Chocolate Chili Lava Cake
Is it chili in here? Add some heat to molten chocolate, and you've got chocolate chili lava cake. Made for two, but scalable for one or more.
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 guajillo chili pepper, reconstituted
- 4 TBSP butter unsalted
- 2 oz. unsweetened baking chocolate chopped
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 TBSP sweetener of choice
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ C flour
Toppings
- chocolate syrup
- Powdered sugar
- Cocoa powder
Chocolate Syrup (optional)
- ½ C sugar or other sweetener
- ½ C water
- ¼ C special dark cocoa powder adjust to taste
Instructions
- Grease ramekins well using butter or brushed oil. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 425° F.
Chocolate Syrup (optional)
- In small pan, dissolve sugar and chocolate into water and heat to almost boiling. Refrigerate.
Chocolate-chili mix
- Reconstitute pepper before using: heat water to boil, remove from heat, set pepper in water, and soak about 20 minutes. De-seed and finely dice or grind it.
- Chop chocolate and butter into pieces.
- Combine pepper, butter and chocolate in pan to melt. If available, use a double boiler.
- Keep heat as low as possible. For double boiler method, ensure you have an adequate amount of water in the bottom pot.
- Stir often until melted through. Watch carefully to avoid burning chocolate.
Cake batter
- In separate bowl, beat egg and egg yolk until frothy.
- Add sweetener, vanilla, and sea salt to eggs. Blend well. Set aside.
- In separate bowl, blend flour and cinnamon. Set aside.
- Once chocolate is melted, carefully add to eggs, beating as you add to avoiding cooking egg.
- Once this mixture is well blended, fold in flour mixture by hand.
Bake
- Spoon cake batter into greased ramekins.
- Place ramekins on a baking sheet and place in oven.
- Bake about 5 to 8 minutes, until outside of cake is done and center is still depressed.
- Remove from oven.
Plate dessert
- Invert a dessert place over the ramekin and turn over onto plate. Carefully displace from ramekin.
- Drizzle chocolate syrup over cake and sprinkle with powdered sugar or cocoa powder as desired.
Notes
Serving Suggestions
Serve with coffee, a glass of shiraz, a stout beer, or even a shot of tequila. Pairs well with ice cream.
Tips
- If guajillo chilies are too hot, try an ancho chili instead, or eliminate the chili altogether.
- An easy way to break chocolate into pieces is to beat it with the top of your spoon or other utensil while it is still in the wrapper. You can also use a knife or kitchen scissors.
- Pastry flour works best. If using all-purpose, add a small amount of milk or water to moisturize.
- Carefully watch cake. It will move to overdone quickly.
- To plate, place ramekin on an oven mitt. Cover with plate. Slip hand into oven mitt and hold firmly on plate. Flip and release cake.