Do you have 20 minutes? Good. Here’s how you play this out:

You and your loved one are on the couch, catching up on Archer before the finale this week. You’ve gotten to the bottom of your takeout, and you turn to them while fast forwarding, “Want any dessert?” They sort of shrug, paying more attention to the TV than the offer, assuming that means you’re grabbing an ice cream sandwich or something from the freezer. You sneak off for 5 minutes, whisking together the ingredients and popping it in the oven. You join in until the next commercial break and then BAM! Hit them with a molten chocolate cake.

Where did this come from? How did you make it so quickly? Why the fancy dessert? Are you hiding something? Yes, busting out a molten chocolate cake might be suspicious the first time, but it’ll quickly become an ongoing phenomenon in your house if any of you like chocolate. Or cake. Or happiness. And if you don’t like these things, why are you on a cooking blog anyway?

One little cake is perfect for two to split, as its molten deliciousness is very rich. I love the chocolate paired with a maple tinted whipping cream, but feel free to just pop a scoop of your favorite ice cream on that sucker if its easier. The batter can be made ahead of time, poured in the ramekins, and kept in the fridge until it’s time for dessert; but make sure to bake it for an extra minute or two, since it’ll be cold.

There’s something innately impressive in preparing a hot, relatively composed dessert for someone. Once that spoon breaks into the cake, letting it burst open with warm, gooey chocolate, well, who isn’t going to gobble that right up? Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

Makes four 8oz ramekins

12 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed

4 large eggs, room temperature

1/4 cup white sugar

Pinch of salt

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

1 large pinch cayenne (about 1/4 teaspoon)

1 cup heavy cream

2-3 tablespoons maple syrup (depending on how sweet you like it)

1 vanilla bean, split and scraped (or 1 teaspoon vanilla extract)

DIRECTIONS

Pre heat the oven to 400 F. Melt the chocolate, butter, and sugar over a double boiler. Turn off the heat and let it cool for a minute. Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs and salt, and add it to the melted mixture. Whisk it together quickly so the eggs don’t cook. Add the vanilla, cayenne, and flour. Mix until just incorporated. Grease the ramekins and fill until almost full with batter. Bake for 11 minutes, 12 if you don’t want if super gooey. Meanwhile whip together the cream, maple syrup, and vanilla until soft peaks form. Flip the cakes onto plates and serve with a dollop of cream. Enjoy!