You’ll love this warm, delectable Lava Cake with a molten chocolate center that flows from the middle when you cut into the cake.
Chocolate cake is the perfect dessert for a Valentine’s Day dinner!
Warm cake is always a hit, but adding a melted chocolate center makes it irresistible! You can serve these cakes with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream topped with strawberries or raspberries.
What You’ll Find In This Lava Cake Recipe Post
Chocolate Lava Cake Ingredients
You probably have most of the ingredients needed for this recipe but might need to pick up semi-sweet baking chocolate. We buy extra bars of baking chocolate to keep in our pantry specifically for recipes like this.
- Chocolate: For the best results, use baking chocolate to make this lava cake. Chocolate baking bars melt quickly and smoothly, which helps keep the center of the cakes molten. We chose semi-sweet chocolate, but you could use bittersweet chocolate if you prefer.
- Butter: The butter is the oil in the cake. It keeps the cake moist and the center molten.
- Eggs: You’ll need two whole eggs and two egg yolks.
- Sugar: This recipe uses powdered sugar as the sweetener.
- Vanilla Extract: We added a little vanilla extract for flavoring. You could add peppermint extract to make chocolate mint-flavored cakes.
- Flour: All-purpose flour provides structure and gives the cake shape.
- Cocoa Powder: A little unsweetened cocoa powder increases the intensity of the chocolate flavor.
How To Make Lava Cake
This lava cake recipe is so easy to make that you’ll want to make it often! The chocolate cake batter is mixed in one bowl by hand, and the cakes bake in less than 15 minutes.
First, melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave and stir until combined.
Then, whisk in the sugar, eggs, and vanilla until smooth.
Finally, sift in the flour and cocoa powder and stir until combined.
Divide the batter between greased ramekins and bake until the outsides of the cakes are baked and the centers are soft and puffed but not jiggy.
Allow the chocolate lava cakes to cool slightly, and then loosen them from the ramekins with a thin knife. Then, invert them on plates and lift the ramekins away.
Common Issues
Try to be patient when making lava cakes because it might take a little time to master the recipe. Ovens vary, as do baking dishes and ingredients, which can all affect the outcome. We’ve made these cakes countless times, and even when they haven’t turned out perfectly, we’ve still enjoyed them!
Underbaked Lava Cake
If your cakes are underbaked, they won’t hold their shape when you remove them from the ramekins. When this happens, you can scoop the cakes back into the ramekins and return them to the oven to finish cooking. Most likely, the cakes won’t have molten chocolate centers anymore, but they will still be warm and tasty.
Overbaked
When the cakes get overbaked, they won’t have a molten chocolate center, but the cake will still be moist, chocolaty, and delicious.
Lava Cakes Stuck In Ramekins
We tested several options for coating the ramekins and found that for the ramekins we use, we got the best results using cooking spray. The second best option was to grease the ramekins with butter and then coat them with granulated sugar. The issue we had with this method is that it changes the appearance of the exterior of the cakes. But if you have issues with the cakes sticking to the dish, we suggest trying this method.
Storage
While lava cakes are best when eaten immediately after removing them from the ramekins, they are still fabulous once they’ve cooled. Store the cooled cakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. They can be eaten cold or reheated in the microwave. Keep in mind that reheated cakes may not have a molten chocolate center, although some of the ones we reheated still did.
Frequently Asked Questions
It is ready when the edges are baked, yet the middle is still soft but not jiggly. The internal temperature should reach 160˚F.
It is made with melted chocolate, butter, eggs, vanilla, powdered sugar, flour, and cocoa powder.
It tastes like a moist chocolate cake with a melted chocolate truffle in the center.
More Chocolate Recipes
- Homemade Chocolate Truffles are the ultimate treat! Make them for your loved ones and put them in boxes to give as gifts.
- This smooth, creamy Fudge Recipe is delicious year-round and a must during the holidays.
- Once you make our fudgy, moist Brownies Recipe, you’ll never want to make boxed ones again!
- Chocolate Fondue is so much fun to eat with bite-sized fruit, rice krispies treats, and marshmallows for dipping.
Lava Cake
Ingredients
- 4 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate chopped
- ½ cup butter
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅓ cup flour
- 2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400˚F. Grease six 4-ounce ramekins well with cooking spray, place them on a baking sheet and set aside. Melt the chopped chocolate and butter in the microwave on high. Stir until smooth.
- Whisk in the powdered sugar, eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla.
- Put the flour and cocoa powder into a sifter and sift into the bowl. Stir until combined.
- Divide the batter between the six prepared ramekins.
- Bake at 400˚F for 12-14 minutes until the sides are firm, yet the centers are still soft but not jiggy. The molten chocolate center should reach 160˚F with an instant-read thermometer.
- Remove from oven and let stand for 3 minutes. Run a thin knife around the edges to loosen and invert onto serving plates. Dust with powdered sugar, if desired.
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