MOLTEN CHOCOLATE VOLCANO CAKE

Molten Chocolate Volcano Cake

The feisty Icelandic volcano with the almost unpronounceable name — Eyjafjallajokull – causing trouble for people all over Europe and the Western Hemisphere with canceled and disrupted travel is the perfect excuse for an oozey-gooey chocolate cake.  It’s causing more headaches than the morning after a Brennivín party!  Brennivín is the national alcohol of Iceland, a kick ass Icelandic cousin of moonshine and Aquavit, nicknamed the “black death”.  So when the going gets tough, the tough need chocolate! What better way to commiserate a weekend spent on the floor of Heathrow, than over a warm plate of molten chocolate cake.  Skál!

You won’t blow your top trying to make this either – this is a very easy cake, whips up in less than an hour, but looks like you spent all day.  Make the batter before dinner, and pop it in the oven as you and your guests start your entrees.  Use a small deep metal bowl for dessert to share between four people, or in four individual ramekins, or small bowls.  A little cinnamon spices up the molten “lava” in the cake’s middle.

1/4 cup all-purpose flour, plus 1 tsp for dusting

1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus 1TBL for dusting

1tsp unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup unsalted butter, plus 1 TBL butter melted

1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips (70% cacao)

pinch of salt (1/8 tsp)

3 eggs at room temperature

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Prepare the bowls for the cake batter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix 1 teaspoon flour, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon cocoa powder in small bowl.  Brush a 2-1/2 cup domed metal bowl (or four 1-cup ramekins) with melted butter, dust with flour/sugar/cocoa mixture swirl bowl and gently tap out what does not stick to the sides.  Set aside on baking sheet.

Melt butter and chocolate in small bowl over a small pot of water on very low heat.  Set aside off heat when melted and smooth.

Beat eggs, sugar and salt until the mixture is a light yellow and a little frothy.

Stir cinnamon into flour and fold by hand into egg/sugar mixture and then fold in melted chocolate.

Cake fresh from the oven

Pour batter into prepared bowls and place on baking sheet.  Bake the bowl of cake for 16 minutes – or 10 minutes for individual serving ramekins.  When you remove the baking sheet from the oven the cake should barely jiggle on top.

Place bowl (ramekins) on rack to cool about ten minutes.  Use a thin butter knife to loosen the cake and turn onto a serving plate, sprinkle with powdered sugar….and, if you would like, top with your own ‘ash cloud’ of fresh whipped cream.

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FIG AND DATE CAKE

Fig & Date Cake

Many people are looking for gluten-free alternatives for dessert and while this looks like a cake, there’s no flour.  Or serve as an appetizer, with Spanish manchego cheese.  It’s perfect for a swanky party – you can make it a few days ahead – one less thing to worry about on party day!  Jane Newdick’s Sloe Gin & Beeswax is a treasured resource for living the homemade life.  This recipe is adapted from her book, it works great for dessert with a dollop of freshly whipped cream or fresh ricotta.

Ingredients & Chopped Fig/Date Mixture

1 lbs. dried calimyrna figs, roughly chopped

2 lb. dried mission or black figs, sliced in rings horizontally

1 lb. Halawi or Medjool dates, roughly chopped

1/2 cup unblanched almonds

2 tsp. dried fennel seeds

2 tsp. honey

2 tsp. Sherry

1 tsp orange zest

In a medium-sized bowl, stir together honey, sherry and half the fennel seeds and half the orange zest until fully incorporated.  Stir in chopped figs and chopped dates and set aside.

Line cake pan with parchment paper circle.  Layer the fig rings in a pave on the bottom of the pan.  Spread an even layer of fig/date mixture.  Sprinkle with 1/3 the almonds.

Sprinkle a pinch of fennel seeds and a pinch of orange zest.

Repeat the layers of fig/date mixture and almonds until all are used.

Top with circle of parchment paper, put flat plate on top and heavy weight (I use a 20-lb barbell in a heavy crockery jar, approximately 25 lbs.).  Place in a cool spot for 1 to 2 days for dessert.  Remove weight and turn onto plate.  Cut into small wedges and serve with whipped cream or fresh ricotta.  For appetizer, leave under weight for another 2 days to really dry the cake, then unweight and plate.  Cut into slivers and serve with manchego cheese, olives and a glass of Sherry.  Salud!

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