Molten chocolate cake explained

Molten chocolate cake
Alternate Name:mi-cuit au chocolat, Lava cake, chocolate lava cake, molten chocolate lava cake, volcano cake
Course:Dessert
Main Ingredient:Butter, eggs, sugar, chocolate
Country:France

Molten chocolate cake is a French dessert that consists of a chocolate cake with a liquid chocolate core. It is named for that molten center,[1] and it is also known as mi-cuit au chocolat, chocolat coulant ("flowing"), chocolate lava cake, or simply lava cake.[2] It should not be confused with fondant au chocolat, a recipe that contains little flour, but much chocolate and butter, hence melting on the palate (but not on the plate).[3]

History

French chef Michel Bras said that he invented the cake in 1981, after two years of experimentation, with his original inspiration being a family group warming themselves up after a skiing trip by drinking hot chocolate.[4] French chef and chocolatier Jacques Torres confirms that such a dessert existed in France in the 1980s.

French chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, for his part, said that he invented the dish in New York City in 1987. He recalled pulling a chocolate sponge cake from the oven before it was done and finding that the center was still runny, but warm with both a good taste and texture. He has been credited with popularizing the molten chocolate cake in the United States, where it became an almost de rigueur inclusion on high-end restaurant dessert menus in the 1990s.[5]

The two recipes are not at all similar, even though the resulting dish is. Bras's recipe is made in two parts: a frozen ganache core, covered by a rice starch dough, and baked in a mold. Vongerichten's recipe is simpler: a chocolate cake batter made from normal flour, baked briefly in a very hot oven. The flowing chocolate center is therefore arrived at differently in the two recipes, but Vongerichten's has proved more popular, being easier to reproduce.[6]

Preparation

Molten chocolate cakes characteristically contain five ingredients: butter, eggs, sugar, chocolate, and flour.[2] The butter and chocolate are melted together, while the eggs are either whisked with the sugar to form a thick paste, producing a denser pastry, or separated, with the white whipped into a meringue to provide more lift and a lighter result. A tablespoon of strong coffee is sometimes added to enhance the chocolate flavor. Vanilla extract, salt, and cinnamon are additionally recommended in some cases to add extra flavor.[7]

The cakes are typically baked in individual portions in ramekins, or brioche molds. However, there are a number of creative variations in chocolate lava cakes or molten chocolate cakes such as preparing the cakes in a coffee or tea mug. A variation of the cake can be prepared in a microwave oven.[8]

A scoop of ice cream, fresh fruit, a drizzling of fruit and/or chocolate sauce, and dustings of powdered sugar are typical enhancements. Mint leaves are sometimes used as a garnish.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Chocolate fondant. 6 May 2014. 14 April 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190414012755/https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/8168/chocolate-fondant. live.
  2. Book: Machlin, Sherri. American Food by the Decades. 23 August 2011. ABC-CLIO. 978-0-313-37699-3. 226.
  3. Web site: Chocolate fondant. 1 January 2018. 7 January 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190107233316/https://www.lefondantbaulois.com/blog/fondant-mi-cuit-ou-moelleux-au-chocolat-les-differences.html. dead.
  4. Web site: Molten chocolate - Bras Restaurant . 15 September 2022 . www.bras.fr . 15 September 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220915143253/https://www.bras.fr/en/page-article/en-molten-chocolate . live .
  5. Book: Josh Chetwynd. How the Hot Dog Found Its Bun: Accidental Discoveries and Unexpected Inspirations That Shape What We Eat and Drink. 1 May 2012. Lyons Press. 978-0-7627-8529-2. 41–43.
  6. Book: Myhrvold, Nathan . Modernist cuisine : the art and science of cooking . 2011 . Cooking Lab . Chris Young, Maxime Bilet, Ryan Matthew Smith, Cooking Lab . 978-0-9827610-0-7 . 1st . Bellevue, Wash. . 15 . 711381030 . 2022-09-21 . 2024-04-13 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240413012348/https://search.worldcat.org/title/711381030 . live .
  7. Web site: Chef John's Chocolate Lava Cake . AllRecipes.com . 14 April 2018 . 5 April 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180405182950/https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/219964/chef-johns-chocolate-lava-cake/ . live .
  8. Web site: Chocolate Cake in a Mug . Food Network . 14 April 2018 . 30 April 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180430115413/https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/chocolate-cake-in-a-mug-3158576 . live .