Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes
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Only six ingredients is all you need to make these decadent chocolate molten lava cakes. Individual chocolate molten cakes- easy to make and even easier to devour! Ready In 30 Minutes Or Less!
Ok whether it’s Valentine’s Day, or you need a dessert to impress guests with, or heck you just have a serious chocolate craving.
Then what you need is molten chocolate lava cakes.
I used to work at this restaurant that served this GIANT- like bigger than your face- molten cake for dessert. Oh my word. That thing was a force to be reckoned with. Now don’t worry, these are individual sized.
But I do guarantee they will be a force to be reckoned with. A rich warm cake with a molten chocolate center. I mean what’s not to love?
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Only 6 ingredients! – Yes only six. And they are all basic pantry staples I bet you have on hand right now!
- Quick To Throw Together – Not only does this chocolate lava cake recipe require minimal ingredients, it also requires minimal prep time. That means you’re in and out of the kitchen and got these in the oven in about 15 minutes or so. Perfect for special occasions!
- You Can Make Them Ahead Of Time – Yup, that’s right so this decadent dessert that always wows guests can be prepped ahead of time. Just make the batter and pour into your ramekins and pop in the fridge until you’re ready to bake!
Recipe Ingredients
And the best part of this recipe? I guarantee you have all the ingredients on hand. Six basic ingredients stand in the way between you and this cake. The better the chocolate… the better cake! My go to brand from the grocery store is Ghiradelli.
- Unsalted Butter – You want to use unsalted butter not salted butter for this. Not all brands use the same amount of salt in their salted butter so you could end up with a dessert that’s too salty.
- Bittersweet chocolate – You want to use good quality chocolate here. If you don’t prefer dark chocolate you could use semi-sweet chocolate or milk chocolate. I don’t recommend using chocolate chips. You won’t get as much “lava”. I prefer and recommend using chocolate bars (sold as 4-ounces) and then chop the chocolate myself. For this recipe you will need 1 and 1/2 bars total (6 ounces). I love using Ghirardelli but other brands work well too – Lindt, Nestle, or Baker’s.
- Eggs – You will need room temperature eggs. Check out my full tutorial on how to get room temperature eggs fast. You will also need two whole eggs, and two egg yolks. Read my whole tutorial on how to separate eggs.
- Granulated Sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Salt
How To Make Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes
You want to first prepare the ramekins and pre-heat the oven. You will pre-heat the oven to 450oF. And grease and dust the 6 oz ramekins with a little bit of cocoa powder. Place the ramekins on a baking sheet to make for an easy transfer in and out of the oven.
- Melt Chocolate And Butter. To start making these cakes, you are going to melt your chocolate and butter over a double boiler. Basically set a heatproof bowl of a pot of simmering water. And allow the chocolate and butter to melt. You can also melt the chocolate and butter in a microwave-safe bowl.
- Whisk Remaining Ingredients Together. Then whisk your eggs and yolks, sugar, and salt until light and fluffy in a second mixing bowl.
- Combine everything together. Once the chocolate and butter mixture has cooled slightly, you can add it to the egg mixture and stir to combine. Then add in your flour.
- Time To Bake! Then time to pour into your prepared ramekins. These only take about 12 minutes of the baking time in the oven.
HEATHER’S BAKING TIP: Allow them to cool about a minute then invert them onto a plate. The point is that the center of course isn’t baked and flows out like lava when you cut into it.
More Baking Tips
- Prep Your Ramekins! Make sure to grease your ramekins well with butter and flour so they can be easily released.
- Cool The Chocolate Mixture Slightly. Be careful to let the chocolate mixture cool before adding to the egg mixture or you risk ending up with chocolate scrambled eggs and nobody wants that! You can always temper the eggs, but adding a little bit of the melted chocolate first to the eggs and stirring before adding the rest of it. This helps bring the eggs up to temperature and avoids a scrambled mess!
Serving Suggestions
- Whipped cream <– add a couple tablespoons of cocoa powder and make it chocolate whipped cream.
- Ganache – A 2-ingredient chocolate sauce you can drizzle over for chocolate heaven.
- Powdered sugar – Just dust it with a little powdered sugar before serving.
- Ice-cream – A warm chocolate lava cake and a scoop of ice cream is one of my favorite things in the world.
- Fresh Berries – I mean chocolate and fruit, is there anything better?! I think not.
Recipe Variations
- Add instant espresso powder – Coffee and chocolate go great together! Add 1/2 teaspoon – 1 teaspoon to the chocolate cake batter. Or try adding instant coffee (it’s not as strong as espresso so you may want to add a little more).
- Add vanilla extract – You can always add a little vanilla for extra flavoring. Try adding 1/2 teaspoon – 1 teaspoon.
- Add peppermint extract – For the holidays I love adding a little peppermint! Try adding 1/4 teaspoon – 1/2 teaspoon. You can add more if you like it a bit stronger in peppermint flavor.
Storage Instructions
These can last 1 to 2 days at room temperature. Just make sure they are properly covered so they do not dry out.
You can freeze them. Allow to cool completely and wrap well. Freeze for up to 3 months. You can reheat in the microwave (you may lose some “lava”).
Make Ahead/Storage:
You can make the batter up to day in advance. Place the batter into the molds, and then cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until ready to bake. Remove plastic wrap, allow to come to room temperature and bake as normal.
You can definitely double this recipe. And if you want a smaller portion then try making my Chocolate Lava Cakes For Two version.
So telling when a lava cake is done can be tricky. Because it is meant to be under baked slightly so it has that lava center. To tell if your cakes are done:
– Firm Edges. Jiggly Centers. The edges of the cakes become firm while the center will still have some jiggle to it.
– Use A Toothpick. A toothpick stuck in the cake – only about a half inch from the edge comes out clean.
