Soft-Centered Warm Chocolate Cakes

Directions

1. 1
   Butter 8 1-cup/250-ml. ramekins. Freeze them for 5 minutes, and then butter them again. Finally sprinkle them with flour, discarding the excess. Put the chopped chocolate and butter in a bowl set over a pan of simmering water and stir until melted and smooth, 5 to 8 minutes. Set the bowl aside to cool.
2. 2
   In another bowl, beat the egg yolks with half the sugar until thick and light, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the cooled chocolate mixture, followed by the flour. Using an electric mixer, whisk the egg whites with the remaining sugar to form a light, stiff meringue, about 2 minutes. Fold the meringue into the chocolate mixture. Fill the ramekins to the rim, smooth the top with a spatula, and run your thumb around the edge to detach the mixture from the sides. Cover and refrigerate the cakes for 8 hours or overnight.
3. 3
   To bake the cakes, heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius). Set the cakes on a baking sheet and bake until puffed and set on the surface but still liquid in the center, 8 to 9 minutes. Take them out and let them cool for about 10 minutes so they shrink back into the molds. Run a knife around the edge and turn the cakes onto warmed individual plates. Top with a spoonful of ice cream, creme fraiche, or whipped cream, and serve at once.