Name: Chocolate Lava Cake for a Crowd
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Ingredients: 12 tablespoons unsalted butter , cut into 12 pieces; 4 ounces (113 grams) bittersweet chocolate , chopped coarse; 1⅓ cups (4 ounces/113 grams) unsweetened cocoa powder; ⅔ cup packed (4⅔ ounces/132 grams) light brown sugar; 2 cups (14 ounces/397 grams) granulated sugar; 1½ cups brewed coffee; 1½ cups water; ⅔ cup whole milk; 2 tablespoons vanilla extract; 2 large egg yolks; 4 teaspoons baking powder; ½ teaspoon salt; 1½ cups (7½ ounces/213 grams) all-purpose flour

Why This Recipe Works

This irresistibly chocolaty dessert can be fussy to make at home, especially when serving a crowd—the timing has to be just so to avoid overbaking, and the cakes must be served quickly, before the molten centers cool. We wondered if we could use our Dutch oven to make a large-scale lava cake that would maintain the magic of the originals. First we mixed the batter right in the Dutch oven, and then, taking a cue from a classic pudding cake method, we sprinkled the batter with a mixture of granulated sugar, brown sugar, and cocoa powder and finished the assembly by pouring a combination of water and coffee (to enhance the chocolate flavor) over the top. During baking, the sugar-cocoa mixture sank to the bottom and the cake rose to the top, creating just the fudgy layers we were looking for. We removed the cake from the oven and let it cool slightly; the Dutch oven's heat-retaining walls effectively kept the cake's center gooey and warm even as we went back for seconds.

Before You Begin

Serve with whipped cream.

Instructions

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees. Melt butter, chocolate, and ⅔ cup cocoa in Dutch oven over low heat, stirring frequently, until smooth, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove pot from heat and let cool slightly.

Whisk brown sugar, ⅔ cup granulated sugar, and remaining ⅔ cup cocoa together in bowl, breaking up any large clumps of brown sugar with fingers. In separate bowl, combine coffee and water.

Whisk milk, vanilla, egg yolks, baking powder, salt, and remaining 1⅓ cups granulated sugar into cooled chocolate mixture. Whisk in flour until just combined. Sprinkle brown sugar mixture evenly over top, covering entire surface of batter. Pour water mixture gently over brown sugar mixture.

Scrape down exposed sides of pot, then transfer to oven. Bake, uncovered, until cake begins to pull away from sides of pot and top is just firm to touch, 1¼ to 1½ hours, rotating pot halfway through baking. Remove pot from oven and transfer to wire rack. Let cake cool for 15 minutes before serving.