Moelleux au Chocolate / Chocolate Lava Cake with Salted Caramel

Moelleux au Chocolat avec Caramel Salé


That ooey, gooey filling you see is caramel. Salted caramel. Made with fleur de sel salt. Or "caramel salé" as the Frenchies call it. Wrapped around a 60% cocoa dark chocolate wall... *swoon*


I made these after a long and challenging day at school and I thought to myself, "life is good". How can it not be? I lose myself completely when I'm baking, my focus is all on the food I'm preparing and no other thought enters my mind.


While I normally don't watch many cooking programmes on tv, other than Nigella Lawson's (who can change the channel when this goddess is on?!), I saw an episode of Rachel Khoo's 'The Little Paris Kitchen'. And my first thought was, "darn you Rachel Khoo for stealing my tv-show idea!". The whole Parisian-themed cookshow is a secret dream I've had for many years. But I can't stay mad for long because she does show some interesting dishes.


After watching one episode I was inspired to make Oeufs en Cocette, see picture here. And now I'm making the moelleux au chocolate with salted caramel filling. Both recipes were very, very good. Rating: 5 out of 5.


Behold this video I made of my molten chocolate cake:



(next time, I promise to stop using my phone to take videos and use a real camera instead!)




Moelleux au Chocolat: Rachel Khoo - Little Paris Kitchen

Ingredients: makes 5 to 6
For the salted caramel filling:
- 150g white sugar (½ cup)
- 150ml double cream
- 1 teaspoon salt, preferably fleur de sel

For the sponge:
- 150g dark chocolate
- 85g unsalted butter (⅓ cup)
- 170g light brown sugar (¾ cup)
- 85g all-purpose flour (¾ cup)
- 6 large eggs
- Cocoa powder, for sprinkling

Instructions:
- Firstly make the caramel sauce, as it needs to cool before you can use it. Coat the bottom of a heavy-based saucepan with the sugar (don't throw all of it in just yet!). Turn on heat, and as soon as it begins to caramelize, add more sugar, and so on. This will prevent the caramel from forming lumps. Once you've used all of your sugar and the caramel is a dark amber color, stand back and add the double cream. It is best if the double cream is at room temperature so the caramel will not harden immediately. If this happens, turn on the heat again. Add the salt. Pour salted caramel in a small bowl and let cool.
- In a double boiler, melt the chocolate and butter. Combine flour and light brown sugar in a medium bowl. Slightly whip the eggs before adding them to chocolate mixture and stirring vigorously. Add the eggy chocolate mixture to the flour/sugar. Mix well.
- Coat 6 ramekins with butter. Then add a teaspoon of cocoa powder in each ramekin and coat entirely, tapping out excess.
- Fill the ramekins ⅔ full with chocolate mixture. Place them in the refrigerator for about 45 minutes. This will ensure that the center stays uncooked when baking.
- Once the chocolate batter is cold, put the salted caramel in a piping bag and pipe a doll-up of caramel into the center of each chocolate-filled ramekin.
- Bake at 180˚C/350˚F for 15 minutes. When the outside is soft but firm to the touch, and the inside is still wobbly, that's when they're done. Turn them upside down on a plate and be bedazzled!


Moelleux au Chocolat avec Caramel Salé



Rachel Khoo preparing the dish:


Comments

Oh my...looks amazing! Must make :)) xx
You always have the most amazing and decadent desserts! Love this!!
miss b said…
When I see the melting middle chocolate cake on any restaurant menu I always choose it but these sound like a delicious variation with the salted caramel. I love to watch Rachel Khoo's programmes on the television.
http://missbbobochic.blogspot.co.uk/
Unknown said…
Ok, so my roommate was looking over my shoulder when I was watching that little clip and she made like this giant gasp noise and said "I want that in my mouth!" This was my thought exactly! This looks positively decadent!
Anonymous said…
105 C on the caramel?
Paris Pastry said…
I have no idea! I never work with sugar thermometers. I determine if the caramel's ready, by the color of it.
Erica said…
I love Rachel Khoo's show! I finally made this tonight for the hubby. It was a big hit with him, and I had him deliver the leftovers to our neighbors. He really liked that it wasn't too sweet. While I definitely enjoyed the dessert, the sponge was a little too bittersweet and dry for me personally (I used quality 70% cacao chocolate). The dryness is probably my fault as I left it for two minutes too long in the oven. But to sweeten the sponge up, I made some ganache with the leftover chocolate and cream and poured it over. WOW, was it extra rich after that! Thanks for posting this--it was fun to make and a pleasure to share with others! I also got my first lesson in caramel making. Only burnt one batch my first time around :)
Carey lee said…
So I have some chocolate batter leftover from the recipe. How to I keep it? And how long can I keep it?
Paris Pastry said…
@Carey Lee: I would say a day in an airtight container in the refrigerator. It will not last very long. Either bake it, lick it, or throw it out :D
IS said…
Thanks for this, should you use a non-stick saucepan for the caramel? should you stir the caramel at any point? what should the taste of the caramel be like when its done? thanks
Emma Jasmine said…
This comment has been removed by the author.
Clementine said…
This article is a delicious treat for all the foodies out there! The recipe for Moelleux au Chocolat avec Caramel Salé sounds absolutely heavenly and the writer's passion for baking is evident in their words. It's always inspiring to see someone lose themselves in the process of creating something beautiful and tasty. The step-by-step instructions and the video make it seem easy to replicate this dessert at home. I'm definitely going to try making it soon and indulge in the ooey, gooey salted caramel filling wrapped in a 60% cocoa dark chocolate wall. Thank you for sharing your culinary adventure with us! To discuss more about Baking classes in Velachery

WriterRose said…
I can say that your description of the chocolate lava cake with salted caramel filling sounds absolutely divine! The combination of rich, dark chocolate and sweet, salty caramel is a match made in heaven. And I can completely understand how baking can be a therapeutic escape from the stresses of daily life. Your experience of losing yourself in the process is one that many can relate to. It's wonderful that you were inspired to try new recipes and that they turned out so well. Thank you for sharing your culinary adventures with us! To discuss more about Baking classes in Chennai Velachery

Popular Posts