Molten Lava Cake
Whenever we celebrate something huge in our family, we often include Molten Lava Cake for dessert. You know the one – insanely-rich chocolate cake filled with fierce, semi-sweet chocolate lava. As you cut into the warm cake, melted chocolatey goodness comes bubbling out. My boys often fight for the gooey center.
If you’ve read my blog long enough, you clearly realize that I feel compelled to recreate our favorite restaurant dishes in the comfort of my own home. But, as a nutritionist, I also feel obligated to make these winners healthier and suitable for Healthy Eats. Check out my recipe below. I had a blast testing it! I lightened up the molten cake by using fat-free sweetened condensed milk, egg whites and light butter. I also baked the cakes in ramekins so I could fill each one with semi-sweet chocolate morsels without the chocolate sneaking out of the batter.
While testing, I made a ton of the ramekins and had a few leftovers. Guess what? I popped them in the fridge and 3 days later, reheated the cakes in the microwave. Holy chocolate heaven! Feel free to do the same.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat 12 ramekins with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Mix well with a fork to break up brown sugar. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk, egg whites, melted butter and vanilla. Mix on low speed until blended. Gradually beat in boiling water. Gradually add flour mixture and mix on low speed until blended.
Spoon 3 tablespoons of the batter into prepared ramekins. Insert 1/2 teaspoon semi-sweet chocolate chips into center of batter (and make sure batter covers them on top – that gives you a smooth surface).
Bake 11 minutes, until edges are cooked and center is still jiggly.
Sift confectioners’ sugar over top just before serving.