This is a guest post and recipe from my dear friend, Jenny Karstad. Jenny is a phenomenal cook and baker, and a truly lovely person.
Happy Valentine’s! Or Christmas! Or Presidents’ Day! Really, there is no bad time of year (in the winter anyway) for these amazing, wonderful, tasty, and above all, impressive lava cakes. I read somewhere a few years ago someone complaining that “every restaurant in New York has a lava cake offering” or some such, said in a derisive way; a dessert that may have been impressive once but had gone the way of the Baked Alaska or the Floating Island.
For these people I say balderdash! Poppycock! I have served these several times now, and despite the fact that they are just about the easiest thing to make, people are still impressed, and don’t seem to mind they are now ‘out of fashion’. By now, of course, you have probably realized that most people who don’t cook or bake much are impressed by anything homemade. I do hope that in the future, people will be doing more home baking and cooking so that bakers and chefs will have to try that much harder to impress their friends and families. Having said that, let’s just go forward on the assumption that people are going to be impressed by anything that is a) chocolate, b) made at home, and c) full of ingredients that you’ll need to make them guess at. This recipe has all these things, all wrapped up in a delicious 3/4-cup ramekin. One could even have a little contest to see if everyone can guess all the spices.
Continue reading for the Winter-Spiced Molten Chocolate Cakes with Rum-Ginger Ice Cream recipe
- 1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened
- 2 tablespoons chopped crystallized ginger
- 1 tablespoon dark rum
- 14 ounces best quality (Callebaut or Valrhona) bittersweet (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate, chopped
- 1¼ cups (2½ sticks) unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoons ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 6 large eggs
- 6 large egg yolks
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 cups powdered sugar
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- Additional powdered sugar
- Crystallized ginger strips
- Place softened ice cream in medium bowl. Using plastic spatula, fold ginger and rum into ice cream.
- Transfer to airtight container. Freeze ice cream mixture until firm, about 4 hours. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep frozen.)
- Generously butter eight ¾-cup soufflé dishes.
- Stir chocolate, butter, coriander, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, and white pepper in heavy medium saucepan over low heat until melted and smooth. Cool slightly.
- Whisk eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Whisk in 3 cups powdered sugar, then chocolate mixture, then flour.
- Transfer batter to prepared dishes, filling to top and dividing equally. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
- Preheat oven to 425°F. Bake cakes until batter has risen above dish, top edges are dark brown, and centers are still soft and runny, about 15 minutes, or about 18 minutes for refrigerated batter.
- Run small knife around cakes to loosen. Allow cakes to rest in dishes 5 minutes. Using hot pad and holding dish very firmly, place plate gently atop 1 cake and invert onto plate. Repeat with remaining cakes. Dust with powdered sugar. Top with crystallized ginger. Serve cakes with rum-ginger ice cream.
Wow! I love chocolate cakes and macaroons!
Here in the Philippines, the locals’ favorite choco cake is called “Black Forest.”
Happy Valentines!
Jenny Karstad is a great cook, baker, and soup maker!
I’ve not had the pleasure, but I’m POSITIVE you’re right.
I love the flavor combination! Definitely not your regular chocolate cake.
Wowsa, this looks fantastic! Thank you for linking to Foodie Friday! Not Your Ordinary Agent
Not Your Ordinary Recipes
That sound yummy and interesting. I will surely give this a try:)
Visiting for FTF! Hope you can stop by:)
http://www.mommys4seasonsjourney.com/2012/02/meat-loaf.html
These sound amazing! Thanks so much for sharing at Mix it up Monday!
I love molten chocolate cake. It’ll never go out of style in my book.
Thanks for sharing on Crazy Sweet Tuesday!
You had me at Lava Cake…then I saw rum-ginger ice cream. WOWZERS!!
WOW how amazing is THIS recipe – what a treat! Chocolate…I think so!! I appreicate you linking up at Tea Party Tuesday, hope to see you back this week for a fun giveaway! Take Care.
[...] This just sounds amazing…Winter-Spiced Molten Chocolate Cake with Rum-Ginger Ice Cream from Galley Kitchen [...]