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Molten Chocolate Lava Cake - a Valentine Sweet Treat

i love this dessert - anytime! already planned to make this for Dear on Feb 14th since sometime ago. 


hmmm. i wonder, actually, if this makes him or me happy, since I'm the one who likes it! this brings me to another thought which has been baffling me for some time. that is, sweet desserts are almost a must for Valentine's day celebration and baking sweet cookies/cakes/chocolates seem like a popular gift from girls to boys. but the thing is, it is the girls who likes those sweet treats, not the boys right? so.... why??? i suppose baking needs much effort and that's why... hope the boys appreciate those efforts from we girls!


anyhow, here's the much-liked molten chocolate lave cake..

Molten Chocolate Lava Cake (adapted from cake-o-cake.blogspot)


Ingredients (i used half the recipe for 2 ramekins)


4 oz dark chocolate, melted
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate, melted
4 tbsp salted butter, softened
1/3 cup cake flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 eggs


Method:


1. mix the melted chocolate together
2. cream sugar and butter. add eggs one at a time, incorporating between each additions
3. add flour and mix until just combined
4. using a rubber spatula, stir in the melted chocolate into butter-egg-sugar-flour mixture. stir in big circular strokes
5. butter the ramekins generously 
6. fill the ramekins to the top with the batter
7. bake at preheated oven at 190degC for 15min or until edges are firm but centre still soft. entire top should be even in color.
8. cool for 10min before un-molding
9. un-mold the cake by quickly inverting the ramekins and allow the cake to slide out quickly
10. decorate as you wish


i was too excited in "presenting" the "gift" to Dear that i did not take more pictures of it....

Lemony Madeleines

the humpy cakes! so, i called them. distinctive to madeleines are humps on shell-like looking butter cakes. the first madeleines i had were the ones from Delifrance. never knew the actual names of the cakes until much later when i actually learnt to read food names first before buying the food. when i was younger, madeleines were common sight at my grandma's place because my aunties and uncles often frequent Delifrance, which was then quite hip and "class". with the dwindling number of deliverance outlets in Singapore, i think then-popular cafes are being quickly overtaken by more "artas, baristas-ish places and unique cafes like PS Cafe, the Marmalade Pantry, Wild Honey, etc. 


it has been a while since i ate madeleines. few weeks ago when i was researching on french recipes, i came across this classic madeleine recipe (from Julia Child of course!) and decided to give it a try. verdict? really awesome! the additions of lemon zest and lemon juice were simply amazing as they balanced the buttery taste of common madeleines sold in those chain bakeries, making you want for more. 


as it was my first attempt on madeleines, i was rather reluctant to buy the real madeleines molds which are quite costly. i baked this batch of madeleines using existing little cake molds that i have at home. different look but the same great taste! 

Lemony Madeleines


Ingredients:

• 2 ---------------------------- large eggs, beaten
• 140g ----------------------- granulated sugar
• 125g ----------------------- all purpose flour
• 113 g ---------------------- unsalted butter (plus 1 tbsp but greasing the molds)
• 1/8 tsp --------------------- salt
• 1 tbsp ---------------------- flour
• 2 tsp ----------------------- vanilla essence
• 1 tbsp ---------------------- grated lemon zest
• 3 drops -------------------- lemon juice

Method:


1. combine flour and sugar in a mixing bowl and add three quarters of the eggs. beat vigorous and form into a heavy cream. set aside for 10min
2. boil all the butter until very slight brown. take out 1 tbsp of the butter and mix well with the 1 tbsp of flour. set side this mixture
3. cool the hot melted butter over cold water but ensure that butter still remains a liquid. beat the remaining egg into the batter and stir in the cooled liquid butter. stir in salt, lemon zest and lemon juice. cover batter and refrigerate it for at least one hour.
4. grease the molds with the butter-flour mixture from step 2
5. preheat oven to 190degC. using a spoon and rubber spatula, drop a rounded tablespoonful of batter into each madeleine cup. do not spread batter to fill the mold. repeat with the remaining batter and mold. 
6. bake in the middle rack for 20 min or until slightly brownish
7. unfold and cool on a rack with hump side up

enjoy!


*off to buy the real madeleines mold! ;)