Molten Chocolate Cakes

(from BAKERS)

Ingredients:
6 oz Dark Chocolate
10 tablespoons butter
1 ½ cups powdered sugar
½ cup flour
3 whole eggs
3 egg yolks

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees
2. Grease your pan of choice (I made 12 standard cupcake/muffin sizes, or you can do 6 (6 oz.) custard cups)
3. Melt chocolate and butter together in the microwave on 50% power for a minute, then stir. Melt for additional 10 seconds stirring after each until smooth.
4. Sift in powdered sugar and flour
5. Add whole eggs and egg yolks, beat until well blended
6. Divide batter into cups (you can fill them pretty full as they don’t rise much. Next time I will probably fit the batter into 10 standard size cupcake liners)
7. Bake. If you use a standard muffin pan bake 6-8 min., with custard cups it will take 12-14 min. When they are done these cakes should still be wiggly in the center. Let stand 1 min.
8. Invert cakes onto dessert dishes and garnish with powdered sugar, fresh berries, or ice cream. Serve immediately.

Lamingtons

(Joyofbaking.com)

You know how I love individual sized stuff, here is a fun variation on an individual cake.
Lamingtons are one of Australia's national cakes and consist of a small square of white cake (sponge, butter, or pound) that is dipped in a sweet chocolate icing and then rolled in desiccated coconut. I chose to vary a bit from the original and left some coated in pure chocolate and some rolled in toffee bits. The turned out really tasty, I loved the way some of the chocolate frosting soaked into the outside layer of the cake. But I should warn you, these are a time consuming.

Cake Recipe:
2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup (150 grams) granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
Chocolate Frosting:
4 cups (1 lb.) (454 grams) confectioners' (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted
1/3 cup (30 grams) cocoa powder (I like to use Dutch-processed)
3 tablespoons (42 grams) unsalted butter
1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
Coating:
Here’s where you can be creative
I used: coconut, toffee bits
Other ideas: chopped nuts (hazelnuts would be good)

Cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place oven rack to middle position. Butter, or spray with a nonstick cooking spray, the bottom and sides of an 8 inch square cake pan. Set aside.
In a large bowl sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In bowl of electric mixer, beat the butter until soft. Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes). Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.
With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture and milk, in three additions, beginning and ending with flour.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Bake in a preheated oven for approximately 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
Cool the cake in its pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Place a wire rack on top of the cake pan and invert, lifting off the pan. Re-invert. Freeze the cake for several hours (or overnight- The reason for doing this is that it is much easier (less crumbs) to coat a cold cake with frosting.) Cut it into 16 two-inch squares
Chocolate Frosting: Place the confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, butter and milk in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Stir the mixture until it becomes smooth and of pouring consistency.
To assemble Lamingtons: Make a production line; put the 16 squares of cakes on a wire rack that is placed over a baking sheet (to catch the drips). Have ready the coconut on a large plate and the chocolate frosting. Spoon or ladle the chocolate frosting over each square of cake, making sure you cover all sides. (It is best to do a few squares at a time.) With a small offset spatula or knife transfer the chocolate covered cake to the plate of coconut and roll the cake in the coconut, covering all sides. Gently transfer the lamington to a clean wire rack to set. Repeat with the rest of the cake squares. Once the Lamingtons have set, store in an airtight container for several days.
Note: When you ladle the frosting over the cake, some of the frosting will drip onto the baking pan. Pour this frosting back in your bowl and reuse (strain if necessary). If the icing becomes too thick to pour, simply place the frosting back over the saucepan of simmering water and reheat until it is of pouring consistency. (You may have to do this a few times as the frosting has a tendency to thicken over time. Add a little more milk to frosting if necessary to get pouring consistency.)
Makes 16 2-inch (5 cm) squares

Boston Cream Pie

I made this over the weekend for my brother-in-law's birthday. It was super yummy!

