Chocolate lava cakes are guaranteed showstoppers at the end of a satisfying meal. But sometimes you want a treat that's a bit lighter than chocolate. Enter these lemon lava cakes. They deliver all the drama of the chocolate version, but with a bright hit of lemon flavor. White chocolate is the secret ingredient that provides that luscious molten center.
These cakes are simple to make, but the timing is crucial if you want to ensure a nice, dramatic ooze-out when you cut into them with a fork. Bake them until they're set around the edges, but don’t let them go too long. Finally, let them rest for 5 minutes to firm up before inverting them onto serving plates.
Lemon lava cakes
6
10 minutes
20 minutes
30 minutes
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus additional for preparing the ramekins
5 ounces white chocolate, chopped
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup confectioners' sugar, plus additional for dusting
½ cup lemon curd
Zest of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
Preheat the oven to 425 F, and grease eight 6-ounce ramekins with butter. Place them on a baking sheet.
In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine the butter and white chocolate, and heat for 1 minute on 50% power. Stir the mixture, and then microwave in 20-second increments on 50% power, stirring in-between, until the chocolate is completely melted and the mixture is smooth.
Whisk the flour into the butter-and-chocolate mixture, then stir in the confectioners' sugar, lemon curd, lemon zest and vanilla until well-combined. Beat in the eggs and egg yolks until incorporated.
Spoon the batter into the buttered ramekins, dividing it equally.
Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the edges of the cakes are set. Remove the cakes from the oven, and let them rest for about 5 minutes.
Run a knife around the edge of the cakes to loosen them, and then carefully invert each one onto a serving plate. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar, and serve warm.