For all you men there Women’s Day is only a few days away. If you want to win over your woman, who is slightly out of temper over a trifle — like missing the first 10 minutes of her favourite hero’s movie, coming home late after a hard party with colleagues, including three women, or catching you enjoying a puff near her guruji’s silver-framed photograph (you might be better off than your dad who took the match box from the kitchen to the loo and was caught on the reverse act) — then here is the perfect recipe to keep the love going. I can guarantee you that her heart will melt with this Chocolate Molten Cake. I will be the friend in need to help you through the making if a perfect Women’s Day.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon of top-quality instant coffee
100g dark continental chocolate (at least 65 per cent cocoa solids)
100g unsalted butter and a little extra softened butter for greasing
4 large free-range eggs
140g golden caster sugar (preferably
vanilla infused), 50g plain flour, sifted
Double cream (cold) to serve
Direction
Apply butter on the inside walls ofsix small metal moulds, the type used for sticky toffee puddings. (You can line the bottoms with a circle of parchment to prevent sticking). In a warmed small cup, dissolve the coffee granules in 1 tablespoon of boiling water. Leave to cool.
Break up the chocolate by bashing the foil packet with a rolling pin – and melt with the butter.
Meanwhile, beat the eggs and sugar together until the mixture is thick and foamy and has tripled in volume. You will need to use electric beaters or the cake-making and whisk attachment of a food processor for high on 10 minutes.
Pour the dissolved coffee and the melted chocolate on to the egg and sugar mixture and briefly beat to combine. Tip in the flour and beat again, just long enough to combine.
Put the buttered moulds on to a heavy baking sheet and pour in the batter, leaving a good 1cm/1⁄2in space at the top for the sponges to rise. Put the baking sheet on the middle shelf of the oven preheated to 200C/Gas 6/fan 180C and cook for 8-9 minutes, until they look set and firm enough to turn out.
Remove the puddings and leave them to cool for 5 minutes before carefully turning them out – the top is the most vulnerable. Serve with double cream and see the magic happen.