Says Not on Fire:
What is a chocolate lava cake? May I request a picture and a recipe?

Okay, well, I didn’t manage a picture, but I am happy to share my Secret Recipe. Lava cake is just chocolate cake with molten chocolatey batter sauce in the middle. When you take a bite, the gooey sauciness pours out onto your plate.

And so: my recipe. Now this is highly technical, so I’ll try to be as explicit as possible.

1. Drive to Trader Joe’s.* Alternatively, send Dane (or other substitute) to Trader Joe’s.
2. Go to freezer section.
3. Find Trader Joe’s frozen chocolate lava cake. (Two individual-serving cakes per box.)
4. Optional: Also pick up Trader Joe’s frozen chocolate cupcakes, just to try. In case the lava cake turns out not to be your thing.
5. Buy cake, drive home, distract children so they don’t see box, etcetera, etcetera.
6. Bake lava cake on baking sheet in oven. It wouldn’t kill you to use a sheet of parchment between cake and baking sheet. Specific temp and time instructions available on lava cake box.
7. Remove from oven.
8. Plate cakes.
9. Wait a bit before taking a bite, or the lava will scald your tongue. Not kidding here. I know it smells good, but you’ve been waiting since the freezer aisle. You can hold off another five minutes.
10. Optional: Add whipped cream or ice cream to your plate, to speed the cooling process. Because you probably really can’t wait.

* Should you happen to not live within driving distance of a TJ’s, I offer my sincerest condolences. You might consider this lava cake recipe, though I can’t vouch for it myself.