Black Forest Chocolate Lava Cake
By Ocado
Published on 27 March 2023
This Christmas, impress your family and friends with a very special dessert. Everyone loves a yule log or a trifle, but they’ll love this black forest chocolate lava cake recipe even more. Rich, dark chocolate sponge with a molten chocolate and morello cherry jam centre, studded with boozy marinated cherries and topped with softly whipped cream spiked with kirsch – it’s the dessert plate Christmas dreams are made of.Time and servings
40 minsTotal time
8Servings
15 minsPrep time
25 minsCooking time
Ingredients
- 200 g of butter, plus extra for the ramekins
- 200 g of dark chocolate, roughly chopped
- 250 g of tinned pitted cherries, drained
- 4 tbsp of kirsch
- 300 g of light brown soft sugar
- 6 eggs
- 1 tsp of vanilla extract
- 100 g of plain flour
- 80 g of morello cherry jam
- 200 ml of double cream
Method
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 200°C/180°C fan/gas 6 and grease 8 ramekins or miniature pudding basins generously with butter. Place a small circle of baking parchment in the bottom of each ramekin.Step 2
In a heatproof bowl, add the butter and chocolate, place over a pan of simmering water (ensuring the base of the bowl doesn’t touch the water) and stir until melted and smooth. Set aside to cool for 5 mins.Step 3
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the drained cherries and 4 tbsp kirsch and set aside to marinate.Step 4
Using electric beaters or a standing mixer, mix the sugar into the chocolate mixture until well-combined, then add in the eggs, one at a time, followed by the vanilla extract and lastly, the flour. Mix until just combined.Step 5
Fill each prepared ramekin or dariole mould halfway with the chocolate batter. Gently dollop ½ tsp of morello cherry jam into the centre of each ramekin, then fill up until ¾ full with the remaining chocolate batter.Step 6
Place the ramekins onto a large baking tray and bake in the oven for 13-15 mins until the tops are firm to the touch but the centres still have a slight wobble.Step 7
While the cakes bake, whisk the double cream until soft peaks form, then very gently swirl through 2 tbsp of the kirsch from the bowl of cherries.Step 8
Carefully run a cutlery knife around the edge of each lava cake, then turn them out onto serving plates (use a tea towel as the ramekins will still be hot), remove the baking parchment circles and top each one with a generous tablespoon of the marinated cherries and a dollop of whipped cream. Serve immediately.