Molten Berry Lava Cakes with an actual oozing berry centre! Say WHAT?
Hello World!
I’m going to reintroduce myself. I’m Winola. This blog, The Foodscape, has been alive since 2014. The best years were 2018 in terms of posting, and 2019 was the best in terms of the love this blog from YOU! My last post on the blog was on March 7, 2019 – Date & Oat Cookies. And since, I’ve been MIA.
I can explain. A lot happened in 2019. I moved homes twice. Travelled to Abu Dhabi. Travelled to India. My best friend came to town. I got married to my boyfriend of six years. (I have a husband, guys. Just saying it is weird!) And we got an apartment and set up our first home – a cozy little space for two.
There will be more on the wedding and our home in the near future. But right now, let’s address the elephant in the room. Valentine’s Day. This day when the pressure is on and everyone is scrambling to get the perfect gift, plan the most romantic date or trip. I kid you not, last Valentine’s my then fiancé and I were walking through a grocery store at 9 pm, when we saw a man in a shirt and tie, hurrying to the cashier with a bouquet of roses and a box of chocolates in hand, all the while looking at his watch. When he finished paying, he RAN!
I’d like to think that we can all make a conscious effort to detach the pressure to please on Valentine’s and instead do something heartfelt. Like serenade them with a song when you’re in your PJs. Or cook together. Or bake them something. Oh oh, I have an idea. You can bake your loved one these Molten Berry Lava Cakes, complete with an oooooooozing berry centre!
This recipe makes 6 Molten Berry Lava Cakes. Here’s what you need:
- Sugar – 150 g
- Eggs – 3, large
- Egg Yolks – 3
- Vanilla Extract – 6 tsp
- Salt – a pinch
- Dark Chocolate – 340 g
- Unsalted Butter – 126 g
- All Purpose Flour – 70 g
- Blueberries and Strawberries – 200 g, mashed
Here’s how you make these Molten Berry Lava Cakes:
- Preheat the oven to 175 ºC/ 347 ºF. Grease 6 ramekins generously with butter or non stick spray. In a large bowl, mix sugar, eggs, egg yolks and vanilla until well combined. Set aside.
- Melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave by heating them on the medium setting for 30 second bursts and stirring between each burst, until smooth and creamy. Pour the melted chocolate into the sugar, egg, vanilla mixture slowly, while stirring constantly.
- Sprinkle the flour over the batter and fold gently until just incorporated. Do not over-mix. Pour 3 tbsp of batter into each ramekin, then spoon in the mashed berries into the centre of the ramekins. Gently pour the batter over the berries, ensuring they are displaced and fill the ramekins until 3/4 full.
- Place the ramekins on the tray and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the surface of the cake is firm to the touch. Take them out and leave them to cool for 10 minutes. Then run a knife along the edges and turn over each ramekin to plate the Molten Berry Lava Cakes.
- Lightly dust them with icing sugar and serve warm.
I love these Molten Berry Lava Cakes because they are easy to make and boast of a flavour profile that has something for everyone. For those who love chocolate, well it is chocolatey enough. And for those who love fruity desserts, a berrylicious treat awaits!
These Molten Berry Lava Cakes, much like these Lemon Lava Cakes (that are still the reigning recipe on my blog) attracted fans fast. I sent some over to my parents home and before my husband had driven to work, my family already sent messages waxing poetic about how each bite was perfect. These are my brother’s words, and I quote, “The sharp tang & the sweetness of fruits with rich and velvety texture & bitterness of chocolate. Absolutely splendid!” 😛 The husband kept entering the kitchen and saying, “Smells bomb!” And when he dug in he said, “This is the BEST lava cake I’ve ever had!”
I really think you should believe the brother and the husband! And me. And I really think you should bake these cute cakes for you and your beau this Valentine’s. Or any day really. Or every day! They taste just as good ever single time, I promise! ❤
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The Foodscape 
Hi!
I was wondering if you think it’d work to do a larger version of this? About a 6” cake? And possibly let it cool and then ice it with buttercream? My friends are keen to have it as the top tier of their white wedding cake, then cut into it and see the berries pour out onto the white cake…
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Hi Bernadette, thanks for your comment. While the idea sounds absolutely wonderful, I’m afraid it won’t quite work out for a couple of reasons. Since the centre of this cake is gooey and wet, I’m unsure if it could be easily shifted on to another cake, it could break. And for the same reason I worry that it might yield and cave in the centre if frosted because it doesn’t really have the kind of firmness other cakes would. An even greater worry of mine is the centre. It isn’t exactly cooked through and the berries are semi-cooked too. Berries are notorious for turning funky-tasting and rancid once if not cooked out, and they release their juices which might render the surrounding cake wet, which could cause it to spoil. And since weddings require cakes to stay fresh for long hours (and need to be made quite a bit in advance) I worry that this might go bad. Of course I haven’t tried making this into a cake or for a wedding, so it’s very possible that you could have a hit on your hands, but these are my concerns and I hope you’ll consider them. Do let me know what you decide! 😊
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