Gluten-Free Chocolate Lava Cakes

This festive dessert is decadent and dramatic, but it’s not hard at all. And because it is already divided into portions, it makes for a wonderful dinner finale. Even if you are not a big baker, you can totally make this special dessert. It only takes about 5 minutes to whip up once everything is ready and just 10 minutes to bake. So as your guests are finishing up their meal, quickly beat the eggs together, add the melted chocolate, pour in cups, and put in the oven. Ten minutes later, it will be the talk of the dinner. Serve with after-dinner coffee/ drinks. Once you put the dessert saucers in front of your guests, have everyone at one time crack the middle and watch the flood of “lava” flow out of their dessert. Spectacular!

Gluten-Free Chocolate Lava Cakes

Ingredients:

5 oz bittersweet chocolate chips

3 Tbsp unsalted butter

4 eggs

¼ cup granulated cane sugar

¼ tsp sea salt

1 – 2 tsp. instant coffee (I used one Folgers classic roast instant crystals packet)

1 tsp vanilla

1 Tbsp Bailey’s Irish Cream (optional)

1 Tbsp Gluten-free flour

4 One-inch square chocolate chunks (I used Ghirardelli premium baking 60% CACAO)

Instructions

1. Set up a double boiler, which is a medium glass mixing bowl placed over boiling water in a medium pot. The glass should not touch the water. The boiling water makes the bottom of the glass bowl hot and melts the chocolate without burning it.

2. Turn on the oven to preheat to 425 F.

3. Lightly butter four 6-ounce custard cups.

4. Add the chocolate chips and the butter to the double boiler.

5. Melt chocolate and butter together by occasionally stirring until both are fully melted. Turn the burner off, and set aside the bowl with chocolate, but keep warm by leaving it over the hot water.

6. Separate the yolks from of whites of two eggs—place them in a large glass bowl. Crack the two other eggs and add to the first egg yolks. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs, sugar, and salt on high until a pale yellow (5 min.)

7. With the beaters, mix the instant coffee granules, vanilla, Bailey’s, and gluten-free flour.

8. Stir the melted chocolate into the egg mixture.

9. When thoroughly combined, divide into four prepared custard cups.

10. Stick one square of chocolate into the center of the batter of each cup.

11. Bake for 10 minutes on the center rack of the oven.

12. The cakes can be eaten with a spoon straight from the custard cups.

13. OR let them rest for 1 or 2 minutes after coming out of the oven, and slide them onto dessert saucers. Using a straight knife, go up and down between the cakes and custard cups releasing the cake from the glass. Place a dessert saucer on top of the custard cup, then quickly flip it over. The custard cup should freely release the cake. Now serve the chocolate cake with the “lava” ready to flow out. Super dramatic dessert!