Monday, January 7, 2013

Mocha Lava Cakes Sweetened with Honey (Flourless)


If I could only have one dessert for the rest of my life, this would be it. And that's saying a lot! Although I really love cheesecake, these cakes are more of an everyday treat. Plus, you don't have to wait hours/days to eat them!


Valentine's Day is coming up fast and this is all you'll need to impress your sweetheart. It's such a basic one-bowl dessert that is guaranteed to start someones heart a fluttering. These are rich, without being overly sweet. I dream about these and it's how I say "I love you" in food to my husband.


 My sister is the one who originally re-worked a recipe that started out using 2 cups of powdered sugar! She's a genius like that. I took her creation and made it flourless for my dear husband who's abstaining from gluten this year. I'll consider it part of my Valentine's gift to him. Odds are, I'll actually make these again on Valentine's day because we adore them so much.


If you don't have ramekins, you can use a muffin pan. You'll probably end up with more than four servings and will have to shorten the baking time slightly.

I hope you love them as much as we do!



Flourless Mocha Lava Cakes (sweetened with honey)
Makes 4 servings

Coconut oil or butter to grease ramekins
Cocoa powder
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped, plus a few shavings for serving
1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
1 tablespoon instant coffee granules
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, plus 1/4 teaspoon for whipping cream
2 tablespoons honey, plus 1 teaspoon for whipping cream
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
4 large eggs
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, for serving

Grease four 6-ounce ramekins with coconut oil or butter and sprinkle in about 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder, shaking to coat the interior. Tap out the excess cocoa into the next ramekin and repeat until all are fully coated. Place ramekins on a baking sheet.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Put about an inch of water in a medium saucepan and bring to a simmer. Place chocolate and stick of butter into a mixing bowl that fits over the saucepan. Stir until contents are fully melted and smooth. Remove from heat and stir in coffee, vanilla, honey, salt, and baking soda with an electric mixer.

Add eggs, one at a time, stirring to combine thoroughly between each addition. Then increase speed to high and beat for 4 minutes. The batter will lighten noticeably in color and thicken in consistency.

Divide the batter evenly between the four prepared ramekins, smooth the surface with a spoon, and bake for 10-12 minutes. If you plan on leaving the cakes in the ramekins to serve (my preference), lean more toward 10 minutes. For less 'lava' and more cake, bake for 12 minutes.

While cakes are baking, whip the heavy cream on medium-high speed until it forms soft peaks. Add 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 1 teaspoon of honey. Whip for another 30 seconds or until fully combined.

Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the edges and turn over onto a plate or keep in ramekins if you prefer. Top with a dollop of cream and a few chocolate shavings.

Serve warm.

If you want to save some for another time, keep the unbaked ramekin covered in the fridge with plastic wrap until ready to use. You may need to extend the baking time by a few minutes since the batter will be cold.


Pinit

I'm linking up this recipe at Sweet 2 Eat Baking, Back for Seconds, Lady Behind the Curtain, Crumbs and Chaos, Buns in My Oven, Frugal by Choice, Cheap by Necessity, Little House in the Suburbs, & Sundae Scoop Link Party.

20 comments:

  1. Aubrey GriffinJan 7, 2013, 8:03:00 AM

    Yum! I am excited to try this for vday. We aren't GF but this sounds so versatile. Tell your sister thank you for the sugar reduction

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    1. Yes, it really is super versatile. I'll let her know you appreciate her hard work!

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  • Niki | Spilled IngredientsJan 7, 2013, 10:42:00 AM

    Such a fun "jar" dessert to serve for Valentine's Day, I love the ingredient line up! Mmmmm.

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    1. What a great idea to bake them in cute jars if you have them, Niki. The ramekins I use for this are only used for this recipe, but they were still worth it because I make this quite often :)

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  • sally @ sallys baking addictionJan 7, 2013, 2:53:00 PM

    I keep telling myself "you need to make a flourless cake" and I never get around to it! Ok, maybe i'll get to it this year! I love these Loretta - they are adorable and perfect for Valetine's Day dessert with a sweetheart. :)

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    1. This shocks me (you being the chocolate lover that you are)! I hope you do one this year. You'll never regret it!

      Thank you Sally!

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  • Yum, this looks amazing! It may end up being my first treat after whole 30. Crazy to think I used to make stuff w/ all that sugar before... makes my teeth chatter just thinking about it!

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    1. I know! Once you are off it for long enough, it's super hard to go back to what you used to eat. Thanks for the recipe!

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  • 2 cups of powdered sugar? Whoa. I hope that was for, like, 16 servings. :)

    Anyway, I LOVE that these are honey sweetened! And gluten free, too. That's my kind of recipe!

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    1. I know, right? I figured that this was more your style :) Thanks Erin!

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