Gemma Stafford Names The Key To The Perfect Chocolate Lava Cake - Exclusive
If you are the type of person that orders a lava cake for dessert after every meal, we are too. Lava cakes are tricky to perfect but once you do, it's a heavenly chocolate treat. The internet often circulates videos of a spoon cutting into the dessert for that shot of chocolate spilling out (and we are not mad about it!), but how did the molten chocolate lava cake get to be that Instagram video worthy? Cookbook author Gemma Stafford has the answer for you.
In an exclusive interview with Tasting Table, Stafford revealed her biggest baking hacks in conjunction with her second cookbook, "Bigger Bolder Baking Every Day: Easy Recipes to Bake Through a Busy Week." The latest addition to the book lineup includes recipes for scones, cakes, and most importantly, breads. Throughout the interview, Stafford revealed exactly why you should always use room temperature eggs in baking and why you should never use chocolate chips in your chocolate chip cookies. The YouTube personality even disclosed the perfect tip for making sure that tasty lava cake doesn't collapse. Restaurant owners — listen up.
It's all a balancing act
Born in Ireland, Gemma Stafford has a lot of overseas cooking tips to share. The professional chef told Tasting Table, "I worked in a kitchen in Ireland and we wouldn't sell a lot of lava cakes." Stafford continued, "The secret is to get it out to the table as fast as possible, and it will [stay intact]." She explained that the dessert is a bit of a "balancing act" because you can't bake it too much or it will be too hard, but you can't bake it too little because it will start to collapse easily. That's why Stafford advises that you should always have a waiter or waitress come grab the cake immediately.
The "Bigger Bolder Baking" creator added, "It's a little bit the nature of the beast, and it starts to sink because it's so delicate, because you have to gently bake it." Stafford mentioned that "timing is absolutely essential" for perfecting a lava cake. According to Stafford, in order to confirm that the dessert is cooked, you can check to see if the outer edges of the cake are firm but still a bit gooey in the middle. She mentioned, "Those firmer edges around the sides will hold up your lava cake better." Now that you know the secret to making a molten chocolate lava cake, you can attempt one yourself (and make sure to watch the oven accordingly!).
Head to Bigger Bolder Baking's website to learn more about Stafford's new cookbook or check out her YouTube channel to keep up with her recipes.