Molten Chocolate Cake

1. Preparing the Molten Chocolate Cake

• Using the wire whisk attachment, whisk eggs and sugar in the MaxxiMUM stainless-steel mixing bowl for 10 minutes until stiff. In the meantime, chop couverture and melt in a metal bowl over a bain-marie.
• Cut butter into bits and carefully heat in a second bowl over the bain-marie. Stir butter constantly with a mixing spoon until it starts to become creamy – the butter should remain translucent but should not turn completely liquid and clear.
• One after the other, add melted couverture, butter and flour to the eggs and stir vigorously. Let chocolate mixture cool for at least 3 hours, or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 180°C (no Convection). Brush ramekins with a little softened butter and sprinkle with grated walnuts. Pour in chocolate mixture. Bake in the oven for 28 to 30 minutes until small cracks form on the surface of the cakes. Remove cakes from the oven, slide out of the moulds and serve immediately.
• Tip: You can also bake the cakes in stainless-steel rings (6 cm diameter). In this case, the cakes bake in half the time and are exactly cylindrical. Line each ring with a strip of baking parchment 7 cm wide. Place on a piece of baking parchment and roll the edges of the underlying paper inward. Fill rings with the chocolate mixture using a pastry bag, place on the baking sheet and bake for 12 to 14 minutes.

2. Garnish tip

• For the chocolate curls (see photo), chop 200 g dark chocolate couverture. In a bowl, combine chocolate, 65 g glucose and 1 tablespoon water, melt over a bain-marie and stir well. Cover and let cool. Before using, knead thoroughly so the mixture becomes smooth.
• Roll out into a thin sheet with a little cocoa powder. Cut into strips or other shapes using, for example, a pizza or biscuit cutter. Shape the strips and let dry for about an hour. Store the remaining mixture in an airtight container and always knead until smooth before using.

3. Preparing the Strawberry Mousse and Strawberry Tartare:

• Soak gelatine leaves in cold water. Finely grate 2 teaspoons orange peel and squeeze juice from orange using the MaxxiMUM citrus press. Combine 100 ml orange juice, Campari and sugar, bring to a boil and remove from heat. Dissolve gelatine in the juice mixture. Rinse and stem strawberries and purée in the MaxxiMUM mixer attachment. Mix 250 g strawberry purée with orange mixture and grated orange peel. Refrigerate for several hours, just until the mixture begins to gel, stirring occasionally.
• As soon as the mousse starts to gel, beat cream in the MaxxiMUM mixing bowl until stiff using the wire whisk attachment. Fold whipped cream into the mousse. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate for at least 4 hours.
• In the meantime, rinse and stem strawberries for the tartare. Shred lemon verbena leaves. Let sweet woodruff leaves wilt for one day – this makes them more aromatic – and then shred, saving a few whole leaves for garnish. Purée herb leaves with about a third of the strawberries and the agave syrup in the MaxxiMUM mixer attachment. Finely dice remaining strawberries and stir into strawberry purée.
• Transfer strawberry tartare to plates. Briefly dip a tablespoon into hot water and place small blobs of mousse on the strawberries. Garnish with lemon verbena or sweet woodruff leaves.