This is a take on one of my favorite chocolate cakes. I’ve modified it to make individual cakes using my pressure cooker. I’ve also made this recipe as easy as possible to make – we often make it in my pressure cooking classes and I don’t like to unnecessarily complicate things during those classes!
The first thing you’ll want to do is find small jars or ramekins for baking the cakes. I use 4 ounce Ball glass jelly jars for making this recipe. I find that size is just about the right size for individual cakes in our house. You are welcome to use larger jars or ramekins – just adjust the cooking time up 2-3 minutes if you are using larger containers.
I typically make this in my 8 quart stovetop cooker, because I can easily fit eight small 4-ounce jars in this cooker. Once you make a layer of jars on the bottom of the cooker, you can stack a second layer on top of those. Stack the jars so they are slightly off-set from each other, kind of like if you were staking a solo cup tower. Depending on the size of your electric cooker, the second layer can be harder to fit – in that case, just cook them in two batches.
Also, I use chocolate chips in this recipe as the chocolate. I don’t use anything fancy for the chocolate – I use whatever is around the house, which is typically Kirkland brand chips. They end up tasting pretty darn good. I also think that the espresso powder that I use helps to intensify the chocolate flavor. I get mine from King Arthur Flour and I use the tiniest bit so my kids can’t taste the coffee – a little of this special ingredient goes a long way. Feel free to leave the expresso powder out, if you don’t have it.
- 1/2 cup butter
- 4 ounces chocolate chips
- 1 1/2 cup confectioners sugar
- 2 eggs at room temperature * see note at bottom of recipe.
- 3 egg yolks at room temperature *see note at bottom of recipe
- 1/2 t instant coffee granules or espresso powder (optional)
- 1 t vanilla
- 1/2 cup (2 ounces) flour – white or finely ground whole wheat pastry flour)
- 1/4 t salt
- whipped cream or ice cream for serving (optional)
- Butter or oil 8, 4 ounce ramekins or jars.
- Chop up butter and melt with chocolate chips in the microwave. Cook for 30 seconds, stir, add 30 seconds and stir again. Be sure to stir – the chips don’t just melt and tell you they are melted. Let this mixture cool a bit to room temperature.
- Using a wooden spoon, stir confectioners sugar into melted chocolate.
- In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and egg yolks together.
- Stir eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, instant coffee granules (if using) into the chocolate.
- Using a wooden spoon, add flour and salt to the chocolate mixture, stirring until combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the ramekins. Don’t overfill, because they will puff up a bit during baking.
- Put one cup of water and a steamer rack in your pressure cooker. Stack the ramekins in the pressure cooker. Use two layers, if necessary.
- Follow your pressure cooker’s instructions and cook at high pressure for 5 minutes. Turn off the keep warm setting. Allow to natural release for 5-10 minutes, depending on how gooey you like the center.
- After the natural release period, release remaining pressure using the quick release method and serve warm. These are great with whipped cream or a little ice cream.
- If not serving right away, you can set the lid back on the cooker after releasing pressure and they will stay warm for about 30-45 minutes.
- Note on eggs – the 2 eggs plus 3 egg yolks makes an excellent cake, but if you don’t feel like messing with the extra egg whites, you can make this recipe with four eggs. It will be a little less rich, but great, nonetheless.