– Rising Tops. Some of the cakes start to rise above the ramekins with sharp edges protruding. The edges don’t always protrude, but if they do, then that is a sign the cake is done.
I highly recommend using 6-ounce ramekins for this recipe. But that being said, you can totally use a muffin pan! You will get 6 lava cakes (they will be slightly smaller so you will get two more)
Dust the muffin pans with butter and cocoa powder to prevent them sticking. Bake for less time (about 8-10 minutes).
More Desserts To Enjoy
If you’re craving more chocolate cake try my Ding Dong cake! A rich chocolate cake made with a silky smooth ermine frosting in the middle, and topped with a rich chocolate ganache. Just like a big Hostess cake!
You might also like my easy flourless chocolate cake. Just a few simple ingredients is all you need and it’s naturally gluten free! Or try my triple chocolate cheesecake. There’s no water bath required!
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Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes
Ingredients
- cocoa powder (for dusting the ramekins)
- ½ cup (1 stick, 113 g) unsalted butter
- 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks room temperature
- ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F. Butter and lightly dust four 6-ounce ramekins with cocoa powder. Tap out the excess cocoa powder. Set the ramekins on a baking sheet.
- In a double boiler, over simmering water, melt the butter with the chocolate. ½ cup (1 stick, 113 g) unsalted butter 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
- In a medium bowl, with an electric mixer (or you can use a whisk but it will take longer to whip) beat the eggs with the egg yolks, sugar and salt at high speed until thickened and pale. 2 large eggs 2 large egg yolks ¼ cup (50 g) granulated sugar ⅛ teaspoon salt
- Whisk the chocolate/butter mixture until smooth. Quickly fold it into the egg mixture along with the flour. Stir to combine. 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Spoon the batter into the prepared ramekins and bake for 12 minutes, or until the sides of the cakes are firm but the centers are soft. Let the cakes cool in the ramekins for 1 minute, then cover each with an inverted dessert plate. Carefully turn each one over, let stand for 10 seconds and then unmold. Serve immediately.
Notes
- Baking In A Muffin Pan: You will get 6 lava cakes (they will be slightly smaller so you will get two more.) Dust the muffin pans with butter and cocoa powder to prevent them sticking. Bake for only 8-10 minutes.
- Making Ahead: Prep the batter and pour into the prepared ramekins. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge up to 2 days ahead of time. Remove plastic wrap, allow to come to room temperature and bake as normal.
- Freezing Lava Cakes: Allow to cool completely and wrap well. Freeze for up to 3 months. You can reheat in the microwave (you may lose some “lava”).
- Use good quality chocolate. You really will taste the difference. And use bars, not chips for more “lava”.
- Prep Your Ramekins! Make sure to grease your ramekins well with butter and cocoa powder so they can be easily released.
- Cool For A Minute. Let the cakes sit for a minute after tipping them upside down. I find that if I immediately tip them out they tend to fall apart. So give them a minute before tipping them over.
- Cool The Chocolate Mixture Slightly. Be careful to let the chocolate mixture cool before adding to the egg mixture or you risk ending up with chocolate scrambled eggs and nobody wants that! You can always temper the eggs, but adding a little bit of the melted chocolate first to the eggs and stirring before adding the rest of it. This helps bring the eggs up to temperature and avoids a scrambled mess!
My husband’s exact word after the first bite, “awesome”. These little cakes sure packed a lot of flavor and satisfied the chocolate craving. Surprisingly easy to make for such a decadent dessert.
aw that’s amazing Laurie!! I’m so happy to hear that 🙂 they are one of my faves!
These come together so easily and are delicious! What an impressive dessert that definitely checks the chocolate box! Yum!
aw amazing Adrienne! I’m so happy you love this cake as much as I do!!
Mmmmm. So easy to make. So good to eat. I’ll make these when I really want to impress someone with my baking skills. (Anyone who knows me knows I don’t like being in the kitchen cooking or baking.)
I love impressive desserts that are actually really easy to make. Hehehe. 😏
I always love a good molten cake! Never tried making it at home but you make it look simple enough. Can’t wait to try it, it looks divine.
Aw thank you Veronika! Yes it’s super simple…enjoy 🙂
Oh my goodness these are insane! I’m a huge chocolate lover so I obviously loved these. Thanks for sharing!
Aw you’re welcome Addison! I’m so glad you loved it!
This is my husband’s favorite dessert! I’m going to make this recipe for Valentine’s Day to surprise him! Thanks for the idea!
Thanks Veronika! Let me know how it turns out!
I’m so in love with these molten cakes! They were so impressive to present but shockingly easy to make with the perfect rich, decadent chocolate flavor. Such an amazing dessert!
Thanks Amanda! I’m so glad you loved it 🙂
These lava cakes look so fun to serve, and with such a small amount of flour I’m betting I can make them gluten-free but just subbing GF flour. I can see that the important factor is the quality of the chocolate.
HI Beth! OH yes you definitely can! And yes quality chocolate counts here 🙂
I’ve always been fascinated by lava cakes. The chocolate oozing out is something I can’t resist. Until now I’ve only ordered a lava cake at restaurants, so thank you for showing me that it’s possible, if not better, to make it at home.
It’s SO possible and so easy!! Thanks Nicoletta!
I love ordering this dessert at restaurants and I’m so excited to make my own at home! Thank you for this delicious recipe, I’ll be making this over the weekend!
Me too! Let me know how it
Turns out KAthryn! 🙂
I can’t believe you only need six ingredients to make this amazing lava cake! Yet it’s true! I should better get those 6 and get to cooking soon! 😉
Thanks Elaine! Yes it’s simple and easy (and so delicious!)
Great looking molten cakes! I am adding them to my to do list.
The Old Fat Guy
You definitely do and good luck eating just one! 🙂