Warm Chocolate Pudding Cakes with Caramel Sauce

Ingredients

• 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter cubed, plus more, room temperature, for ramekins
• 1/3 cup sugar plus more for ramekins
• 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate chopped
• 2 large eggs plus 2 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
• caramel Sauce for serving
• whipped cream for serving

Instructions

1. 1
   Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter four 6-ounce ramekins, then coat lightly with sugar, tapping out excess. In a microwave-safe bowl, combine butter and chocolate. Microwave until melted, about 1 minute; stir until smooth. (Or melt mixture in a heatproof bowl set over, not in, a pan of simmering water.)
2. 2
   In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, eggs, yolks, flour, and salt; add chocolate mixture and whisk to combine. Fill each ramekin three-quarters full with batter; place on a rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate 15 minutes.
3. 3
   Bake until center of a cake is soft but not wet when pressed, 27 to 30 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes. Serve cakes warm, topped with caramel and whipped cream.
4. 4
   Caramel Sauce: In a medium saucepan, heat 1 cup sugar over medium-high until melted and brown at edges, 3 minutes. With a heat-resistant spatula, pull melted sugar toward center until all sugar is melted and caramel is deep amber in color, 3 minutes more. Immediately whisk in 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) cold unsalted butter, cubed, 1/2 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (take care as mixture is extremely hot and will bubble).
5. 5
   Whisk in 1/2 cup heavy cream.
6. 6
   Pour into a heatproof container and let cool. (To store, refrigerate, up to 3 weeks.)