Chocolate Lava Cakes with a molten chocolate center made in just 30 minutes with 5 ingredients, 1 bowl and a whisk. The most impressive easiest dessert you’ll EVER make.
Chocolate Cake is a no brainer for the best cake on earth but this one kicks it up a notch with a warm gooey center. We also love Flourless Chocolate Cake (which has just 4 ingredients!) and Vanilla Pound Cake that you can make a quick shortcake with too!
MOLTEN CHOCOLATE CAKE
You could of course make a two layer chocolate cake but the magic in lava cakes (aside from that amazing melted chocolate middle) is that these cakes are individually baked for the perfect servings for a crowd or for portioning out ahead or for even just making for a romantic meal for two.
The cake itself is incredibly easy to make, it doesn’t require a stand mixer, just a whisk, five ingredients and 1 bowl. If you’re looking to make a meal for a loved one and you’re not an experienced cook in the kitchen you can absolutely make this lava cake the show stopping dessert part of your meal.
I use bittersweet chocolate in these Chocolate Lava Cakes but you are free to use any sort of chocolate you would like. It is just a matter of taste, the bold flavor of bittersweet chocolate makes feels like the most chocolate-y flavor out there.
Toppings for Molten Lava Cake:
- Whipped Cream
- Fresh Strawberry Slices
- Fresh Berries (Raspberries, Blueberries, Blackberries)
- Berries tossed with Grand Marnier or Frangelico
- Strawberry Topping
- Vanilla Ice Cream (Ice Cream of any variety would work, vanilla is a classic)
- Buttercream
- Custard
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What to bake your lava cakes in:
You can bake you lava cakes in one of three types of cooking vessels, custard cups, muffin tins or extra large muffin tins. I used large muffin pan.
There is no wrong or right way to make your choice here, I picked the large muffin pan because I had the most confidence in my muffin pan releasing the cakes perfectly and I liked that the bottoms of them were smaller so I had less chance of them sticking at the bottom and tearing.
If you butter and flour/cocoa powder your ramekins well you can absolutely bake these in ramekins just as easily.
Tips for Chocolate Lava Cake:
-
- Make sure you’re using a microwave safe bowl.
- Microwave the chocolate and butter together, the melted butter will help melt the chocolate evenly.
- After 2 cycles of 30 seconds, let the chocolate sit for 30-45 seconds before stirring.
- Make sure to follow the egg instructions, the use of the extra egg yolks ensures the rich taste of the chocolate lava cake.
- The better chocolate you can use the better these cakes will taste! I use Guittard Bittersweet Wafers.
- You can mix everything as much as you want UNTIL you add the flour. Once you add the flour only mix until just combined.
- Make sure you butter your ramekins well. I also sometimes flour/cocoa powder them to ensure no sticking. Alternately you can use a baking spray in a can, it sprays an oil/flour combo in one and it super easy.
- If you coat the pan with something white (the baking spray or flour) you may get a hint of white coloring on your finished cakes. Don’t stress it! You can sift powdered sugar or cocoa powder on them.
- Don’t let these cakes cool! The warmer they are the more molten the centers will be!
The steps in these Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes are so easy it is really just one bowl and a microwave before they go into the oven. Once the cakes come out of the oven, you can use a cookie sheet to help flip them onto your plate and serve them up with some chopped chocolate and berries.
Serve them quickly the warmer the cakes the more molten the center will be. This is a molten chocolate cake after all.
What to serve with Chocolate Lava Cakes:
The perfect Valentine’s Day Meal would start with an appetizer of Shrimp Cocktail or Calamari followed with a dinner of Ribeye Steak or Pot Roast with a side of Mashed Potatoes or Mac and Cheese with these Chocolate Lava Cakes for dessert.
Trust me, you’ll be highly appreciated by the time you serve this chocolate cake for dessert. Extra points if you top it with ice cream.
If you like lava cakes and want another fun flavor option I also have these Peanut Butter Lava Cakes on the blog too.
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 large whole eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 6 tablespoons flour
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Butter your ramekins, I used a large muffin tin.
- Melt the butter and chocolate in a microwave safe bowl in 30 second increments until smooth.
- Let the chocolate cool for a 2 minutes, then add in the powdered sugar, whole eggs and yolks and mix.
- Sift in the flour and mix until just combined.
- Add the batter evenly to the muffin tins.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes or until the sides are set and the middle is still slightly jiggly.
- Let them rest for 1 minute then add a cookie sheet on top of the muffin tin then flip over.
- Using a spatula slide it under the cake carefully and transfer to your plate.
- Dust with more powdered sugar if you would like, and garnish with chopped chocolate and berries.
