With that oozing burst of warm, melted chocolate encased inside a moist, spongy exterior, lava cakes are a truly impressive ...

To help reassemble the cake halves evenly after cutting and spreading them with jam, place two toothpicks on top of each other on the side of the cakes, one near the top and the other near the bottom.

Some readers have also found more success with shorter baking times; the cake is ready when the surface is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached.