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Hi Bold Bakers!
WHY YOU’LL LOVE THIS RECIPE: This Baked Hot Chocolate Recipe: A Heavenly Mug of Bliss delivers profound, dark chocolate flavor and decadent gooeyness in an elegant package. It’s perfect for the holidays!
- Baked Hot Chocolate is a warm dessert that’s both light and rich, with an addictive contrast between the melty center and the surrounding soufflé-like cake.
- Prepared in ramekins or even charming mugs (just like hot cocoa!), this is a lovely treat for Christmas Eve, a movie night, or any cozy moment.
I have long been obsessed with molten chocolate desserts—when I worked in a 5-star resort in Wexford, Ireland as a pastry chef, the Chocolate Lava Cake was the most popular dessert on the menu. This baked pudding/soufflé mash-up is an easy twist on that iconic lava cake recipe; it’s quick to whip up and virtually foolproof. In less than an hour, you and your family could be spooning up Baked Hot Chocolate topped with softly whipped cream, and it just might be the most delicious gift of the season.
Table of Contents
- What is Baked Hot Chocolate?
- Tools You Need
- Key Ingredients and Why
- How to Make Baked Hot Chocolate
- Can I Make Baked Hot Chocolate in Advance?
- How to Store Baked Hot Chocolate
- FAQs
- Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
- More Warm Chocolate Recipes
What is Baked Hot Chocolate?
- Baked Hot Chocolate is a warm pudding-like dessert with the intense flavor of hot cocoa. It has a crisp exterior and a melted-chocolate middle.
- Baking quickly at a moderate temperature keeps the chocolate center melty.
- Lava cake became popular in New York City in the 1980s. Its lush chocolate flavor and surprising molten center made it a favorite dish worldwide. In addition to this luscious Baked Hot Chocolate, you’ll love Red Velvet Lava Cake, Pumpkin White Chocolate Lava Cake, and Nutella Lava Cookies.
Tools You Need
- Six oven-safe mugs or ramekins
- Large, deep baking pan
- Double boiler (optional)
- Stand mixer with whisk attachment (optional) or electric mixer
- Mixing bowls
- Measuring cups and measuring spoons
- Metal spoon
Key Ingredients and Why
-
Dark or bittersweet chocolate
- The bold flavor of dark or bittersweet chocolate gives Baked Hot Chocolate depth and keeps it from being too sweet.
- My Ultimate Guide to the Different Types of Chocolate takes the mystery out of the different varieties of chocolate and teaches you what works best in different recipes.
-
Butter
- Butter gives this baked chocolate dessert lush richness and a moist, smooth texture.
- Creamy, flavorful butter complements the chocolate and adds silkiness.
- Make the recipe even bolder when you learn How to Make Homemade Butter.
-
Eggs
- Separated eggs are used in this recipe.
- Egg yolks give the mixture richness and structure. Whipped egg whites give the cakes their rise.
- It’s best to use room-temperature eggs in soufflés. How to Get Room Temperature Eggs has all the tips you’ll need.
-
Granulated sugar
- Granulated sugar sweetens the chocolate cakes.
- In the chocolate mixture, sugar balances the bittersweet flavor and helps create a tender texture. In the egg-white mixture, sugar adds stabilization.
-
Heavy whipping cream
- Whipped cream is the ideal complementary flavor and texture for Baked Hot Chocolate, and the color contrast is lovely as well.
How to Make Baked Hot Chocolate
- Get ready for baking by preheating the oven to 350°F (180°C), buttering the mugs/ramekins, and placing them on the deep baking sheet.
- Prepare the ingredients by first melting the chocolate and butter together. Set aside to cool. Next, whip the egg whites with ⅓ cup (2½oz/71g) of sugar to stiff peaks and set aside. Beat egg yolks with the remaining sugar and combine with the cooled chocolate mixture. Fold in the egg whites carefully.
- Divide the mixture between the six prepared containers and top each with a square of bittersweet chocolate. Bake for 15-20 minutes until puffed and cracked. Whip cream while the cakes cool. Top with the cream and serve immediately.
Can I Make Baked Hot Chocolate in Advance?
