This chocolate volcano cake is one of the favorites at home. It does not have any type of flour so it is gluten-free and you can make a lactose-free version using a chocolate that does not contain lactose and lactose-free butter.

I leave you some tips so that it turns out perfect. The first is to weigh the dough: if you want your chocolate volcano to have the perfect proportions, weigh the dough and divide it into thirds. Bake two-thirds first and reserve one-third for the final layer.

I recommend that you pass a lemon through the bowl where you are going to whip the egg whites. This way you eliminate any remaining fat in the bowl and the egg whites will whip up soft and firm.

Another thing to keep in mind is to incorporate the egg whites with enveloping movements, which is key for the chocolate volcano to be perfect and creamy. So first we add two tablespoons to lighten the chocolate mixture a little. You can mix these two normally, but the rest is better to do carefully to conserve as much air as possible.

Ingredients

For a mold 23 cm:

• 270 g unsalted butter, cut into cubes**
• 270 g good quality dark chocolate (70%), chopped**
• 90 g cocoa powder,
• A pinch of salt
• 9 large eggs
• 320 g sugar
• Whipped cream, ice cream or custard to accompany (optional because it is delicious alone)

For a mold 20 cm:

• 225g unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus extra for greasing**
• 225 g good quality dark chocolate (70%), chopped**
• 75 g cocoa powder
• A pinch of salt
• a pinch of cream of tartar (optional)
• 7 large eggs
• 265g sugar
• Whipped cream, ice cream or custard to accompany (optional because it is delicious alone)

**For a lactose-free version, use lactose-free chocolate and lactose-free butter.

Directions

We preheat the oven to 180 °C with a fan (or 200 °C if it does not have a fan). Generously grease a 23 cm (9 inch) round removable mold with butter or grease spray and line the base with non-stick baking paper. We reserve

We melt the butter and chocolate together in a bowl. I usually do it in the microwave in 30 second intervals, stirring well each time until there is a homogeneous mixture. You can also place a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn't touch the water (so the chocolate doesn't burn).

Once we have a smooth, shiny mixture, place a sieve over the bowl and sift in the cocoa powder and salt. We move until it is smooth. We reserve.

We separate the whites from the yolks: we place the whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and the yolks in another large bowl, but before adding them we weigh the bowl where we are going to put the yolks while it is still empty. It is NOT a mistake. Then you will understand.

We add 165 g of sugar to the yolks (of the 320 g that I used because my mold is 23 cm) and beat with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes, or until they are pale, light and thick.

Meanwhile, with the stand mixer (or electric mixer; just make sure it is very clean so that the whites whip properly), beat the whites until stiff. Gradually add the remaining sugar, beating until the whites are firm and shiny.

Pour the melted chocolate over the yolks, stirring gently. Then, little by little we add the egg whites, we will do it three times, taking care that the egg whites do not sink.

We weigh the bowl with the mixture and subtract the weight of the empty bowl, now we will have the weight of the mixture. We divide this amount by three and pour 2/3 into the mold that we have prepared. What we have left of dough, we put it in a bowl, cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the refrigerator. Of course you can do this operation by eye, but if you want the cake to turn out well it is better to weigh it.

Bake the cake for about 25 minutes, or until the cake has risen and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. It should be juicy, in the center it will be moist, almost like a brownie. We let it cool completely in the mold.

Preheat the oven to 180°C with a fan (or 200°C if it doesn't have a fan) and place baking paper on a baking tray. We reserve.

Once the cake has cooled, we put the remaining third of the dough that we had in the refrigerator on top, spreading it gently with a spatula.

Bake the cake for about 10-15 minutes or until we see a thin crust on the surface, but the center is still soft. We take it out of the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes before serving it with a little whipped cream, ice cream or custard, although it is spectacular as is.

If you prefer, you can cool it completely in the refrigerator and serve it cold.

Tips and Tricks

• It freezes very well
• It is best to eat it at room temperature when it is still warm, but cold it is also delicious
• Use good quality chocolate that is between 51 and 70% cocoa. I don't recommend a higher percentage of cocoa but you can do what works best for you.
• If you want to take it somewhere, I recommend not unmolding it until you have transported it and are going to take it. This way it will be easier to transport it
• Preparation time: 60 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Servings: 10

It may also interest you:

Strawberry and ricotta muffins. The juiciest ones you've ever tried Pumpkin fritters with caramel sauce Chocolate cheesecake and cherries. Black Forest cheesecake Gluten and lactose-free chocolate and strawberry cake. Vero's cake Bread without kneading and without blender. The pleasure of making bread at home without complications