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Chocolate Lava Cake

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Chocolate Molten Lava Cake is popular at restaurants for a reason. Who can resist a mini chocolate cake with silky chocolate filling oozing out of the middle?

Now you can make this impressive and decadent dessert at home!

Don’t worry, it may look fancy, but it’s actually pretty simple and calls for ingredients that you keep in your pantry all the time.

plate with chocolate molten lava cake topped with vanilla ice cream and strawberries

Some people call this chocolate molten cake, some people call it chocolate lava cake. I call it a little piece of heaven on earth.

It is so simple to make, tastes incredible, and is sure to wow your guest. Well, at least it wowed my family. They were quite impressed when they cut into their cakes and saw all the yummy chocolate gooey-ness oozing out.

At first glance, it looks pretty plain Jane:

cake sprinkled with powdered sugar

But then you cut into it. Holy baloney, does that look fantastic or what?

lava cake topped with sliced strawberries

I like to serve this with vanilla ice cream. It’s the right thing to do. Either that, or fresh whipped cream. Totally not optional in my opinion. Which is the correct opinion of course. 🙂

Is lava cake raw in the middle?

No, the center isn’t raw cake batter. Even though the middle is warm and gooey, the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees, which is the recommended temperature for cooking eggs.

So there is no need to worry about bacteria associated with raw eggs!

Is molten lava cakes served hot or cold?

You definitely want to serve your lava cake hot or warm to get the full effect of the melted chocolate center!

What if I don’t have ramekins or custard cups?

You can make lava cakes in muffin tins, but it is a bit tricky to remove them. After they cook, you will need to invert the muffin pan onto a cutting board, then transfer the mini cakes to serving plates.
They are smaller, so you will get 8 instead of 6. Decrease the baking time to 8-10 minutes.

Can lava cakes be made ahead of time?

Yes! You can prepare the batter, pour it into the greased ramekins, and cover them with plastic wrap. They will keep in the refrigerator for up to two days.
Before serving, let them come to room temperature, uncover, and bake as directed.

HOW TO MAKE LAVA CAKE

  1. PREP – Let eggs come to room temperature. Butter and lightly flour 6 ramekins or custard cups that are 5-6 ounces each. Place them on a baking sheet. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.
  2. CHOCOLATE – Place chopped chocolate and butter in a large glass bowl. Melt in the microwave at half power, stirring every 30 seconds until smooth.
  3. BATTER – Whisk the powdered sugar into the chocolate until smooth and melted. Then whisk in the eggs and egg yolks. Lastly, gently whisk in the flour.
  4. BAKE – Divide the batter evenly between the prepared ramekins. Bake at 425° for 12-14 minutes, or until the sides are firm, but the centers are still jiggly.
  5. SERVE – Let the cakes cool for just a minute or two, then carefully invert onto serving plates. If desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar. Top each with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.

PRO TIPS:

  • Make sure your eggs are room temperature! Cold eggs can harden the chocolate and butter, making lumps in the batter. They also cool the batter, throwing off the cooking time.
  • To bring your eggs to room temperature quickly, place them in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes, replacing the water as it cools.
  • The baking sheet insulates the bottom of the ramekins, so I recommend baking these on a lower rack so the tops don’t get overcooked before the bottom is done.
  • Don’t overbake the lava cakes. The center should still be jiggly, you just want the edges to be fully set.
  • Semi sweet chocolate bars melt more smoothly, but high quality chocolate chips will also work if that’s what you have on hand.
  • Be generous when greasing the ramekins with butter. You don’t want them to stick!

Leftovers?

You can store leftover cakes in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Just keep in mind that the molten center will set up. They really are best eaten warm right out of the oven.

Plate with molten lava cake topped with vanilla ice cream and diced strawberries

MORE DECADENT CHOCOLATE DESSERTS:

Chocolate Lava Cake

Yield: 6 servings

Molten Lava Cake Recipe

plate with molten lava cake with a scoop of ice cream

Decadent mini chocolate cake oozing with silky hot fudge sauce. Simply perfect with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Prep Time 12 minutes
Cook Time 13 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes

Ingredients

  • 6 oz semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
  • 3/4 cup salted butter
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature
  • 3 egg yolks, room temperature
  • 9 Tbsp all purpose flour

Instructions

  1. Butter and lightly flour 6 5-6 oz ramekins or custard cups. Place on a baking sheet. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. Put chocolate and butter in a large glass bowl. Melt in microwave at 50% power, stirring every 30 seconds till smooth.
  3. Whisk in powdered sugar till thoroughly combined and melted. Whisk in eggs and yolks. Stir in flour.
  4. Divide batter between the 6 ramekins. Place on a cookie sheet.
  5. Bake in a preheated 425° oven for 12-14 minutes. Center will still be slightly jiggly.
  6. Let stand for a couple minutes, then invert onto small plates. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream

Notes

You can dust the ramekins with cocoa powder instead of flour if you prefer.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 552Total Fat: 36gSaturated Fat: 21gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 13gCholesterol: 246mgSodium: 226mgCarbohydrates: 55gFiber: 2gSugar: 43gProtein: 7g

Did you make this recipe?

Leave a comment below and pin the recipe to Pinterest!

© Kara
Cuisine: American / Category: Dessert: Cakes and Cupcakes

This chocolate lava cake recipe is perfect for special occasions like Valentine’s Day. But it’s simple enough to make that you can serve it for dessert any night of the week!

Reader Interactions

Comments

  3. Kristyn

    Seriously, lave cake is the best!! It’s so gooey & chocolatey & my favorite!! This recipe makes the most moist, delicious cake!

    Reply

  4. Linda T

    can this receipe be made in a spring fold pan I have I believe a small springs fold pan and in my Bible study everyone takes turns
    bringing a dessert. If I can how much of the ingdients should I put into this pan
    thank you

    Reply

    • Kara

      I don’t think it would work in a larger pan. The reason the middle stays melted is because the smaller pan allows the outside of the cake to bake quickly. In a larger pan, you would have to bake for a longer amount of time, so you wouldn’t get a lava cake. Sorry. 🙁

      Reply

  5. Thorunn

    Hi.

    I can´t wait to try this out. What size of ramekins do you use? Since I don´t have any, I have to get some and would love to know the best size.

    Reply

    • Michelle

      My friend makes similar cakes and freezes them. She freezes them on a cookie sheet first then puts them in a gallon freezer bag. They thaw quickly and are yummy if reheated.

      Reply

  12. Sheryl

    I LOVE your recipe! Would you come over to CAST PARTY WEDNESDAY and share this yummy recipe with us?
    Thanks,
    I hope to see you there!
    Sheryl
    ladybehindthecurtain.com/?p=23007

    Reply

  13. Lisa

    I made this recipe last night and OMG…AMAZING!!!! Even my husband whom is very picky… commented several times how good it was. And I didn’t even have ice cream or whipped topping to serve. We will try it that way next time. TFS

    Reply

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