PREQUEL

The Good: Ode to Jean-George’s Chocolate Molten Cake
The Bad: Domino’s Lava Crunch Crapcakes

Despite the occasional subpar specimen (Domino, I’m looking at you), my love of warm chocolate cake continues to run deep. So deep, in fact, that up until yesterday, I’d made a promise to myself that consumption of these cakes would remain an out-to-dinner treat ONLY, never to be attempted at home.

Don’t get me wrong – I love to bake, but somehow I loose all impulse control once I pass through my front door. Maybe you know how it goes: you make one batch of homemade cookies thinking, “I’ll just have one and bring the rest to work” and soon you’re on the couch, you’ve inhaled nine cookies, and you’re contemplating finishing off three more to make it an even dozen because they’re just so good when they’re warm and then you won’t have to share the leftovers with your roommates (or co-workers).

Heaven knows what might’ve happened if I’d ever tried my hand at full-on chocolate cakes.

Then I had a sad realization: how could I call myself a true aficionado if I hadn’t tried making these delectable cakes myself? It had to be done, if only for the sake of food research. (It had to be done!). So, for a recent dinner party, I decided to make an exception to my out-to-dinner-only rule and whip up a batch of Warm, Soft Chocolate Cakes.

This recipe is based on one I got from Eli Zabar, the Upper East Side gourmet food market here in NYC. I’ve tweaked it to reflect things-I-wish-I’d-done (i.e. to dust the ramekins with cocoa instead of flour to avoid the pasty pallor they have in the picture).

They may not be pretty (I’ll leave that artistry to Jean-Georges), but these cakes were still mmm mmm delicious. A perfect way to celebrate love, chocolate, or just the love of chocolate this weekend, or any time of the year.

Warm, Soft Chocolate Cakes

Yield: 4 individual cakes

1/2 cup unsalted butter, plus a bit more to butter the molds

4 ounces bittersweet chocolate

2 eggs

2 egg yolks

1/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons flour

Cocoa powder for dusting ramekins

4 small ramekins (I used 5.5-ounce round ones – they suggest 4oz heart shaped.)

• Preheat the oven to 450F.
• Heat butter and chocolate together in a double boiler until the chocolate is almost completely melted. While that’s heating, beat together the eggs, yolks, and sugar with a whisk or electric beater until light and think.
• Beat together the melted chocolate and butter; it should be quite warm, but not so hot that you’ll scramble the egg in the next step!
• Pour in the egg mixture, then quickly beat in the flour, just until combined.
• Butter and lightly dust four 4-ounce ramekins with cocoa. Tap out the excess cocoa. Divide the batter among the molds. *At this point, you can refrigerate the desserts until you are ready to eat for up to several hours; bring them back to room temperature before baking. (This part is extremely important. Cold batter/ramekins don’t bake the same. Trust me.)
• Bake the molds on a tray for 6 to 8 minutes; the center will still be quite soft, but the sides should be set.
• Invert each mold onto a plate and let sit for about 10 seconds. Unmold by lifting up one corner of the mold; the cake will fall out onto the plate. (If it doesn’t pop out easily, they may need to go back the oven for a minute.)
• Serve immediately with the topping of your choice: whipped cream, berries, vanilla bean ice cream, or all three!

Happy Ugly Valentine’s Day!

PREQUEL
The Good: Ode to JG’s Molten Chocolate Cake, Pt. I

I should’ve known that the whole thing was a bad idea, but curiosity got the better of me yet again. I had been mesmerized by the omnipresent Domino’s commercial touting its Chocolate Lava Crunch Cakes. Try as I might, I was losing the ability to ignore the siren call.

Possessing very little food-related willpower to begin with, I gave in and decided I had to try them. (Am I the only one that saw these ads everywhere? Or just the only one who contemplated an actual purchase? I fast forward through every show on my DVR and still managed to see that commercial at least 11 times. After that I lost count.)

I mean really, what kind of lover of warm chocolate cake would I BE!?! How could I call myself a true fan without tasting the one that was being sold in strip malls across the country!?!

I saddled up to a local Domino’s. After assuring the man behind the counter that yes, I wanted just the cake (no pizza, no breadbowl pasta, no oven-baked sandwich, thank you) I watched as two* small tins of chocolate went into the mouth of the conveyor-belt oven. *There was no option to buy just one; but it’s just $3.99 for two! It’s no wonder America has an obesity problem!

