Here are two recipes for the infamous Chocolate Lava Cakes, which were a wildly popular trend in the 80's / 90's timeframe but then quickly became passe, a cliche that's just not cool anymore. I'm pretty indifferent to whether it's cool or cliche.
This first recipe is from the Washington Post, an article on cooking for two, so it makes two small cakes using the little 4-oz ramekins. The author says it can be easily doubled. It uses very few ingredients, mostly pantry staples (depending on whether you keep chocolate around) and takes little time to make. The most difficult part is getting it out of the ramekins when serving, the author says to make sure the ramekin is heavily buttered and dusted with the cocoa butter.
Lava Cake has an interesting history since it was so wildly popular at one time. There are actually two ways of making it. The more complicated version involves embedding a hunk of chocolate ganache inside the cake; as the cake bakes the ganache melts. Both versions below simply undercooks the cake so the center is still liquid. The author says it is just as satisfying as the ganache method.
Washington Post Version
Ingredients
4 tablespoons (2 ounces/57 grams) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces, plus more for greasing the molds
Cocoa powder, for dusting (natural or Dutch process)
2 ounces (57 grams) bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 large egg, plus 1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon liqueur (optional)
Instructions
1. If cooking immediately, position the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees.
2. Generously butter and dust two 4-ounce molds, custard cups or ramekins with cocoa powder, tapping out the excess.
3. Combine the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan with a few inches of simmering water, ensuring the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water, and stir until the chocolate is almost completely melted. (Alternately, you may heat them together in a microwave, starting with 1 minute on HIGH, then stirring, and finishing in short bursts on 50 percent power as needed until almost melted. Stir together until thoroughly combined.) Remove the bowl from the pan.
4. While the chocolate and butter are melting, in a medium bowl, using a whisk or handheld mixer on medium-high, beat together the egg, yolk and sugar until light, thick and pale yellow.
5. Finish stirring together the chocolate and butter; it should be quite warm. Gradually whisk the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture, then stir in the liqueur if using. Quickly beat in the flour by hand, just until combined.
6. Divide the batter between the molds. (At this point you can refrigerate the desserts for up to several hours. Bring them back to room temperature before baking.)
7. Transfer the molds to a baking sheet to make them easy to move in and out of the oven (and contain any possible overflow). Bake for 8 to 10 minutes — the longer you bake, the less “sauce” there will be. The center will still be quite soft and slightly dipped, but the sides will be set. Let rest for about a minute.
8. Place an overturned plate on top of the mold and, holding onto the mold in one hand with a potholder, mitt or dish towel, invert the plate and the mold. (If you have a lightweight pot rest or trivet, you can set the ramekin on top of that and use it to help you invert as well.) Let sit for about 10 seconds. Unmold by lifting up one side of the mold; the cake will fall out onto the plate. It’s okay if you have to tap or gently shake the ramekin to nudge it out. Serve immediately with a dollop of soft whipped cream or ice cream.
Paula Deen Version
This second recipe is from Paula Deen and makes six cakes using 6-oz custard cups.
Ingredients
6 (1-ounce) squares bittersweet chocolate
2 (1-ounce) squares semisweet chocolate
10 tablespoons (1 1/4 stick) butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
3 large eggs
3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons orange liqueur
Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Grease 6 (6-ounce) custard cups. Melt the chocolates and butter in the microwave, or in a double boiler. Add the flour and sugar to chocolate mixture. Stir in the eggs and yolks until smooth. Stir in the vanilla and orange liqueur. Divide the batter evenly among the custard cups. Place in the oven and bake for 14 minutes. The edges should be firm but the center will be runny. Run a knife around the edges to loosen and invert onto dessert plates.