Lemon Lava Cakes
With an exploding center, these lemon lava cakes really are the spectacle! These desserts pair zingy lemon sauce with a light lemon sponge and if you love lemons, what else would make for a lovely summery dessert treat? This little cake erupts like the a gigantic Mount, with a zingy hot lemon curd. It’s a dessert with attitude: a punchy lemon flavor and an exploding center.
Ingredients:
For the lemon curd:
Juice of 3 lemons
200g caster sugar
2 eggs
50gms cold butter, cubed
For the sponge:
100g soft salted butter, plus extra to grease the ramekins
80g caster sugar, plus 1tbsp to dust the ramekins
2 eggs
2 tbsp whole milk
Zest of 3 lemons
100g plain flour
Method:
- Place all the ingredients for the lemon curd, apart from the butter, in a medium saucepan on a gentle heat and whisk continuously for 5-8 minutes, or until the mixture thickens. Whisk in the butter, cube by cube.
- Take off the heat once all the butter has melted. Pour into a wide bowl and cool for 20-30 minutes, or until it reaches room temperature. Pour into a disposable piping bag or a heavy-duty food bag, and refrigerate until using.
- Preheat the oven to 200°C. Butter the ramekins and dust with sugar. In a bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Lightly beat the eggs and gradually add them to the mix, beating all the time, then add the milk and zest.
- Sift the flour into the mix and incorporate well. Divide the batter between the ramekins until just over half full. Take the piping or food bag, snip off a corner, insert the tip into the center of the batter in each ramekin and pipe in the curd until two-thirds full.
- Place on a baking tray and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and spring back when touched. Immediately run a knife around the edges of the cakes before turning them out onto plates. Serve straightaway.
Top tip
Make sure you don’t let the curd boil, as this will make it split and give it an eggy taste. The leftover lemon curd is delicious swirled into yogurt.