocolate desserts to enjoy: chocolate cakes, chocolate cookies, chocolate pudding, chocolate mousse, chocolate pastries, chocolate donuts, the list is endless! So, given all these delicious options, how did we decide which chocolate recipe would be our May dessert of choice?

Easy, we picked one that is simple, quick, warm, and – well – very chocolatey!

Not just lava, but molten lava!

Molten Lava Cake is the go-to dessert in our house when we need something in a jiffy or for when we are craving a rich and delicious chocolate treat. It is the one dessert we make that always receives a “YESSSSSS” when we tell family and friends it is on the menu.

The batter can be whipped up ahead of time and placed into greased ramekins and refrigerated, or, because of its simplicity it can be prepared on the spot.

And to boot, the active prep time is only ten minutes!

Gluten-free, too!

Often times gluten-free desserts can have a grainy texture to them. That doesn’t seem to be an issue with this recipe. We have made it so many times and no one has ever noticed the absence of wheat flour. We have made it with Pillsbury’s Best, Cup 4 Cup, and King Arthur GF flour. All equally delicious.

When making this recipe, we like to use  Ghiradelli, Guitard, or Valrhona chocolate. These higher end chocolates guarantee a warm, ooey gooey, rich, chocolate dessert. You can enhance the chocolate flavor by adding a teaspoon of espresso powder.

You can serve it with  a sprinkling of  powdered sugar and pair it with fresh strawberries or raspberries. But that is not how we roll. We suggest you go all out and add vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and your favorite chocolate sauce. Your guests will secretly want to lick their plates clean! Right, John? [An inside joke].

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups confectioners sugar
• 1/2 cup gluten-free flour
• 10 tablespoons (1 1/4 sticks) butter (we always use unsalted)
• 2 (1oz) squares semi-sweet chocolate
• 6 (1oz) squares bittersweet chocolate
• 3 large eggs at room temperature
• 3 egg yolks at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon of espresso powder (optional)

Directions

Preheat your oven to 425 °F. Grease 6 (6oz) ramekins with a no-stick baking spray. Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler or a microwave (we have never had a microwave, believe it or not, so we always use the stove top and a double boiler), add flour and sugar to chocolate mixture.

Mix in the room temperature eggs until nice and smooth with a spoon or whisk. Stir in vanilla and espresso powder if using. Divide batter evenly among ramekins.

Bake for approximately 11-14  minutes depending on your oven. We tend to bake ours for 11 minutes. The edges should be nice and firm with the center being soft. Be careful inverting the hot ramekins onto a plate. Serve immediately. •

Olivia and Caroline are enthusiastic foodies and bakers who are constantly in the kitchen, as well as explorers who create their own adventures in our area – and did we mention they are mother and daughter? Follow Olivia on Instagram to see her many creations at @oliviawvalentine.