Recipe: Molten Chocolate Cakes with Sugar-Coated Raspberries

MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKES
WITH SUGAR-COATED RASPBERRIES
Source: Perfect Recipes for Having People Over by Pam Anderson
Servings: 8



These decadent, oozy flourless cakes are drop-dead terrific and even easier than brownies. They are baked in paper liners in a muffin tin, so you don't have to worry about having matching ramekins. That also means you don't have to unmold the cakes - just lift them from the muffin pan and set on the dessert plates. And since the cakes bake for only 8 minutes, you can pop them into the oven when you're clearing the main course and making coffee.

Use extra-large baking cups for the cakes. These liners extend above the muffin cups, making it easy to lift the baked cakes from the pan. If your baking cups are foil-lined, remove the foil layer and reserve for another use, or discard.

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
1 1/3 cups chocolate chips or semisweet chocolate, cut into small chunks
5 large eggs
1/2 cup sugar, plus a little more for coating raspberries
Pinch of salt
4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
1 half pint (about 6 ounces) raspberries

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Line 8 cups of a muffin tin (1/2-cup-capacity cups) with extra-large paper liners (they should extend above cups to facilitate removal; if papers are foil-lined, remove foil paper). Coat papers with vegetable cooking spray.

Melt butter and chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth; remove from heat.

With an electric mixer, beat eggs, sugar, and salt in another medium bowl until sugar dissolves. Beat egg mixture, then flour, into chocolate. Divide batter among muffin cups.

Bake until batter puffs but centers are not set, 8 to 10 minutes. Let stand in tin for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, flick raspberries with a little water and roll in sugar to coat.

Carefully lift cakes from tin and transfer to dessert plates, removing paper liners. Top each cake with sugared berries and serve.

When should I serve it?
For an intimate dinner or when you want an impressive dessert that preps and bakes really fast.

How far ahead can I make it?
The batter can be made 1 week ahead and refrigerated; return to room temperature 1 hour before baking.

How can I vary it?
For Passover, substitute unsalted margarine for the butter and ground matzo for the flour.

Any shortcuts?
Don't bother peeling off the papers. When the cakes come out of the oven, just let them rest for a second, then lift them onto the plates and to with the berries.