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Everyone who has ever eaten in a restaurant, from Jean Georges to Chili’s, has heard of the Molten Chocolate Cake. It has been called many names: lava cake, volcano cake, molten lava cake, melting chocolate cake, and warm melting chocolate cake, but are all basically the same. An almost flour-less cake with usually equal parts butter and chocolate, with eggs and sugar. Baked in a mold until almost set, served warm and oozing, it is the bane of pastry chefs everywhere. Leastways, it’s baned the shit out of me, ranking second only behind Creme Brulee as most annoyingly de rigueur dessert for non-adventurous diners. Chances are, if you worked in pastry, you’ve served some version of this cake. Anyway, in recent days I’ve had my head buried in Johnny Iuzzini’s book Dessert Four Play. One of the most eye catching recipes for me was his Crispy Creamy Chocolate Doughnuts. His method, seemingly daunting, involves many advanced techniques and obscure ingredients. I wanted to make this dessert pretty badly, even going so far as contacting Terra Spice Company and pricing some of these odd chemicals. My brain then farted loudly and reminded me of a similar dessert I saw in another of my favorite cookbooks; Desserts by the Yard by Sherry Yard. She uses her truffle cake batter to make what she calls Deep, Dark, Decadent Doughnuts. Reviewing the Truffle Cake recipe, I did a double take. Fucking Lava Cake. Deep fried Molten Chocolate Cake. I had to give it a try. Was is going to be like Johnny’s? Doubtful. Would it be deliciously decadent? More than likely. I made the recipe and proceeded with the normal method. The doughnuts oozed way to thinly, essentially chocolate sauce encased in panko. After doubling, then tripling, and again and again; I ended up at eight times the flour in the original recipe to get the right consistency. These things are a bit of a pain in the ass, I won’t lie. Most excruciatingly scrumptious things are. I made eighty of them for a recent event at Ten-01. Thanks to Johnny for the inspiration, and to Sherry for a more down to Earth approach.

Molten Chocolate Doughnuts

8 oz dark chocolate (64%)

8 oz butter

6 eggs

3/4 cup sugar

2 cups all purpose flour

fluer de sel

panko, egg wash, and more flour as needed to bread

1. Bring the butter to a boil and pour it over the chocolate. Whisk smooth and keep warm.

2. Whip the sugar and the eggs about three minutes; until lemon-colored and almost double in volume.

3. Whisk the chocolate into the eggs all at once, whisking smooth.

4. Add the flour, again whisking smooth.

5. Transfer the batter to a flexible silicon mold and freeze rock hard, at least 4 hours.

6. Turn the cake out onto a lightly floured surface. Using a 2 1/2 inch doughnut cutter, cut out 9 doughnuts.

7. Bread the doughnuts twice, according to the standard breading procedure, and refreeze until ready to fry.

8. Deep fry at 350 until golden brown, and hold at room temp for service. Heat through in a 300 degree oven until warmed through, about 10-12 minutes. Sprinkle with salt. Serve with Pistachio Creme Anglaise if you like.