Chocolate Lava Cake

A special occasion calls for a fancy dessert and this irresistible chocolate lava cake is an elegant but easy confection.

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I don’t know about you, but when I think of chocolate lava cake, I think of a warm molten center oozing out and melting in your mouth. The best part is the crispy edges that give way to this decadent gooey center; it doesn’t get much better than that.

Chocolate Lava Cake Ingredients

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This chocolate lava cake is a delectable dessert that boasts a rich and indulgent flavor profile.

With a crispy exterior and a warm, gooey, intensely chocolatey interior garnished with powdered sugar, this dessert is a symphony of textures and flavors that will satisfy any chocolate lover’s cravings.

You’ll need:

• 1 tablespoon of cocoa powder
• 6 ounces of semi-sweet baker’s chocolate bars, broken into pieces
• ¾ cup of unsalted butter, cut into cubes
• 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
• 3 whole eggs, room temperature
• 5 egg yolks, room temperature
• 2 cups of powdered sugar
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• ¾ cups of all-purpose flour
• Powdered sugar for garnish

PRO TIP:

Premium baking chocolate bars (Ghirardelli, Lindt, and Baker’s brand, to name a few) may be a bit of an indulgent ingredient, but they are worth it for this chocolate molten lava cake recipe. If you use chocolate chips or lower quality chocolate, you will not get that wonderful lava ooze.

Substitutions And Additions

CHOCOLATE: Baker’s chocolate is fine for this molten lava cakes recipe. Just make sure to chop it up really well before trying to melt. It will melt much easier for you.

I love Ghirardelli because the bars are super thin, and you can just break it all up while still in the package, so that saves the cleanup of the cutting board, and it is super yummy.

CHOCOLATE VARIATIONS: You can substitute bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao), dark chocolate, or milk chocolate premium Baker’s bars for semisweet chocolate.

TOPPINGS: To keep it simple, sprinkle a bit of powdered sugar over your finished molten chocolate lava cakes.

You could also add nuts, like pecans or peanuts, for a bit of crunch.

To make this rich chocolate cake even more decadent, you could add caramel, Nutella, or chocolate sauce to the top.

My all-time favorite is to top off a molten cake with some fresh berries like strawberries or raspberries.

How to Make This Chocolate Lava Cake Recipe

Make sure to follow our step-by-step instructions to ensure your lava cakes have the right consistency and the lava oozes out when you dig in.

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray six 6-ounce ramekins with baker’s spray and lightly dust them with the cocoa powder.

This helps ensure that the chocolate lava cakes come out cleanly from the ramekins. Place ramekins onto a small rimmed baking tray. Set aside.

STEP TWO: In a medium bowl, melt the broken-up pieces of semi-sweet chocolate bars and the cubed butter in the microwave oven for one minute.

Stir gently and heat in 15-second intervals if needed. Stir to combine the melted chocolate and butter completely.

STEP THREE: Stir in the vanilla extract, then the powdered sugar, and lastly, the eggs until well combined with the chocolate mixture.

Make sure to mix completely before adding the next ingredient.

STEP FOUR: Add the salt and all-purpose flour. Stir just until fully incorporated. Do not over mix the batter.

STEP FIVE: Using a large 3-inch ice cream scoop, spoon batter evenly into each prepared ramekin about two thirds full.

Each scoop will be approximately half a cup of batter and will perfectly divide your chocolate cake batter into six portions.

STEP SIX: Bake the chocolate lava cakes for 12 to 14 minutes. Be very careful not to overbake your lava cakes, or you will lose the gooey center.

They should just barely look done on the top.

STEP SEVEN: Once your chocolate lava cakes have come out of the oven, let them cool on the tray for two minutes before inverting the warm lava cakes onto a dessert plate.

Be very careful because the ramekins will be very hot.

How to Serve

You should serve your chocolate lava cakes as soon as possible so that you get that ‘lava ooze’ when you break your chocolate lava cake open.

You can dust the tops of the warm cake with powdered sugar for a little added sweetness and beautiful garnish.

Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream and whipped cream for a fancier dessert.

We have two more recipes that ooze lava we think you will enjoy. Our lemon lava cake are a fresh and tangy treat while our peanut butter lava cookies feature rich centers when bitten into.

