Molten Chocolate Bourbon Cake
This recipe appeared as part of the second-place winner of ICSA XVI.
I'm really not that big on sweets. But when I tasted this bittersweet molten cake, I was in love. I knew pairing it with bourbon would be a no-brainer.
Here is what you will need:
Custard or souffle baking cups and a baking sheet
6 ounces baker's dark bittersweet chocolate baking bars
10 tablespoons of butter
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cups flour
2 ounces of bourbon whiskey (again, budget bourbon will do - but I'm from Kentucky, soooo)
3 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
Here is where we are going...
And here is how we get there...
Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
Grease your souffle cups generously with butter:
Place well-greased souffle cups on the baking sheet.
Place the 10 tablespoons of butter along with the baker's chocolate in a bowl.
Put them in the microwave for two minutes to melt:
Whisk to incorporate the butter and still-melting chocolate:
When you're done you'll have a nice, creamy smooth sauce:
Add your two ounces of bourbon (about four tablespoons)...
Add your flour and sugar:
Stir this all up with a fork. It takes quite a bit of effort, and when you're done you'll have a thick, almost doughlike mud:
When you add your eggs and egg yolks in and whisk thoroughly, however, your mud will turn into creamy smooth batter:
Dispense evenly into your souffle cups. You'll probably have more batter than you need for four cups. Don't overfill the cups:
Put them in the oven and set the timer for 14 minutes:
When they are done they will look firm around the edges and soft in the center:
Let them stand for a minute or two. You will notice that they will shrink down some:
Run a knife around the edge of the cake to loosen:
Turn them out upside-down on a dessert dish and sprinkle powdered sugar on top for a classy finish.
Make absolutely certain that you serve this dish warm immediately, because it contains a gooey surprise your guests will not be expecting. The short cooking time leaves the center a molten, gooey, delicious pudding (which solidifies somewhat as it cools):