Pastry Cream
1/4 cup granulated white sugar
3 large egg yolks
1/8 cup all-purpose flour
Scant 3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 1/4 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a medium-sized stainless steel bowl, mix the sugar and egg yolks. (Do not let this mixture sit too long or you will get pieces of egg forming.)
2. Sift the flour and cornstarch together and then add to the egg mixture, mixing until you get a smooth paste. Set aside.
3. Meanwhile in a small saucepan, bring the milk just to a boil over medium heat. (Watch carefully and remove from heat just as the milk starts to foam up.)
4. Pour the milk slowly into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to prevent curdling. (If you get a few pieces of egg (curdling) in the mixture, pour through a strainer.)
5. Place the egg mixture into a medium saucepan and cook over medium heat until boiling, whisking constantly. When it boils, continue to whisk constantly for another 30 - 60 seconds until it becomes thick.
6. Remove from heat and whisk in the vanilla extract. Pour into a clean bowl and immediately cover the surface with plastic wrap to prevent a crust from forming. Let the cream cool in the refrigerator for a few hours.

Sponge Cake
5 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated white sugar, divided
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup plain cake flour (not self-rising)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place rack in center of oven. Butter and line the bottoms of two - 8 inch round cake pans with parchment paper.
2. While the eggs are still cold separate three of the eggs, placing the yolks in the bowl of your electric mixer and the whites in another bowl. To the yolks (in your mixer bowl) add the two remaining eggs.
3. Cover the two bowls with plastic wrap and allow the eggs to come to room temperature before using (about 30 minutes).
4. Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together the flours, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
5. Place the milk and butter in a small saucepan, over low heat, and warm until the butter melts. Remove from heat, cover, and keep warm.
6. In your electric mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, (or with a hand mixer) beat the whole eggs and yolks and 6 tablespoons of the sugar on high speed for about five minutes, or until they are thick, fluffy and light colored (when you slowly raise the beaters the batter will fall back into the bowl in a slow ribbon).
7. Beat in the vanilla extract.
8. Remove batter from mixer bowl to another large clean bowl. Sorry, but you’ll need to wash your mixer bowl now.
9. In the clean mixer bowl, with the whisk attachment, (or with a hand mixer) beat the egg whites and cream of tartar, at low speed, until foamy. Increase the speed to medium-high and gradually add the remaining 6 tablespoons of sugar, beating until soft, moist peaks form.
10. Gently fold a little of the whites into the batter to lighten it, and then add the rest of the whites folding just until incorporated.
11. Sift half of the flour mixture over the top of the batter and gently fold through with a rubber spatula or whisk. Sift the remaining flour over the batter and fold in. Do not over mix.
12. Make a well on one side of the batter and pour the melted butter/milk mixture into the bowl. Gently but thoroughly fold the butter mixture into the batter. Do not over mix.
13. Divide the batter between the two prepared pans, smoothing the tops, and bake for about 18-20 minutes or until light brown and springy to the touch. (A toothpick inserted in the middle will come out clean.) Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool. Immediately run a spatula or sharp knife around the inside of the pans and then invert the cakes onto a wire rack. Remove parchment paper and re-invert. Cool completely.
When the cakes have cooled and you are ready to assemble the Boston Cream Pie, make the Chocolate Glaze.

Chocolate Glaze
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
1 teaspoon unsalted butter

1. Place the chopped chocolate in a small heatproof bowl.
2. Bring the cream and butter just to a boil in a saucepan over medium heat.
3. Immediately pour the boiling cream over the chocolate and allow to stand for 3-5 minutes.
4. Gently stir until smooth. Set aside for a few minutes until it has thickened to pouring consistency.

To Assemble: Place one cake layer on your serving plate, bottom side facing up. Spoon the pastry cream onto the cake, spreading to make an even layer. Place the second cake layer (bottom side up) onto the filling. Pour the glaze onto the center of the cake and carefully spread the glaze, with an offset spatula, to the edges of the cake, allowing the glaze to drip down the sides. Let the cake sit until the glaze sets, about one hour. Serve. This cake is best eaten the same day it is made. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers

Next, I need to make Boston Cream Cupcakes, oooohh, my mouth is watering.

I forgot to take a picture, so here's the one from the website where I got the recipe (joyofbaking.com)