Chocolate Spoon Cake with Ganache and Orange "Gremolata"

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Melt four ounces of chocolate, either in a double boiler, or if it’s towards the end of the night, in the microwave for about a minute.

Once the chocolate is melted, stir in the heavy cream until smooth. Transfer to a plastic bag and place in the fridge to pipe the ganache over your cakes.

Melt the rest of the chocolate and 12 tablespoons of the butter together, again either in a double boiler or the microwave. If you’re using the microwave, check on the mixture after about 45 seconds and stir it through. It’s really easy to burn the butter solids if you’re not paying attention. Stir to combine.

In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and brown sugar together.

Pour in the vanilla extract and orange liqueur.
While still mixing the egg and sugar mixture, slowly add the melted chocolate and butter. If you do this too fast, the eggs cook from the heat of the melted chocolate and butter and the whole thing will get clumpy and won’t rise in the oven.

Once everything is evenly mixed, add the flour one tablespoon at a time.

Grease a muffin or cupcake pan with the remaining tablespoon of butter.

Pour the batter into the tins leaving about a quarter of an inch to allow for rise.

Place the muffin pan in the oven, and bake for 11 minutes.

Mix together the raisins, toasted pine nuts, and orange zest. If you want it the same consistency as gremolata, crack the pine nuts and chop the raisins before mixing it all together.

Remove the muffin tin from the oven, and cool before inverting on a baking sheet or cooling rack.

Serve warm with the ganache drizzled over top, sprinkled with the orange zest “gremolata.”