I knew that what came out on the other side wasn’t going to be the culinary achievement of the century, but somehow, I had convinced myself that if anything, it would at the very least be cracktastic; you know, like french fries from McDonald’s or nachos from Taco Bell.

I was wrong. Very, very, wrong.

The menu describes them as, “Oven baked chocolate cakes, crunchy on the outside with molten chocolate on the inside.” Oh, Domino’s. How you have a way with words. “Molten chocolate” does sound much better than “grainy-and-chalky-warm-brownie-batter” and “crunch” more appetizing than “tough-burnt-cardboard-crust.”

But was it really SO hard to make the cracktastic version? Even with an arsenal of chemicals and focus groups on your side?

Yup, I should’ve known it was a bad idea…

*Veronica lives and works in New York City where she enjoys thinking about food, reading about food, eating food and bike riding.

Part I: THE GOOD
@Nougatine, NYC

There are only a couple of desserts in the world that I could devote a series of posts to- molten chocolate cake (aka Lava, Warm, Flourless) is one of the chosen few.

When it comes to dinner, I could easily spend a half an hour deliberating my entree choices; everything always sounds so delectable! As I read through the menu questions immediately start running through my head: “What was it that Frank Bruni liked here again?” “Would they substitute the mashed potatoes in that for the salad?” “Mmm. Macaroni and cheese.” The thoughts flow until I have to make polite conversation or the server stares at me expectantly, whichever comes first.

When it comes to choosing dessert, one might imagine that it would be a similar situation; in fact, I turn into a bizarrely predictable diner.

Is there a warm molten chocolate cake? Let’s do it.
Does it come with ice cream? Bring. It. On.

Apparently, I’m not alone in my love of the warm chocolate confection: a number of chefs have it on their menu. Whether it’s because they love it themselves, or because they’re hoping to oblige the masses and sell some dessert, I’ll never be quite sure. The idealist in me would like to think it’s because they appreciate the comforting simplicity of the dish. The cynic tells me it appears so frequently because there are suckers like me that can’t resist its chocolatey pull. (Domino’s sells it now for crying out loud!)

Many have crossed my plate and almost all the versions I’ve tried have been delicious (the exceptions being those versions that were literally just a piece of chocolate cake that had been warmed up — talk about your false advertising!) But much like Dorothy didn’t realize Kansas was gray until she stepped into the technicolor world of Oz, I only thought I knew what warm chocolate cake was until I had the version created by Jean-George Vongerichten.

How could I consider myself a true molten chocolate cake enthusiast without having tried the one by the chef who popularized the dessert!? I know. It’s embarrassing; I get a little more ashamed even as I type this.

So I arrived for dinner at Nougatine in NYC one night with a clear mission: try the damn cake. I opened my menu and the words, “Warm chocolate cake,” shone back at me like a beacon of light. I quickly made my decisions (when there’s you’re on a mission it’s much easier to decide on an entree), closed the menu and looked just in time to watch Jean-George (the man! the myth! the legend!) walk by and pause to greet an artsy looking woman at a nearby table.

I was in the house of Vongerichten and JG was presiding. I tried not to stare. Is there such thing as a food omen? Surely this meant something magical was to come. I silently mouthed, “OMG! Jean-George!” to my boyfriend. He took a stealthy glance toward the direction of my head-nod and gave me an excited grin. We ordered and continued to geek out as we watched JG walk back and forth between the kitchen and the Jean George side of the dining room to check on patrons.

As each dish arrived we enjoyed interesting combinations of fresh ingredients and truly mesmerizing flavors.

Then the cake came.
It smelled marvelous.
It looked divine.
I quickly divvied it up in equal halves lest one of us (i.e. me) hog more than my fair share.
I dove in, took a bite, and am pretty sure I gave an audible sigh.

The exterior crackled as it broke open.
The interior cake was light and flavorful.
The warm chocolate that oozed from the center was rich but not cloying or heavy.
The vanilla bean ice cream was creamy and dense.

It was by far, the best damn warm chocolate cake I’ve ever tasted.
Go there.
Eat it.
Reveal in its deliciousness.

And if the trip is too far: try your hand at making it!
Here’s the recipe I’m going to try next time I have people over.

Stay tuned for The Bad and The Ugly!

*Veronica lives and works in New York City where she enjoys thinking about food, reading about food, eating food and bike riding.