Hot Molten Chocolate Cake

Everyone always has room for dessert when it's hot molten chocolate cake, with ice cream of course.  This dessert is not as hard as it looks to make but there is some love involved. It's not what I would call a call-me-maybe-dessert, this isn't for a first date.  This is for the date when you celebrate you first wedding anniversary. This is a you-count-big-time-in-my-book-dessert.  For those of you that I've made this for - you know who you are- & yes I'll make it for you again.

This recipe is built out of some I found online & through some basic trial & error.  But lucky you, you don't have to do the leg work because you get my full recipe after the jump, so read on for some more photos & the recipe!

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (plus more to butter the molds)
• 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (plus another 2 ounces to finish with)
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons flour
• 1/4 cocoa powder for dusting

PS: You'll also need to serve these cakes with your favorite ice cream & chocolate syrup.

Make it!

1. In the top of a double boiler set over simmering water, heat the butter and chocolate together until the chocolate is almost completely melted.
2. While that's heating, beat together the eggs, yolks, & sugar with a whisk or electric mixer until light & thick.
3. Beat together the melted chocolate & butter; it should be quite warm.
4. Pour in the egg mixture, then quickly beat in the flour, just until combined.
5. Butter & lightly dust with cocoa powder* four 4-ounce ramekins. Tap out the extra cocoa powder.
6. Divide the batter among the ramekins.
7. Put an extra piece of (non-melted) chocolate into the center of each ramekin. (You can refrigerate the cakes until you are ready to eat, for up to a few days; simply bring them back to room temperature before baking.)
8. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
9. Bake the molds on a tray for 6 to 7 minutes; the center will still be quite soft, but the sides will start to come away from the walls of the ramekin & won't giggle and look like a solid cake!
10. 5. Using a pot holder (& patience) flip each mold onto a plate & let sit for about 10 seconds. Lift up one corner of the mold; the cake will fall out onto the plate. Serve immediately with a scoop of ice cream & drizzle with chocolate syrup for extra pizzaz!

*The cocoa powder is the trick to make the cakes look chocolatey when you pop them out later so they don't look like they're "dusty" with white flour.  If you don't have cocoa powder go ahead & use flour - it will still taste awesome.