Gooey and decadent, these warm individual cakes with their saucy insides are a can’t-resist dessert for Roy Halladay. They are great for dinner parties, too, because they can be made a few hours ahead and baked just before serving. Don’t worry if they get a little overbaked: You can serve them as warm chocolate brownie cakes, and no one will know the difference. From “Diamond Dishes,” makes 6 servings.
Ingredients
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, plus more for the ramekins
6 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
3 large eggs plus 3 large yolks
1/3 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, plus more for the ramekins
Vanilla ice cream, for serving
Directions
Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees. Lightly butter the insides of six 1/2-cup ramekins or custard cups. Dust the insides with flour and tap out the excess flour.
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Remove from the heat and add the chocolate. Let stand 2 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
Beat the eggs, yolks and brown sugar with an electric mixer on high speed until light in color and texture, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vanilla. Add the chocolate mixture, sprinkle with the flour, and fold together with a rubber spatula. Divide evenly among the ramekins.
(The cakes can be prepared to this point and refrigerated for up to 4 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 1 hour before baking.)
Place the ramekins on a baking sheet. Bake until the top of the cake looks set and the center still jiggles a little when the baking sheet is shaken, about 10 minutes.
Remove from the oven and let stand for 1 minute.
Carefully run a dinner knife around the inside of one of the ramekins. Place a dessert plate on top of the ramekin. Invert the ramekin and plate together, and give the pair a firm shake to dislodge and unmold the cake onto the plate. Remove the ramekin. Repeat with remaining ramekins. Serve the cakes at once, with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream.
