"molten chocolate cake" news and stories

Molten Chocolate Cake. Photo: The Skinny Chef

It's practically raining zucchini in the month of August, but there are only so many nights you can serve it sautéed. Since zucchini has a mild flavor and plenty of liquid, it's ideal for sweet recipes because it helps baked goods stay moist, like applesauce does.

Since seeing the mounds of butter and melted chocolate oozing across the screen in "Julie and Julia," I've been craving an indulgent chocolate dessert. So I made this rich, dark molten cake that's crusty on top and soft and melted in the center. Adding a little zucchini is a great way to skim back a little on the fat and sugar.

Get Jennifer's Molten Chocolate Cake recipe after the jump.

Because I love to cook, it is easy to make any meal made at home romantic. All you need is a couple of candles on the table, well-cooked food, someone special and, to follow the meal, dessert. For the main course, I would choose something easy to make, something familiar. Dessert would be my focus, since I firmly believe that anything truly romantic should end with something sweet. These are my top four most romantic desserts:

Molten Chocolate Cake - Known sometimes as a chocolate lava cake, these individual serving sized cakes are menu must haves on Valentine's Day. Unfortunately, they are often poorly made, as people simply undercook a regular chocolate cake to "create" a molten center; all they are doing is allowing batter to run all over the plate. A real molten chocolate cake should have a ball of ganache placed in the center before baking, which will melt and deliver a delicious sauce that is more delicious than any cake batter could ever be. This recipe from Epicurious substitutes chocolate pieces for the truffle center, but the Chocolate Espresso Lava Cakes are excellent, nevertheless.