Notes
Nutrition
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I made these and they were delicious. I had a little trouble with them not coming out of the custard cup well though. Perhaps I did not butter enough. Is it possible to prepare the batter ahead and refrigerate, and then bake before serving?
Yes 🙂
I made these for dinner this evening, couldn’t be bothered whisking so just stirred everything in the saucepan I melted the butter and chocolate in (don’t own a microwave), including four whole eggs as I didn’t want egg whites lurking in the fridge and eventually being abandoned… The mix stretched to four decent sized portions, maybe it would have gone further with whisking to get some air in but there were three of us for dinner so there was still a spare in case of serving mishaps. Not needed at all in the end, guess what I’m having for breakfast tomorrow!
I served these with vanilla ice cream and passionfruit. This was an incredibly quick and easy dessert, with results far outweighing the minimal effort which went into producing the puddings. The outside was firm and the centre oozing and tasty, just as promised. Definitely a recipe to take note of for future dinner parties!
Thank you, Sabrina 🙂
I’m so happy you took the time to come back and let me know how much you enjoyed it. You really made my day.
This looks delicious and simple (I hope ). Can I double the recipe?
Yes, as long as you make double the cakes and you don’t double the size of the cakes. Hope this makes sense, enjoy!
Sorry but can this dessert be made ahead and reheated the next day?
I think they’re best made and served the same day. The warmer and fresh out of the oven, the better.
My 12-year-old daughter made these and they were aweseome! She ignored the instructions and in fact also ignored the part about separating the eggs, so there were 4 eggs altogether, but they were perfect. We baked them in regular muffin tins for about 12 minutes. Thanks!!!
Fantastic! So glad it still all worked out well for you guys!
How many does this recipe make?
5 🙂
They look so good! I was just wondering how many they make?
I got 4 🙂
Lava cakes have always been my favorite dessert (besides maple butter blondies, they’re tied for 1st place). I have always wanted to learn how to make them but didn’t realize how easy they were to make… granted I had to substitute the butter, I used half evoo and half vegetable oil of course not the same amount as it calls for butter. I also didn’t have semi sweet chocolate lying around so I had to use my cocoa powder to make my own semi sweet chocolate. I was afraid that because I had to substitute 2 of the 5 items that maybe it wouldn’t turn out right. I was wrong. It actually turned out perfect!!! Thank you so much for this recipe, it was delicious!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for coming back to let us know!
Im making this tonight I think you missed telling when to add in the powdered sugar, but im just going to do it after the chocolate.
Totally fine to add it in then too, I add it in with the eggs. Sorry for the mix up! Hope you enjoy it.
They were TERRIFIC! Very easy just like you said. Cant believe how such an elegant dessert could be that simple. Thanks so much this really finished off Valentine’s Day dinner with style.
Fantastic!! I am so happy to hear it! 🙂
This came looks so funny! It looks so easy to make. However I know looks can be deceiving.
I swear they are that easy 🙂
I love lava cakes, they are so delicious and just fun to make. Plus they remind me of the movie Chef now and I laugh every time I see them. Love that you added strawberries. Fruit makes everything better.
As I was writing the post I was thinking of Chef too. Man I love that movie!!
OMG these look amazing and only 5 ingredients? I’m definitely making them for Valentine’s day this weekend!
Awesome! Hope you love them!
These look amazing!! Gorgeous photos, as usual 🙂
Thanks Julie!
Holy cow these are awesome! I can’t believe they are only 5 ingredients and my family won’t either when I serve them on Valentine’s Day!
Thanks Lisa! They are such an awesomely easy fancy dessert!
OMG, you made those. They look incredible! Perfect for date night at home.
Aww thanks Nancy!
Well, my sweetie will not be making these. Too many unknown words in the recipe like “ramekin” and “stir”. But I will!
And points! Don’t forget points! Haha. Make them for the pup in case he finds something good at the park again. 🙂
His park days are over but he’s not supposed to have chocolate anyway, so more for me!
I *almost* wish I wouldn’t have seen these (not really), since they actually seem so easy to make! I’m a chocolate fanatic and these are gorgeous! I look forward to making these sooner than later! I’m pinning them 🙂
Thanks Patricia! They really are shockingly easy!
I really love how this only takes one bowl and 30 minutes in the oven. It looks just like one you would order from a restaurant.
Thanks Michelle!
These look amazing. I am going to try and make this for our Valentines Dinner this weekend.
Yay! I hope you love them!
AWW man I wish I saw this yesterday! This is the PERFECT dessert for the Super Bowl! You better believe I am going to make it though.
Hope you love them!