Chocolate lava cake

Ingredients

• 2.8 oz (80g) dark chocolate (should be of good quality)
• 1.8 oz (50g) butter (3.5 tablespoons)
• 1 large egg
• 3 tablespoons light brown sugar (or cane / white sugar, 1.2oz/35g)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar)
• pinch of salt
• 0.4 oz (10g) flour (1 Tbsp + a big pinch)
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder (unsweetened)
• whipped cream: 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream + 1 tablespoon sugar
• fresh strawberries (raspberries, blueberries or other favorite fruits)

Instructions

1. 1

   --- In the oven: ---

2. 2

   Preheat the oven to 450 ° F / 220 °C / Gas Mark 8, no fan.

3. 3

   Prepare two (6 oz/170ml) small ramekins (mine have a diameter of 3-inch (7.5 cm), measured at the bottom), grease them generously with butter, then coat with the cocoa powder (important). Dump out any excess cocoa.

4. 4

   In a small pot, melt the butter, when hot (but not boiling), take off the heat. Add broken into small pieces chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted. Set aside.

5. 5

   In a medium bowl, using a mixer, whisk the egg, sugar, vanilla extract, and salt. Mix for about 1-2 minutes, just until lightly frothy (but it doesn't have to be thoroughly mixed, light and pale).

6. 6

   Add the melted chocolate to the egg-sugar mixture, whisk until just combined.

7. 7

   Add the sifted flour and gently fold to combine.

8. 8

   Divide the batter evenly between the two ramekins (fill it up to approx. ¾ of their height, cakes will rise only slightly). Lightly tap the ramekins, put them in the oven and bake for about 10-11 minutes (10 minutes for a lot of chocolate 'lava', 11 minutes for a medium amount of chocolate 'lava' / very fudgy center).

9. 9

   Remove the ramekins from the oven.

10. 10

    --- In a pressure cooker: ---

11. 11

    Put the steamer rack in the Instant Pot.

12. 12

    Add 1 cup of water to the pot.

13. 13

    Place the ramekins on the steam rack (if you are doubling the recipe you can place 3 ramekins directly on the trivet and the fourth on top, in the center of the 3 ramekins). Don't cover the ramekins.

14. 14

    Close the lid, set the valve to 'sealing position'.

15. 15

    Manually set the high pressure to 7-8 minutes (7 minutes for very liquid lava, like on the video, 8 minutes to medium-liquid lava/fudgy center).

16. 16

    Make the quick release: when the timer is done, press the cancel button and move the valve to the venting position.

17. 17

    When the pressure pin is down, open the Instant Pot and carefully remove the ramekins from the pot (they will be hot and slippery!).

18. 18

    --- Serve: ---

19. 19

    You can serve the cakes directly in the ramekins or invert them onto small plates. Run a small knife along the side of the ramekins (optional, just to be sure that they will seamlessly come out of the ramekins). Cover each ramekin with a small plate, flip upside-down, tap the ramekin and slowly lift the ramekin using a damp kitchen towel (or paper kitchen towel) so that your lava cake stays on the plate.

20. 20

    Serve warm, preferably with whipped cream and fresh strawberries.

21. 21

    Whipped cream: using a mixer, beat the cold heavy whipping cream with sugar for a few minutes until stiff.