Warm Chocolate Cake Recipe with Figs

A warm chocolate cake recipe might be a bit of a retro dessert, but we can’t think of a better sweet ending to a meal than one that seems a bit magical.

Nutty Figgy Lava Cakes

Sun-Maid and Orchard Choice Mission Figs are our pick here for their jammy earthy sweetness. If you prefer a pop of contrast in color and a more subtle nutty sweetness go with our Sun-Maid and Orchard Choice Golden Figs. The figs fill the bottom of the cups with the nuts and cake batter baking on top of them. Once the cakes are turned out of the custard cups or ramekins, it’s a bit of a ta-da.

For the nuts, our pick is hazelnuts, as we love the flavor profile of our figs combined with chocolate and hazelnuts. If that’s not your jam or you don’t have hazelnuts on-hand, swap in pecans.

Warm Chocolate Cake with a Surprise Inside

To make the cake batter, heat butter, chocolate chips and unsweetened chocolate in small saucepan over low heat or in microwave until smoothly melted. Then you’ll set aside the batter to cool slightly.

Separately beat eggs, egg yolks and sugar on high speed of electric mixer until mixture is very thick, like meringue. This builds up the structure of the batter. Then, the melted chocolate is folded in, a gentle motion until just combined. Warm chocolate cake is tender and as such, flour is just folded in so gluten development is delayed.

You’ll next spoon the batter into prepared dishes, over the chopped figs and nuts, filling almost full. Bake in center of oven for 15 to 18 minutes or until puffed and set around edges. Cool the warm chocolate cake for 5 minutes before running a knife around the edges of each plate and then inverting the custard cup onto a plate to transfer the cake. Serve immediately so you’ll have the ooze of chocolate lava flowing from inside out. We particularly like the cake served a la mode with vanilla ice cream.