Fallen Chocolate Cakes
Unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped coarse
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 8 pieces
4 large eggs plus 1 large yolk, room temperature
½ cup (3½ ounces) granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Powdered sugar
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease eight 6-ounce ramekins and dust with cocoa. Arrange ramekins on rimmed baking sheet. Microwave chocolate in large bowl at 50 percent power for 2 minutes. Stir chocolate, add butter, and microwave at 50 percent power for 2 minutes longer, stopping to stir after 1 minute. If chocolate is not yet entirely melted, microwave for an additional 30 seconds; set aside.
Using stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, whip eggs, yolk, granulated sugar, vanilla, and salt on high speed until eggs are pale yellow and have nearly tripled in volume. (Egg foam will form ribbon that sits on top of mixture for 5 seconds when dribbled from whisk.) Scrape egg mixture over chocolate mixture, then sprinkle flour on top. Using rubber spatula, gently fold egg mixture and flour into chocolate until mixture is uniformly colored.
Divide batter evenly among prepared ramekins. (Unbaked cakes can be refrigerated for up to 8 hours. Return to room temperature for 30 minutes before baking.) Bake until cakes have puffed about ½ inch above rims of ramekins, have thin crust on top, and jiggle slightly at center when ramekins are shaken very gently, 12 to 13 minutes. Run thin knife around edges of ramekins to loosen cakes. Invert each ramekin onto plate and let sit until cakes release themselves from ramekins, about 1 minute. Lift off ramekins, dust with powdered sugar, and serve.
Serves 8
Nutrition information per serving: 318 calories; 153 calories from fat; 17 g fat (8 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 161 mg cholesterol; 108 mg sodium; 33 g carbohydrate; 6 g fiber; 14 g sugar; 9 g protein.
America's Test Kitchen provided this article to The Associated Press