Chocolate Dulce Puddle Cakes

Summary
Prep time	30 min
Cook time	10 min @ 450°
Source	Smitten Kitchen Keepers by Deb Perelman (pg 275)
Yield / serves	2 servings
Rating	(unrated)

Ingredients

• 2 t cocoa powder, plus more for dusting
• 4 T unsalted butter, cut into chunks, plus more for dishes
• 3 oz bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
• 1/4 t kosher salt, plus a couple pinches of flaky salt
• 1 T sugar
• 1 egg yolk
• 4 t prepared dulce de leche, cold
• Confectioners' sugar, to finish

Preparation

Heat the oven to 450°.

Butter two 6-ounce ramekins, making sure not to miss any spots. Spoon a little cocoa powder into each dish, pat it around so it coats the bottom and sides, and knock the excess out.

Place 4 tablespoons butter and chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl, and--either in the microwave or set over a pot of gently simmering water--heat until the butter and chocolate are about two-thirds melted, then whisk until they finish melting. This ensures that the mixture is not too hot for you to add other ingredients. Whisk in the kosher salt and granulated sugar. Whisk in the egg and yolk, and beat a good 20-30 extra times, to ensure that the mixture is very smooth, glossy, and a bit lightened; this step is important. Add the 2 teaspoons cocoa powder, and whisk until until it's combined.

Spoon one-quarter of the batter into each baking dish. Center 2 teaspoons dulce de leche in each, and sprinkle it with a pinch of flaky sea salt. Cover the dulce with the remaining chocolate batter, nudging it around the dollop and sealing it in.

Bake for 10 minutes--the cakes will feel dry to the touch and smell amazing--and transfer them to a cooling rack for 2 minutes. Wearing pot holders, place a small dessert plate over your first ramekin. Flip the cake onto the plate, count to ten, then lift the cup off. Repeat with the second cake. Dust them with confectioners' sugar. Eat immediately.