MORE DESSERT RECIPES

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Chocolate Lasagna

Dump Cakes

Chocolate Dump Cake

Storage

I’ve got you covered with some simple guidelines to ensure your dessert stays as delightful as the day you made it.

MAKE AHEAD: Simply follow the recipe up to the point where you fill the ramekins. Instead of baking right away, cover the ramekins tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

When you’re ready to serve, remove them from the fridge, let them come to room temperature for about 20-30 minutes, and bake as directed.

IN THE FRIDGE: Your molten chocolate cakes can be stored in the ramekins after they have been cooked and cooled, covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for up to three days.

When you are ready to eat them, let them sit at room temperature for a few minutes to take the chill off the dish, then heat up in your microwave for 30 seconds or until the desired temperature.

IN THE FREEZER: We don’t recommend freezing the lava cakes as they will lose their molten quality.

Why We Love This Recipe

DECADENT CHOCOLATE BLISS: This recipe delivers an intensely rich and velvety chocolate experience. The molten center oozes with warm, gooey chocolate, making every bite a heavenly indulgence for chocolate lovers.

EASY MAKE: Despite its gourmet appearance, this recipe is surprisingly easy to follow, even for novice bakers. The step-by-step instructions and helpful tips ensure that you can impress your guests with minimal effort.

These gooey chocolate lava cakes will most definitely satisfy your chocolate craving, it’s like eating an ooey-gooey brownie. These desserts are so unique with their moist cake and heavenly molten centers that you won’t be able to resist.

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Chocolate Lava Cake

5 from 3 votes

A special occasion calls for a fancy dessert and this irresistible chocolate lava cake is an elegant but easy confection.

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 14 minutes minutes

Total Time 19 minutes minutes

Servings 6

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
• 6 ounces semi-sweet bakers chocolate bars broken into pieces (I used Ghirardelli brand premium baking bars)
• ¾ cup unsalted butter cut into cubes
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 3 whole eggs room temperature
• 5 egg yolks room temperature
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cups all-purpose flour
• powdered sugar for garnish

Instructions

 

• Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray six 6-ounce ramekins with baker's spray and lightly dust them with the cocoa powder. This helps to ensure that the chocolate lava cakes come out cleanly from the ramekins. Place all the prepared ramekins onto a small rimmed baking tray. Set aside.
• In a medium bowl, melt the broken-up pieces of semi-sweet chocolate bars and the cubed butter in the microwave for 1 minute. Stir gently and heat in 15-second intervals if needed. Stir to combine the melted chocolate and butter completely.
• Stir in the vanilla extract, then the powdered sugar, and lastly, the eggs until well combined. Make sure to combine completely before adding the next ingredient.
• Add the salt and all-purpose flour. Stir just until fully incorporated. Do not over mix the batter.
• Using a large 3-inch ice cream scoop, scoop the batter evenly into each prepared ramekin about ⅔ full. Each scoop will be approximately ½ cup batter and will perfectly divide your batter into 6 portions.
• Bake the chocolate lava cakes for 12 to 14 minutes. Be very careful not to overbake your lava cakes, or you will lose the gooey center. They should just barely look done on the top.
• Once your chocolate lava cakes have come out of the oven, let them cool on the tray for 2 minutes before inverting them onto a serving plate. Be very careful because the ramekins will be very hot.

Notes

• Premium baking chocolate bars (Ghirardelli, Lindt, and Baker’s brand, to name a few) may be a bit of an indulgent ingredient, but they are worth it for this chocolate molten lava cake recipe. If you use chocolate chips or lower-quality chocolate, you will not get that wonderful lava ooze.  
• If you don’t have ramekins, you can use a muffin tin to make the individual lava cakes.
• If you do not have baker’s spray, you can grease the sides and bottom of your ramekins with a little bit of butter using a pastry brush. You will still need to dust them with cocoa powder. I highly recommend not skipping this step as it ensures an easy and clean release of your chocolate lava cake once it is inverted.
• If you do not wish to flip your chocolate cake out of the ramekin, that is fine. You can add a scoop of ice cream  and whipped cream to the ramekin and enjoy your chocolate lava cake that way.

Nutrition

Calories: 640kcal | Carbohydrates: 66g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 23g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 226mg | Sodium: 115mg | Potassium: 259mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 46g | Vitamin A: 939IU | Calcium: 51mg | Iron: 5mg

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