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Lemon Lava Cake

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close up shot of lemon lava cake dusted with powdered sugar with a bite taken out showing its inside lemon layers on a white plate
Lemon cakes filled with bright citrus and white chocolate molten lava spilling out from the middle, these lemon lava cakes are irresistible.
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Table of Contents
  1. Lemon Lava Cake Ingredients 
  2. Substitutions And Additions
  3. How To Make This Lemon Lava Cake Recipe
  4. How To Serve
  5. Storage
  6. Frequently Asked Questions
  7. More Recipes You’ll Love
  8. JUMP TO RECIPE

This lemon lava cake has a warm white chocolate and lemon curd center that spills out when you cut into it. These decadent mini cakes of sunshine are easy to make and taste absolutely divine.

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Lemon is such a fresh and delightful flavor. We have lots of recipes for lemon desserts for you to try, including lemon cheesecake bars, lemon brownies, and lemon lush. We also have a recipe for a traditional chocolate lava cake: check out our Carnival Cruise Line lava cake.

close up shot of lemon lava cake dusted with powdered sugar with a bite taken out showing its inside lemon layers on a white plate

Lemon Lava Cake Ingredients 

lemon lava cake raw ingredients that are labeled

You will need:

  • 1 cup (5.5 ounces) white chocolate baking chips
  • ½ cup (8 tablespoons, 113 grams) unsalted butter, cubed
  • 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • 2/3 cup lemon curd
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest, 2 lemons
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar for dusting, optional

Substitutions And Additions

Topping: Drizzling fruit sauce over top of the lava cakes would be a lovely complement to the lemon flavor. Try raspberry, blueberry or strawberry.

Citrus: You could make these individual little lava cakes in either lime or orange as well. Just replace all of the lemon components with the appropriate equivalent in your flavor of choice. You could also add a couple of drops of lemon extract to make your lemon lava cakes even more lemony.

How To Make This Lemon Lava Cake Recipe

STEP ONE: In a medium-sized heat-safe bowl, microwave the white baking chips and cubed butter for 1 minute. Stir well, and continue microwaving in 15-second intervals and stirring until the mixture is smooth.

lemon lava cake process of ingredients being combined in a bowl

STEP TWO: Stir in the flour, sugar, lemon curd, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Stir just until combined.

STEP THREE: Add the eggs and egg yolks, stir until well incorporated.

lemon lava cake process shot of ingredients being combined in a bowl

STEP FOUR: Spray 6 – 6-ounce ramekins with non-stick spray and set on a baking tray. Evenly divide the cake batter between the ramekins and fill each ramekin 2/3 full. 

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

You can use unsalted butter and flour to dust the ramekins if you prefer.

lemon lava cake process shot of cake in a dish

STEP FIVE: Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in an oven preheated to 425°F. The tops should be browned and spring back when touched. 

PRO TIP:

The high oven temperature cooks the outside but leaves a gooey center.

STEP SIX: Remove the cakes from the oven and allow them to rest on the baking sheet for 5 minutes.

STEP SEVEN: Carefully run a knife tip around the edges of the cakes in the ramekins to ensure the cake is not sticking. Place a saucer on top of the ramekin and flip the ramekin over. Allow the baking dish to rest for just a minute and slowly remove the ramekin. 

lemon lava cake process shot of cake in a dish

STEP EIGHT: Dust your little lemon lava cakes with powdered sugar if desired. 

How To Serve

Serve this tantalizing lemon lava cake dessert with fresh berries and whipped cream on top of the cake and vanilla ice cream on the side.

Add fresh cool iced tea, raspberry iced tea, sweet peach iced tea, or southern strawberry sweet tea to drink.

Storage

IN THE FRIDGE: Any leftovers of the lemon cake can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

REHEAT: You can reheat the lemon curd lava cake in the microwave for 30 seconds on high. Be aware though that the more these cakes are reheated, the less lava-like they will become.

IN THE FREEZER: We do not recommend freezing this recipe.

close up shot of lemon lava cake dusted with powdered sugar on a white plate

This lemon molten lava cake recipe creates a treat that is so bright and cheery and oozes creamy lemon curd filling from the middle of the cake. They are such a vibrant yellow and taste heavenly — a dream for lemon lovers. 

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I store these little cakes?

This easy recipe can be stored in the fridge for up to two days. We do not recommend freezing lava cakes.

What is a lava cake?

Lava cakes feature a tender cake on the outside with molten centers on the inside that flow out when you cut into it.

Inside a lava cake is the batter which has warmed during baking but hasn’t fully set. The key is to bake just until the sides are set but the inside is still molten.

Is it safe to eat lava cake since the center is not fully baked?

It is safe to eat lava cakes. While the cake isn’t cooked all the way through, it isn’t the same as eating raw batter. The temperature cooks the eggs enough to make the molten center safe to eat.

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close up shot of lemon lava cake dusted with powdered sugar with a bite taken out showing its inside lemon layers on a white plate

Lemon Lava Cake

5 from 2 votes
Lemon cakes filled with bright citrus and white chocolate molten lava spilling out from the middle, these lemon lava cakes are irresistible.
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings 6

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup white chocolate baking chips, 5.5 ounces
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, cubed (8 tablespoons, 113 grams)
  • cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup granulated sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
  • cup lemon curd
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest, 2 lemons
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 4 large eggs
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 2 tablespoons powdered sugar, for dusting, optional

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray 6 – 6-ounce ramekins with nonstick spray. Set them on a baking sheet.
  • In a medium-sized heat-safe bowl, microwave the white baking chips and cubed butter for 1 minute. Stir well and continue microwaving in 15-second intervals, stirring until the mixture is smooth.
  • Stir in the flour, sugar, lemon curd, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Stir just until combined.
  • Add the eggs and egg yolks, stir until well incorporated,
  • Evenly divide the cake batter between the ramekins and fill the ramekins 2/3 full.
  • Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. The tops should be browned and spring back when touched. In my oven, it took the full 25 minutes.
  • Allow the cakes to rest for 5 minutes.
  • Carefully run a knife tip around the ramekins’ sides to ensure the cake is not sticking. Place a saucer on top of the ramekin and flip the ramekin over. Allow the dish to rest for just a minute and slowly remove the ramekin.
  • Dust with powdered sugar if desired.

Video

Notes

  • You can use unsalted butter and flour to dust the ramekins if you prefer.
  • The high oven temperature cooks the outside but leaves a gooey center.

Nutrition

Calories: 594kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 294mg | Sodium: 158mg | Potassium: 168mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 52g | Vitamin A: 826IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 103mg | Iron: 2mg
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Proudly Prepared by the Spaceships Kitchen

This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!

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    • Layne Kangas says

      Hi, Lisa – Google says muffin tins can work instead of ramekins but we haven’t tested it like that so I’m not sure how it works personally. Please let me know if you test it out. Enjoy!

    • Layne Kangas says

      Hi, Sunny – you can use a muffin pan but I wouldn’t use one of the extra-large sizes as they would be too big for the cakes to turn out correctly. Enjoy!

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