Molten chocolate cakes

Serves: 6–8
Active time: 15 minutes
Freezing time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 7–10 minutes
Storage: Serve immediately

Extracted from French Pâtisserie: Master Recipes and Techniques from the Ferrandi School of Culinary Artsby Ferrandi Paris(Published by Flammarion, £45). Photography © Rina Nurra 2017.

Ingredients

• 3.5 oz. (100 g) semisweet chocolate, 65% cacao, chopped
• 7 tbsp (3.5 oz./100 g) butter, diced and softened, plus extra for greasing
• 1 cup (8.5 oz./240 g) lightly beaten egg (about 5 eggs)
• Scant ½ cup (4.75 oz./130 g) egg yolk (about 7 yolks)
• 4 tbsp (1.75 oz./55 g) sugar
• ¾ cup (2.75 oz./75 g) flour

Special equipment

• 3-in. (7-cm) cake rings or other molds
• Pastry bag without a tip
• Silicone baking mat

Directions

1Grease the cake rings with butter and chill them in the refrigerator while you prepare the mixture. Melt the chocolate in a bowl over a pan of hot water.

2Remove from the heat and stir in the butter.

3In another bowl, mix the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar together with a spatula, and then stir into the melted chocolate and butter.

4Whisk in the flour until combined. Spoon the mixture into the pastry bag and place the cake rings on the backing mat.

5Snip off the point of the pastry bag and pipe the mixture into the rings. Freeze for 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C/ Gas mark 6). Bake from frozen for 7–10 minutes, until the tops feel
firm. Allow to cool a little before unmolding while still lukewarm.

CHEF’S NOTES

• The uncooked mixture freezes very well.

• A small piece of chocolate can be tucked into the center of each cake before baking.