From David Lebovitz’s The Sweet Life in Paris (2009). I found out about these little chocolate cakes when I looked for a quick comfort-food breakfast treat. The internet discovered (and liked) the cakes years ago, judging by the many food blogger mentions. You can convince yourself that the yogurt makes it healthy. And we all know that dark chocolate is good for you!
Makes 12 cupcake-sized snack cakes? muffins? cupcakes?
7 ounces (200 grams) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup (125 ml) vegetable oil
1/2 cup (125 ml) plain whole-milk yogurt
1 cup (200 grams) sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 cups (200 grams) flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (David recommends aluminum-free baking powder)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Ghirardelli semisweet chocolate mini baking chips 10-oz. bag
Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper cupcake liners or lightly butter the pan.
In a heatproof bowl set over simmering water, melt the chocolate with 1/4 cup of the oil. Once melted and smooth, remove from the heat.
In another bowl, mix the remaining 1/4 cup oil with yogurt, sugar, eggs and vanilla and almond extracts.
In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt. Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the yogurt mixture. Stir lightly a couple times, then add the melted chocolate and stir until just smooth. Fold in the chocolate chips.
Divide the batter among the muffin or springform cups and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until they feel barely set in the middle and a tester or toothpick comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Sprinkle powdered sugar atop the cakes. Or serve with a nice dollop of lightly sweetened whipped cream. If you have fresh strawberries or raspberries, so much the better. Or just eat them as is.