Mexican Spiced Chocolate Lava Cake

Que rico!  Here at McCormick for Chefs®, we taken the ever-memorable, restaurant classic and flared up the flavors with some Mexican inspired pairings for an explosion of flavors: bittersweet chocolate, warm cinnamon and the spicy, biting heat of ground red pepper and chili powder.  Now that's one hot, molten, Mexican melange, chocolate cake, lava flow of flavor!

Ingredients

Procedure

For the Lava Center:

1. Place chocolate and chili powder in a small bowl.
2. Bring milk to a simmer and pour over chocolate. Cover with plastic wrap and let site for 2-3 minutes.
3. Uncover and stir until chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Add butter and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate until firm.
4. Scoop 1 Tablespoon at a time and form into balls, for a yield of 16 balls. Refrigerate until needed.

For the Mexican Chocolate Cakes:

1. Preheat oven to 400F.
2. Grease and sugar-coat 8-6oz ramekins.
3. Place chocolate, butter, chili powder, red pepper and cinnamon into a double boiler set up. Heat and stir until chocolate is nearly completely melted. Remove from heat and continue to stir until chocolate is smooth and glossy.
4. Whisk cocoa powder, flour and egg yolks into the warm chocolate mixture. Set aside.
5. Place 6 egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat, using the whisk attachment, until whites form stiff peaks. Slowly beat in sugar.
6. Gently fold stiff egg whites into chocolate mixture in three parts, folding until just incorporated.
7. Divide batter evenly into the ramekins. Place two (2) lava balls in each ramekin, submerging in the cake batter.
8. Bake 13-15 minutes, and rest for 3-4 minutes.

For the Ganache:

1. While the cakes are baking, bring heavy cream to a simmer.
2. Place chopped chocolate in a medium bowl and pour the simmering cream over the top. Stir together until chocolate is fully melted.
3. Stir in cinnamon and red pepper.

For Service:

1. Invert ramekin of lava cake onto desired plate. Gently remove ramekin.
2. Top with about 1 ounce of ganache.
3. Serve immediately.