prep time: 20 minutes, plus time to chill the ice cream
•
cook time: 15 minutes yield: 8 cakes (1 per serving)
prep time: 20 minutes, plus time to chill the ice cream
•
cook time: 15 minutes yield: 8 cakes (1 per serving)
This is a fabulous dessert for a special occasion. It takes a little bit of time to pull together because there are two components—cake and ice cream—but since both components can be made ahead, it’s really quite easy. The ice cream can be made up to a month in advance, and the batter for the cakes can be made a few days before a dinner party. You can pop the batter in the oven when needed to have perfect lava cakes, warm with gooey centers.
mocha ice cream:
¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons coconut oil
½ cup strong-brewed decaf espresso, chilled
¼ cup MCT oil
4 large eggs
4 large egg yolks
Seeds scraped from 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ cup Swerve confectioners’-style sweetener or equivalent amount of liquid or powdered sweetener ( see here ) (optional)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
lava cakes:
8 teaspoons plus ½ cup Swerve confectioners’-style sweetener or equivalent amount of powdered erythritol or monk fruit ( see here ), divided
4 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
¾ cup coconut oil, plus more for greasing
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
¼ cup unsweetened almond milk (or unsweetened hemp milk for nut-free)
special equipment:
Ice cream maker
1. To make the ice cream: Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until very smooth. Taste and add more sweetener, if desired, and pulse once more to combine.
2. Pour into an ice cream maker and churn, following the manufacturer’s instructions, until set. Store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month.
3. To make the lava cakes: Grease eight 6-ounce soufflé dishes or custard cups with coconut oil. Sprinkle the inside of each dish with 1 teaspoon of sweetener. Combine the chocolate and coconut oil in a medium saucepan over low heat and stir until smooth. Remove from the heat and set aside.
4. Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs, egg yolks, almond milk, and remaining ½ cup of sweetener in large bowl until thickened and pale yellow, about 8 minutes. Fold the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared soufflé dishes. Note: At this point, you can either bake the cakes or cover them and place them in the fridge for up to 3 days. Bring to room temperature and remove the covering before baking.
5. To bake the cakes: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the soufflé dishes on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake the cakes until the edges are puffed and slightly cracked but the center 1 inch of each cake moves slightly when the dishes are shaken gently, about 9 minutes. (You want the centers slightly underdone.)
6. To serve, flip the soufflé dishes over onto serving dishes. Lift the dishes off the cakes; the cakes should slide out. Top each cake with a scoop of the mocha ice cream and serve immediately.