- Yes, you can make Baked Hot Chocolate in advance. Prepare the mixture up to 24 hours in advance, fill the ramekins or mugs, and refrigerate.
- Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before baking to take the chill off.
How to Store Baked Hot Chocolate
- Refrigerate leftovers for up to two days. Reheat in the microwave for approximately 45 seconds.
FAQs
-
How can I make sure the Baked Hot Chocolate rises?
- It’s essential to use room-temperature eggs when making Baked Hot Chocolate. Room-temperature eggs incorporate the other ingredients better, and the whites whip faster and better.
- Use a thin metal spoon to fold in the egg whites. A spatula is too thick and will knock out the air in the whipped egg whites.
- And don’t open the oven while the cakes are baking! This might cause them to deflate.
-
Can I use another type of chocolate in this recipe?
- I love dark or bittersweet in this recipe because it gives such deep flavor. However, you can tweak it according to your tastes! Check out My Ultimate Guide to the Different Types of Chocolate.
Gemma’s Pro Chef Tips
- You can melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave if you prefer. Place both in a microwave-safe bowl and heat in 30-second increments, stirring in between, until melted.
- Many recipes, like fluffy Japanese Cheesecake, have you whip the egg whites as a last step, just before folding them in. However, this means that you must meticulously clean and dry your bowl and whisk before doing so. If you whip the whites first, they will hold long enough for you to make up the rest of the batter, and then you don’t have to wash your bowl and whisk twice.
- Using a metal spoon instead of a rubber spatula to fold in the egg whites gives a lighter touch and helps to keep the egg whites from deflating.
- Make it a seasonal peppermint baked hot chocolate by adding a ¼ teaspoon of peppermint extract (or a few drops of peppermint oil) to the chocolate mixture just before you fold in the egg whites. You can also add a garnish of crushed candy canes.
- Delicious coffee flavor is another tempting add-in. Make it a Baked Mocha by dissolving two tablespoons of instant espresso powder into the chocolate and butter before mixing into the eggs. Add a dash of cinnamon on top of the whipped cream to complement the coffee flavor.
- Try this with different flavors of whipped cream, like strawberry or chocolate!
More Warm Chocolate Recipes
- Hot Chocolate Mug Cake (Egg-Free)
- Gemma’s Best-Ever Hot Chocolate
- Hot Fudge Brownie in a Crock Pot
- Easy Mexican Hot Chocolate
- Homemade Starbucks Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate
Try These Recipes!
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 cups (12 oz/340 g) dark or bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- ½ cup (4 oz/115 g) butter, diced
- 6 large egg whites
- ⅓ cup (2½ oz/71 g) granulated sugar plus ⅓ cup (2½ oz/71 g) granulated sugar, divided
- 5 large egg yolks
- ½ cup (3 oz/85 g) bittersweet chocolate bar, cut into six ½ ounce pieces.
- ½ cup (4 fl oz/120 ml) heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C) and butter six (6-ounce) oven-safe mugs or ramekins. Place on a deep baking sheet and set aside.
- Melt the chocolate and butter together either over a double boiler or gently in the microwave. Set aside to cool.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or with a medium bowl and handheld electric mixer) whip the egg whites on high speed until soft peaks are formed, about 4 minutes.
- Gradually add ⅓ cup (2½ oz/71g) of sugar, one tablespoon at a time, and then continue to whip to stiff, glossy peaks, about 2 more minutes.
- Transfer the whites to a clean bowl, then add the yolks and remaining sugar to the stand mixer and whip on high speed until pale and thickened, about 5 minutes.
- To the yolks, add the cooled chocolate mixer until combined. Then remove the bowl from the machine.
- Using a metal spoon, fold ⅓ of the whites into the chocolate mixture to loosen it. Once incorporated, fold in the remaining whites.
- Divide the mixture evenly among the prepared mugs or ramekins, then top with a piece of bittersweet chocolate.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes, until puffed and slightly cracked.
- While baking, whip the cream to soft peaks in a medium bowl with a handheld electric mixer or by hand with a wire whisk. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Let the baked hot chocolate rest for 5 minutes, then top with a generous dollop of whipped cream and serve immediately. If there are leftovers you can reheat in the microwave for 45 seconds or so.
