By Jalyn Zinn

Many bakers want to try their hand at new recipes. Chocolate lava cakes are the perfect choice. The gooey treats, usually baked as individual servings, may look hard to make, but are actually quite easy and simple.

Lava cakes can be made in many flavors, but my personal favorite is chocolate. When paired with ice cream, they are truly one of the best treats. The recipe is easy to follow and there is really no way to mess it up.

Ingredients
• 4 large eggs
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• Powdered sugar
• 8 ounces of baking chocolate, chopped
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ½ cup granulated sugar
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and butter 6 ramekins (6-ounce). Coat the bottom and sides of ramekins with granulated sugar and tap out the excess. Microwave 10 tablespoons of butter with the chocolate in short bursts of one minute. Stir until melted and smooth.

Let the melted chocolate cool. In a medium bowl, vigorously whisk the eggs, vanilla, yolk and the granulated sugar until slightly thickened. Gently fold the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Add in the flour and salt before pouring some of the mixture into the ramekins.

Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until the edges are firm and the top is set, making sure the center is still runny. Loosen the edges from the ramekins with a knife and let the cakes cool for a minute. Top with powdered sugar and serve with fresh berries, whipped cream, or ice cream.

Enjoy your treat alone or with others!