Did you know that a beloved chocolate cake recipe started as a happy accident? This famous, iconic chocolate cake could be your favorite dessert.
A delicious chocolate cake recipe can be a closely guarded secret. Some recipes are handed down through families. Other recipes come through years of trial and error. One bite of the perfectly decadent, delightfully chocolate cake makes a permanent mark on your food memory.
One style of chocolate cake has become a favorite, especially as a restaurant dessert. The infamous chocolate lava cake has impressed foodies for years. That warm, gooey chocolate center that flows from the middle of the chocolate cake instantly makes people salivate. But, that chocolate lava cake holds a special secret.
The original chocolate lava cake recipe was created by legionary chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. While it might have seemed that this particular dessert was a genius creation by the culinary visionary, that idea is far from the truth. Actually, that chocolate lava cake was a happy accident.
The chocolate lava cake story began during a private party for 500 guests. Unfortunately, the oven temperature dropped and the chocolate cakes weren’t cooked all the way through. As guests cut into the cakes, an oozing chocolate filled their plates. Vongerichten thought that the dessert would be a complete disaster.
To his surprise, the guests were delighted with the molten cakes. Vongerichten was even given a standing ovation for these innovative chocolate lava cakes.
Today, the infamous chocolate lava cake has become a staple in Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurants, including his Las Vegas restaurants, PRIME Steakhouse at Bellagio Resort & Casino and Jean Georges Steakhouse at ARIA Resort & Casino. It is estimated that the over 1,000 of these chocolate lava cakes are served at the Las Vegas restaurants.
While this chocolate cake recipe might have been a happy accident, the original recipe has not be tweaked since its initial creation. For over 30 years, this dessert recipe has delighted chocolate fans and dessert lovers. Although the restaurants might change the ice cream flavors paired with the chocolate cake, the recipe itself is the same.
An important lesson can be learned from this happy accident recipe. “Accidents” in the kitchen aren’t always a kitchen disaster. Sometimes an unexpected result can create a delicious dish that might have never existed, like the chocolate lava cake.
Did you know this story about the infamous chocolate lava cake? Do you have a favorite chocolate cake recipe to share?