This recipe is double chocolate perfection. With a rich chocolate center and a moist chocolate cake exterior this molten dessert will have you dreaming about rivers of ganache. Pair with a glass of bubbly for a delicious Valentine’s Day treat!

Serves 4

Ingredients:
For the Cakes:
6 ounces high-quality semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
½ cup unsalted butter
½ cup plus 1 teaspoon sugar
2 large eggs + 1 large egg yolk
¼ cup flour, sifted
Kosher salt, to taste
Confectioners’ sugar, for dusting
1 cup cold ganache (recipe follows) plus more for serving

For the Ganache:
1 ounce heavy cream
1 ½ ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

Directions:
For the  Ganache:
To make the ganache, boil cream in a heavy saucepan. Remove from heat and add chopped chocolate. Use a rubber spatula to stir until all the chocolate has melted. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.

For the Cakes:
Preheat the oven to 350° F. Coat the interiors of four 4-ounce ramekins with nonstick spray. Set aside on a baking pan.

Place the chocolate in a heatproof bowl. In a small saucepan, combine the butter, ½ cup of the sugar, and ¼ cup water over medium heat. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar and melt the butter. Remove from the heat and pour the mixture over the chocolate, stirring to blend.

Place the eggs, yolk, and the remaining teaspoon of sugar in the bowl of a standing electric mixer fitted with a wire whip attachment, or use a hand held electric beater. Beat on medium-high speed until the eggs are thick and yellow.

Add the melted chocolate and continue to whip until thoroughly blended. Add the flour and salt, beating to incorporate. Transfer the bowl to the refrigerator and chill until firm, at least 30 minutes or ideally up to overnight.

Fill the prepared ramekins halfway with the batter. Place a tablespoon of ganache in the center (make sure it is chilled so it is firm and does not ooze into the batter). Pour in enough cake batter to cover the Ganache. The ramekins should be about three-quarters full.

Transfer the cakes to the oven and bake until the sides are set and the tops are puffed but still soft, 15 to 18 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool in the ramekins for 2 minutes before inverting onto 4 dessert plates. Using a double boiler, reheat the ganache until smooth and spoon over cakes before serving.