Miso Chocolate Lava Cake Recipe

There are few desserts that are as impressive or as dramatic as a lava cake. Presented as an unassuming chocolate cake, once the soft outer sponge of the lava cake is broken into, the molten chocolate inside pours out onto the plate in a deliciously decadent puddle. This miso chocolate lava cake recipe is an excellent option for a dinner party pudding, as these desserts are as simple to prepare and bake as they are impressive. The cake batter can also be prepared ahead of time and placed into the fridge, ready to be whipped out and popped into the oven when it's time for dessert.

This chocolate lava cake recipe, created by Tasting Table recipe developer Jennine Rye, has the slightly unusual addition of white miso paste, giving your dessert an added level of sophistication with no extra effort. This trendy addition is salty, sweet, savory, and a little nutty, adding a delightful contrast to the rich sweetness of the dark chocolate and creating a wonderfully balanced pudding that is both indulgent and delicious. Read on to find out how simple it is to bake these miso chocolate lava cakes at home

To begin this miso chocolate lava cake recipe, first you will want to gather the ingredients. You will require butter, dark chocolate, white miso paste, eggs, light brown sugar, white sugar, vanilla extract, cocoa powder, and flour. You also may want powdered sugar and strawberries to serve.

For this recipe to work properly and taste delicious, you will want to use the correct type of miso paste. There are three types of miso: white, yellow, and red miso, with the white miso being the most mild and sweet variety, while the other varieties are more pungent and acidic. The lightness of the white miso is what makes it work so well in baked goods, providing just the right amount of savory and salty flavors to contrast and enhance the sweetness of the cakes.

To make these lava cakes, first you will want to make the dark chocolate and miso flavor base. To do this, combine chopped dark chocolate with white miso paste and butter in a microwave-proof bowl. Then melt the mixture slowly in the microwave in 20-second increments, stirring well between each stint. Continue this process until the ingredients are completely melted and combined, then set this to one side.

To prepare the rest of the cake batter, separate two of the egg yolks from their whites and add these to a bowl along with the remaining two whole eggs. (The leftover egg whites can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge to be used for another project or recipe.) Add the brown sugar, the white sugar, and the vanilla extract to the bowl along with the eggs, and then whisk everything together until it is pale and frothy; this should take a few minutes. Finally, mix in the chocolate miso mixture, then the cocoa powder and the flour, and your batter is ready.

Pour the prepared batter into four ramekins that have been well greased with butter and dusted lightly with cocoa powder. At this stage you can place the prepared puddings into the fridge if you wish until it is time for dessert. When you are ready to bake the miso chocolate lava cakes, place the ramekins into a preheated oven and allow them to cook for 10 to 11 minutes, until the sides have just set but the middle is still clearly wobbly and molten. Then remove the ramekins and allow them to sit for a minute or 2, before gently turning them out onto serving plates. Complete the lava cakes with a dusting of powdered sugar and some strawberries to give it that restaurant finish before serving, and then watch your guests dig in with delight!