Decadent Chocolate Molten Cake Recipe

Prepare molds and oven

Preheat oven to 200°C (390°F). Generously butter four 6-ounce (180–200 ml) ramekins with 20 g butter, dust with cocoa powder, tapping out excess. Place ramekins on a baking sheet.

Melt chocolate and butter

Combine 200 g chopped chocolate and 170 g butter in a heatproof bowl set over a simmering pot of water (double boiler) or melt gently in 20–30 second bursts in the microwave, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Make batter

Whisk together 100 g granulated sugar, 3 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks in a bowl until pale and slightly thickened (about 2–3 minutes). Temper the egg mixture by gradually whisking in the melted chocolate-butter mixture until homogenous and glossy. Fold in 50 g sifted flour and a pinch of salt until just combined—do not overmix.

Fill and chill

Divide batter evenly among prepared ramekins (about 100–110 g batter each). Place the filled ramekins in the refrigerator for 20–30 minutes to firm the edges—this helps create a defined crust while keeping the center molten.

Bake

Bake at 200°C (390°F) for 10–12 minutes. The edges should be set and the centers still jiggly. Ovens vary: for a looser center, remove at 10 minutes; for slightly more set, bake up to 12 minutes.

Release and rest

Let cakes rest 1 minute on a wire rack. Run a thin knife around the edges, invert each ramekin onto a dessert plate, lift to release. If cake sticks, warm the bottom of ramekin briefly and try again. The molten center should flow when cut.

Make raspberry purée

In a small saucepan, combine 200 g raspberries with 10 g icing sugar (optional) and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Warm gently until berries break down (2–3 minutes). Pass through a fine sieve to remove seeds. Reserve 60–80 g of the purée to swirl into the ice cream and chill remaining purée completely.

Infuse custard base

In a saucepan, heat 250 ml whole milk, 250 ml heavy cream and the split vanilla bean (scrape seeds into milk) to scalding — just before simmering. In a separate bowl, whisk 4 egg yolks with 80 g sugar until thick and pale. Temper the yolks by slowly whisking in about one-third of the hot milk mixture, then return egg-milk mixture to the saucepan.

Cook custard

Cook over low heat, stirring constantly with a spatula, until custard coats the back of a spoon and reaches 77–82°C (170–180°F) or thickens to nappe. Do not boil. Remove from heat and strain through a fine sieve into a clean bowl to remove any cooked bits and vanilla pod.

Cool and churn

Stir in the reserved chilled raspberry purée (60–80 g) into the warm custard to flavor. Let custard cool to room temperature, then chill thoroughly in the fridge (2–4 hours or overnight). Churn in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer instructions until soft-set (about 20–30 minutes).

Add stracciatella and ripple

Melt 80 g finely chopped dark chocolate and let it cool slightly. During the final 2 minutes of churning, slowly drizzle the melted chocolate into the ice cream to create thin shards (it will harden into stracciatella). Remove churned ice cream to a container and gently ripple in the remaining chilled raspberry purée in ribbons, using a spoon to create visible streaks. Freeze at least 3 hours to firm.

If using pectin NH

Combine 150 g strained raspberry purée with 25 g sugar in a small saucepan. Mix 4 g pectin NH with a small portion of the purée to disperse, then whisk into the saucepan. Bring to a simmer, stirring constantly, for 1–2 minutes to activate pectin. Remove from heat and stir in 60 ml Chambord. Pour into a shallow container and chill until set; cut or spoon small quenelles or drops for plating.

If using gelatin

Sprinkle 4 g powdered gelatin over 30 ml cold water and let bloom 5 minutes. Warm 150 g strained raspberry purée with 25 g sugar until hot but not boiling. Stir in bloomed gelatin until dissolved, remove from heat and mix in 60 ml Chambord. Cool to room temperature then refrigerate until slightly thickened but pourable. For a firmer gel, chill longer and cut into small cubes or pipe onto plates.

Place a warm molten chocolate cake in the center of each dessert plate. Spoon or scoop 1 generous ball (about 80–100 g) of chilled raspberry stracciatella ripple ice cream to the side of the cake.

Dot or pipe small amounts of chambord gel (about 1–2 teaspoons total per plate) around the plate and near the ice cream for concentrated raspberry-liqueur flavor.

Garnish with 2 fresh raspberries and 2 mint leaves per plate. Lightly dust the plate with a little cocoa powder for contrast. Serve immediately so the cake is warm and the ice cream is cold.