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This easy Molten Lava Cake has a rich chocolate cake exterior with a warm, gooey chocolate center that flows out when you cut into it. Also known as Chocolate Lava Cake, this decadent dessert is surprisingly easy to make at home in less than 30 minutes!
Easy Chocolate Lava Cake Recipe
Chocolate lava cake may look like a fancy restaurant dessert, but it’s surprisingly easy to make at home. The key is baking the individual cakes just until the edges are set while leaving the centers soft and gooey. When you cut into the cake, the warm chocolate center flows out like lava.
This starts with individual chocolate cakes that have a molten chocolate center. These are delicious “as is”, but I love to top them with a dusting of powdered sugar, vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup. We love these all year long, but it’s a must to make for Valentine’s Day!
Why You’ll Love This Molten Lava Cake
- Ready in 30 minutes. From prep time to bake time, it takes less than 30 minutes to make the lava cakes.
- Wow factor. When you first cut into the center of the cake, it is sure to wow guests — maybe even you, too!
- Basic ingredients. This dessert requires easy, common ingredients. Many of them I always keep on hand.
Recipe Ingredients
Below is everything you need for this recipe. You will notice that the ingredients used are pantry staples — butter, eggs, sugar, etc. They are both cheap and easy to find at any grocery store.
- Butter: Unsalted butter works best so you can control the salt in the recipe. Most is melted with the chocolate, with a little extra used to grease the ramekins.
- Baking chocolate: This type of chocolate is unsweetened and slightly bitter. It is meant to balance the sweetness of the added sugar. I prefer this to chocolate chips for flavor and texture, as the chips typically have stabilizers added to help them keep their shape.
- Eggs + Egg Yolks: Using both whole eggs and extra yolks gives the cakes structure while keeping the centers rich and fudgy.
- Sugar: Simple, white granulated sugar is the sweetener in this molten cake recipe.
- Vanilla: When possible, I prefer pure vanilla extract for the most authentic vanilla flavor. In this case, it also enhances the rich flavor of the chocolate.
- Salt: A little salt helps to balance the ingredients.
- Flour: I use all-purpose flour for this recipe.
- Cocoa powder: For the perfect deep chocolate flavor, I add a little cocoa powder to the batter and also dust the cakes when they come out of the oven.
How to Make Molten Lava Cake
Here are all the steps needed to make this lava cake recipe. I included extra details to help ensure the most success!
- Prep the oven and ramekins. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and grease the ramekins with butter and dust with cocoa powder.
- Melt the butter and chocolate. In a large microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter and chocolate in 30-second intervals. Stir after each one until melted and smooth.
- Combine eggs and sugar. Whisk the eggs, yolks, and sugar in a separate mixing bowl until fluffy. It will take 2-3 minutes.
- Add the chocolate mixture and vanilla. Stir the melted chocolate mixture, salt, and vanilla extract into the egg mixture.
- Fold in dry ingredients. Next, gently fold the flour and cocoa powder into the chocolate until it is just combined and smooth.
- Divide the batter among the ramekins. Carefully pour the batter into the 6 ramekins and place them on a baking sheet.
- Bake. Put the cakes into the oven and bake them for 10-12 minutes. The edges will be set, but the centers will be soft.
- Cool and remove. Let the molten cakes cool in the ramekin for about a minute. Then, cover each one with a small plate and carefully invert it to release the cake.
- Serve. Enjoy with your favorite topping or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
How Do You Know When Lava Cake Is Done?
The key to a perfect molten center is not overbaking the cakes. After 10–12 minutes, the edges should look set while the centers are still soft. Let the cakes rest in the ramekins for just 1 minute before carefully turning them onto serving plates. If they’re baked too long, you’ll lose that warm, gooey chocolate center.
Tips
- Don’t overfill the ramekins. Only fill each of the ramekins ¾ with the cake batter to ensure there is enough room for them to rise.
- Don’t overheat leftovers. Heat the leftover lava cakes for only a few seconds to preserve the gooey center.
- Serve immediately. Serve warm with powdered sugar, fresh strawberries or raspberries, hot fudge sauce, caramel sauce, butterscotch sauce, or a scoop of ice cream with flavors like mint chocolate ice cream, or cherry ice cream.
How To Store and Reheat Lava Cake
Store the molten lava cakes in an airtight container for 2-3 days. To reheat, place on a microwave-safe plate and only heat for 20-30 seconds.
Molten Lava Cake
This gooey Molten Lava Cake recipe is one you will want to make over and over again. The cake is rich and moist, with fudgy chocolate center that flows out like “lava” when you slice it. It’s the ultimate decadent dessert.
Servings: 6 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsalted butter plus 1 tablespoon softened butter for greasing
- 8 ounces baking chocolate chopped
- 4 large eggs
- 4 egg yolks
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder plus extra for dusting
- Powdered Sugar, Vanilla Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C). Grease six 4-ounce ramekins generously with butter and dust with cocoa powder. Set aside.
- Melt the butter and baking chocolate together in a microwave-safe bowl, using 30-second intervals and stirring after each until smooth and fully melted.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, egg yolks, and granulated sugar until the mixture is pale and fluffy, taking about 2-3 minutes.
- Combine the melted chocolate mixture, vanilla extract, and salt into the egg mixture, stirring until well mixed.
- Gently fold in the flour and cocoa powder until just combined.
- Evenly distribute the batter among the prepared ramekins about ¾ of the way full. Place the filled ramekins on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cake edges are set but the centers remain soft.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the ramekins for 1 minute. Place a small plate over each ramekin and carefully invert it to release the cake. Let the cake sit for a few seconds before removing the ramekin.
- Serve each cake topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a drizzle of chocolate sauce, and a dusting of powdered sugar if desired. Enjoy!
Last Step:
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Equipment
- 6 Ramekins
Notes
- When filling the ramekins, leave some space at the top to allow the cakes to rise while baking. This prevents overflow and ensures a perfectly baked molten center.
- Keep an eye on the cakes towards the end of the baking time. The edges should be set, but the centers should remain soft and slightly gooey for that classic molten lava cake texture.
- These decadent chocolate cakes pair beautifully with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, fresh berries, or a dusting of powdered sugar for added sweetness and presentation.
- If you have any leftover molten chocolate cakes, allow them to cool completely before storing them in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They can be refrigerated for up to 2-3 days.
- To reheat the molten chocolate cakes, place them in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds until warmed through. Be cautious not to overheat them to preserve the gooey center.
Nutrition
Calories: 777kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 57g | Saturated Fat: 34g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 17g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 320mg | Sodium: 159mg | Potassium: 415mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 51g | Vitamin A: 1277IU | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 8mg
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3 comments on “Molten Lava Cake”
I have not made this recipe yet, but I do know that I will love it because it is all chocolate!
The recipes look awesome, I will start trying them very soon. Thank you.
Thanks Hope!