I love experiencing new things. I love to experiment with new flavors, foods, spices, ingredients, herbs, and all the things. I think that is one of the main reasons why I love cooking and baking so much. There is definitely a set of firm, classic rules.. but you can make up the rest as you go.
You get to decide what you want to incorporate. You can choose your substitutions, within reason, of course. You get to be creative!
So, this was a lot of fun. I have loved being able to play with more herbal and floral flavors, recently. While I was in pastry school, I forced myself to step out of my comfort zone and play with very bold, yet delicate flavors. That choice resulted in this... very... recipe.
I ended up using it for a final project in my Plated Desserts class, and this dessert actually got me a job offer. Which, I accepted, and I've been working in the chocolate industry ever since.
I tell ya, food is the way to someone's heart. Clearly, this was the way into my boss' heart. Therefore, I present to you.... my Earl Grey Molten Chocolate Lava Cake !!!
This cake is relatively simple. I used a gluten free chocolate cake recipe, and I made a chocolate ganache infused with earl grey tea and lavender. I rolled the ganache into little balls, froze them to harden, and then placed the ganache core in the center of the cake before baking.
To ensure prime "lava-ness" (yes, I made a new word), I pulled these out of the oven while they were still a little jiggly. They will continue to cook, even after they are out of the oven. So, take them out just before you think they're "ready."
The Steps to Make a Chocolate Earl Grey Lava Cake :
1. Make a chocolate cake batter. Homemade or even a boxed mix will do.
2. Steep your cream with Earl Grey tea and some dried lavender, if you'd like.
3. Use your delicious earl grey cream to make a chocolate ganache.
4. Let your ganache cool, roll it into balls, and freeze until hardened.
5. Scoop your chocolate cake batter into your baking dish, cupcake pan, ramekin, or whatever you choose to bake it in, and place a ganache ball in the center. Be sure to cover it entirely with cake batter.
6. Bake until it still jiggles slightly. It will continue to bake as it cools. We want some good lava-action!! Don't over cook it. It will still be delicious, but not very molten-y.
7. Serve it up with whatever you want. I prefer ice cream... lots of ice cream!! Enjoy!
Obviously, you do not have to plate this dessert like I have in the photos. But, there is so much you can do with these little cakes. You can use them for a simple, show-stopping dessert after a weeknight dinner, or you can plate them up like a 5-Star restaurant would.
Elements I used to compliment the Chocolate Earl Grey Lava Cake were:
- White Chocolate Crunch
- Lavender Gelee Cubes
- Tart, Lemon Curd
- Vanilla Bean Meringues
- Fresh, Edible Flowers and Microgreens
- Vanilla Bean Coconut Milk Ice Cream
This is the fun part, though. Where you can get creative and simply use what you have around you! HAPPY BAKING !
Molten Earl Grey Chocolate Lava Cake (Gluten Free)
Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 35 mins
Recipe Yield: 8-10 Cupcake Sized Lava Cakes
Recipe by: Hannah Catherine - Rosemary Whisk
Ganache Ingredients:
4 oz Heavy Cream
1 oz Earl Grey Tea, loose leaf
1/4 tsp Lavender, oil or dried (optional)
8 oz Dark Chocolate, chopped
Ganache Instructions:
1. Heat the cream in a saucepan until simmering. Add the earl grey tea and lavender, if using.
2. Turn off the heat, cover, and let the tea steep for 10 minutes.
3. Once steeped, reheat the cream and strain out the tea over the dark chocolate pieces, in a medium sized bowl.
4. Do not stir chocolate and cream mixture. Let sit for 4-5 minutes.
5. Carefully whisk the ganache together, stirring in the center of the bowl. Stir until the chocolate melts and combines with the cream.
6. Let ganache cool, and roll into 1-tbsp sized balls. Freeze until hardened. Now, it's time to make the cake batter!
Cake Ingredients:
9.45 oz Gluten Free Flour Blend*
0.09 oz Xanthan Gum (* OMIT if using GF flour that contains xanthan gum)
1.79 oz Cocoa Powder
0.25 oz Baking Powder
0.25 oz Baking Soda
10.70 oz Sugar, granulated
0.09 oz Kosher Salt
2 each Eggs, room temperature
8.45 oz Milk, room temperature
4.25 oz Vegetable Oil
8.45 oz Water, boiling hot
Cake Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
2. Mix together all dry ingredients in large mixing bowl - flour, xanthan gum (if using), cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt.
3. While mixing the dry ingredients, begin adding the eggs, one at a time, to the dry.
4. Mix in the oil and milk.
5. Slowly stir in the hot water, until well combined.
6. Let the batter sit for 5-10 minutes - the gluten free flours will hydrate and absorb the liquid, resulting in a final product that is not gritty.
7. Scoop into cupcake tins, filling each about 1/2 - 2/3 way full with batter.
8. Place a ganache ball in the center, making sure it is fully covered in batter.
9. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until they are set on top, but still jiggles a little when touched. This is up to your preference. I prefer mine more on the less-cooked side.
10. Let cool for 3-5 minutes. Serve with ice cream or whatever your heart desires. Enjoy!
Notes:
-If you're wanting to keep things simple and use a boxed cake mix, I love the King Arthur gluten free cake mixes. They're fabulous. No harm there!
- I personally prefer to use a gluten free flour blend that does not contain xanthan gum. I like to be able to control how much goes into each recipe, depending on the desired texture of it. So, I always make my own blend that does not have it in there. Too much xanthan gum for certain recipes will create a gross, gummy mess. Blech!
With love & buttercream,
Hannah Catherine
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