Joy the Baker
Joy the Baker

One Single Melty Chocolate Cake

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Hello friends! 

Here’s the single serving melty chocolate cake you need.  

You can easily double the recipe and bake it in two ramekins if you a) want two cakes or b) want to cozy up on the couch with someone and eat this cake (without sharing, amen). 

Below the recipe you’ll find substitutions for this recipe if you don’t happen to have an ingredient on hand. This is me anticipating your needs. 

Be well, stay well, please enjoy this cake offering 

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A Single Molten Chocolate Cake

  • Prep Time: 0 hours
  • Cook Time: 0 hours
  • Total Time: 0 hours
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Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 teaspoon unsalted butter for buttering the baking ramekin plus 1 tbsp. unsalted butter for the batter
  • about 1 tsp. unsweetened cocoa to dust the baking ramekin (or use flour or granulated sugar)
  • heaping 1/4 cup semisweet or bittersweet chocolate chips
  • 1 large egg, at room temperature is best
  • 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter, optional
  • splash of bourbon, optional
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 375° and set a baking sheet on rack in center of oven. Grease a 3/4-cup ramekin with 1/2 tsp. butter, then dust with unsweetened cocoa. Set aside.
  2. Put 1 tbsp. butter and the chocolate chips in a small heatproof bowl set over a small pan of simmering water. Heat, stirring, until chocolate melts; let cool a few minutes. You can also melt the chocolate and butter slowly in the microwave. Whatever is easiest for you.
  3. Whisk egg, sugar, and peanut butter (if using) in a small bowl to blend. Add a small glug of booze if you’d like. Whisk in chocolate mixture until well incorporated, then stir in salt and flour just until combined. Pour batter into ramekin. Set on baking sheet and bake until as done as you like, 7 to 10 minutes for a molten center (a 3/4-in. ring around the edge will look dull) or 10 to 12 minutes for a soft center (cake edge will puff slightly).
  4. Let cake cool 2-3 minutes. Protecting hands with a towel or pot holders, invert onto a plate. Eat right away – enjoy warm

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•  Yes, a gluten-free flour blend works well for this cake. 

•  If you don’t have butter, feel free to use coconut or canola oil for the cake and for greasing the ramekin.

•  Dutch processed or regular cocoa powder to dust the pan, though flour (gluten-free or otherwise) works for greasing the pan as well. Cocoa enriches the flavor and doesn’t leave any dusty white marks on the outside of the cake. 

•  Any kind of chocolate you have is good chocolate to make into cake. 

•  An egg is key to the rise and texture of this cake. If you don’t have an egg, a flax egg will do. Be sure to add a scant 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda to the flax egg to help with extra lift.

•  If you don’t have or want peanut butter you can replace it with any nut butter of skip it completely. 

•  Bourbon, skip it or enjoy it. Rum? Also delicious! 

•  Salt – do it.

• If you want to swap the flour for whole wheat, reduce the amount by 1/2 teaspoon. If you want to sub for a gf flour blend, it’s a one for one swap! 

•  If you don’t have a ramekin, any oven-friendly glass dish will do.  Just make sure that there’s about 3/4-inch of room at left at the top for the cake to rise. If you happen to use a muffin tin, fill carefully, leaving room at the top and keep an eye on the cake in the oven at the 7 minute mark or so.