Salted Caramel Chocolate Lava Cakes
Recently, I was asked to contribute a recipe to one of our largest local magazines, inRegister. The June issue was taking on a rather manly role with Father’s Day coming right around the corner. I chose to make these Salted Caramel Chocolate Lava Cakes and include a little personal story about why I don’t make girly treats for my own father any longer.
Here’s what I had to say in the article:
Each year when Father’s Day rolls around, the struggle is often coming up with a dessert that is aesthetically pleasing, enjoyable for everyone, yet masculine enough not to be confused with any ordinary celebration. I once made a multi-layer strawberry shortcake that my father didn’t want to cut into because he thought it was too pretty to eat! I vowed to never make that mistake again, and instead, focus on treats that aren’t quite so “pretty” but shine in the deliciousness department.
These Salted Caramel Chocolate Lava Cakes are the perfect combination of a rich and decadent baked treat that is also, dare I say, manly. Prepared in individual ramekins they are perfectly proportioned, too eliminating all concerns over cutting into a pretty cake.
The wonderful oozing of caramel is an unexpected twist to a traditional chocolate molten lava cake and the sprinkling of the sea salt plays nicely with all the chocolate going on inside the cake. It’s the perfect sweet and salty treat. ….and it’s even a bit messy, just like Dad. Enjoy!
Here’s the recipe:
- 4 oz of semi-sweet baking chocolate squares
- ¾ stick of butter
- 1/3 cup of sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour
- 6-8 Hershey kisses (caramel filled)
- sea salt (for topping)
- caramel sauce (optional, for topping)
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Spray each of the ramekins with non-sticking cooking spray and set aside.
- In a large microwave safe bowl, break up the chocolate squares and heat with the butter for about one minute. Don’t worry about the chocolate being completely melted. Remove from the microwave and whisk until the butter and chocolate are combined. Add in the sugar and mix well. Whisk in the eggs, then gently stir in the flour until well combined.
- Divide the batter among the 4 ramekins.
- Gently push the unwrapped Hershey caramel kisses (2 per lava cake) into the batter, covering them completely
- Place the ramekins on a cookie sheet and bake between 10-14 minutes in the preheated oven. Your lava cakes are ready when they have a domed appearance, the center is a little moist and the edges of the cake are dry and firm. Remove from the oven, insert a knife along the edges of the cake and invert onto serving plates. Heat caramel sauce just until warm and drizzle over the top of each cake. Sprinkle on the sea salt.
It’s always fun to see your name in print and when they include you on two pages, well, that’s even better!
Do you have something special in mind you’re making for Father’s Day? I’ve pretty much decided to make these again, regardless if my dad actually sees the article or not. 🙂
