MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKE

MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKE

For the Cakes

6 tablespoons of butter, 2 tablespoons melted and 4 tablespoons at room temperature.

½ cup natural (not Dutch-process) cocoa powder, plus more for dusting.

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons milk

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 1/3 cup sugar

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

2 large eggs at room temperature

For the Filling and Toppings

Smucker’s Microwaveable chocolate sauce

Smucker’s hard shell chocolate

Caramel sauce for drizzling

1 pint vanilla ice cream

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Make the cakes: Brush four 1 ¼ cup brioche molds (* or use 10-ounce ramekins or jumbo muffin cups) with the 2 tablespoons melted butter. Dust the molds with cocoa powder and tap out the excess.
3. Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.
4. Bring the milk and ¾ cup water to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat; set aside.
5. Combine the oil, 4 tablespoons room temperature butter and the sugar in a stand mixer and beat with the paddle attachment on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down the bowl and beater as needed.
6. Add ½ cup cocoa powder and the vanilla: beat 1 minute on medium speed on medium speed. Scrape down the bowl. Add 1 egg and beat 1 minute on medium-low speed, then add the remaining egg and beat 1 monre minute.
7. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the flour mixture, then the hot milk mixture. Finish mixing the batter with a rubber spatula until combined. Divide the batter evenly among the molds, filling each slightly more than three-quarters of the way.
8. Transfer the molds to a baking sheet and bake until the tops of the caked are domed and the centers are just barely set, 25 to 30 minutes. Transfer the baking sheet to a rack; let the cakes cool until they pull away from the molds, about 30 minutes.

Assemble the cake…

1. Use the top of a paring knife to gently loosen the cakes from the molds, then invert the cakes onto a cutting board.
2. Use the knife to cut a 1 ½ inch circle on the top of each cake, cutting almost to the bottom.
3. Hollow out the cake with a spoon; save the scraps. Wrap the cakes with plastic wrap and microwave until steaming, 1 minute.
4. Drizzle plates with caramel, then unwrap the cakes and place on top.
5. Heat up the microwaveable sauce.
6. Pour about 3 tablespoons filling into each cake.
7. Plug the hole with a cake scrap. Save or discard any remaining scraps.
8. Top each cake with a scoop of ice cream. Spoon hardshell chocolate sauce on top, spreading it thin so it hardens into a shell.