Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes

These decadent chocolate molten lava cakes are the perfect small batch dessert! They’re incredibly easy to make and ready in minutes!

Top this rich dessert with some homemade vanilla bean ice cream and come salted caramel chocolate sauce for a real treat!

Chocolate Molten Lava Cake topped with vanilla ice cream and raspberries

Swoon Worthy Dessert

Whether you need an individual sized dessert for a date night in, or a small gathering, these chocolate molten lava cakes are the perfect fit!

They are a breeze to whip up and only take 8 minutes to bake. You can even place the filled ramekins into the fridge for a few hours before you plan on baking them, and then pop them into the oven right after dinner.

Nothing beats a freshly baked gooey molten cake topped with ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce! These will make you swoon!

Molten lava cake on a black plate

How to Make Molten Lava Cake

So how do you make these decadent little cakes? They really do come together in a jiff!

PREP. First, you’ll want to butter and dust four ramekins with cocoa powder. I used 6 ounce ramekins.

MELT. Next, grab a stick of butter and melt it in the microwave. Whisk in 4 ounces of chopped chocolate (I prefer semisweet) until it’s silky smooth.

MIX. In a separate mixing bowl, whisk 2 eggs, 2 yolks and granulated sugar until the mixture turns pale and thickens. If you want to add a splash of vanilla extract you can, I always love a little hit of vanilla, even in my chocolate desserts, but it’s totally optional.

COMBINE. Add the egg mixture and flour to the melted chocolate, beat until combined.

BAKE. Divide the batter between the ramekins. Place in the oven and bake at 450 degrees for 8 to 9 minutes.

This is the nerve wracking part. You want the edges and tops to be set without the center being over-baked. The easiest way for me to gage doneness was to check if the tops were set (or looked like they were no longer batter) but still jiggly.

COOL. Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool for 1 minute before inverting onto individual plates. Let the cakes sit for about 10 seconds before lifting up the ramekins. The goal is to get them out without breaking them… just be careful, they’re fragile!

SERVE. Serve them immediately with a scoop of ice cream, a drizzle of chocolate sauce and some fresh fruit. They will be devoured in seconds!

What to serve with?

Chocolate Molten Lava Cake Recipe with ice cream and berries

Making Ahead + Storing Leftovers 

After you store a lava cake it ends up ruining the “lava” part of the dessert and it is instead just a chocolate cake. So my advice would be to make this recipe when they can all be eaten right after serving.

If you want to MAKE THEM AHEAD, you can make the batter, pour it into ramekins and let it sit in the fridge overnight. This shouldn’t affect the time it takes to bake the next day.

Or, pour the batter into the ramekins and then FREEZE from there. Cover each ramekin tightly and freeze for 2 weeks. Let them thaw and reach room temperature for 30 minutes to 1 hour before baking. You may need to add an extra 2-5 minutes to the bake time.

Although it’s not recommended, when you do want to STORE them, wrap them in plastic wrap and put them in the fridge for 2-4 days.

You can reheat the lava cakes in the oven upside down at 350 for about 10 minutes

Molten lava cake recipe with ice cream and berries

For more chocolate cake recipes, try:

 

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Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes | lifemadesimplebakes.com

Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes Recipe

These decadent chocolate molten lava cakes are the perfect small batch dessert! They're incredibly easy to make and ready in minutes!
4.75 from 8 votes
Pin Rate
Course: Cakes & Cheesecakes
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Rest Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 28 minutes
Servings: 4 cakes
Calories: 483kcal
Author: Andrea
Print Recipe

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter - (+1 tsp for ramekins)
  • 4 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 4 oz bittersweet chocolate - OR semisweet chocolate, chopped
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1/4 tsp vanilla extract - optional
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 tsp all purpose flour

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Using 1 tsp. of butter, grease and dust four 4 or 6 ounce ramekins with cocoa powder. Tap out the excess cocoa powder; set aside.
  • In a medium microwave-safe bowl, add ½ cup butter. Place in the microwave and melt. Whisk in the chopped chocolate until smooth.
  • In a separate medium mixing bowl add the eggs. Add the vanilla (if desired) and sugar, whisk until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Add the egg mixture and flour to the melted chocolate; beat until combined.
  • Divide the batter between the ramekins. Place in the oven and bake for 8 to 9 minutes. The tops should look set but still be jiggly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 1 minute before inverting onto plates. Let the cakes sit for 10 seconds before lifting up the ramekins. Serve immediately, with ice cream, chocolate sauce and fresh fruit.

VIDEO

NOTES

- You can add a dab of peanut butter, cookie butter or Nutella into the middle of these for an even more decadent lava cake!

Nutrition

Serving: 4serving | Calories: 483kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 39g | Saturated Fat: 22g | Cholesterol: 242mg | Sodium: 42mg | Potassium: 216mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 972IU | Calcium: 48mg | Iron: 3mg

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About the Author

Andrea

Hi I'm Andrea!

Hotelier turned Food Blogger to help make your life simple, one recipe at a time.

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Comments:

  1. 5 stars
    I’m going to make double chocolate cup cakes to night, tomorrow I’ll let you guys know how delicious they are.

  2. 5 stars
    I love me some lava cake! This was so fun to make (and serve). I actually loved your recommendation to have a Nutella filling.