Chocolate Lava Cake Recipe

Molten chocolate lava cake with its rich, ooey, gooey chocolaty center is a decadent dessert that’s guaranteed to impress your family and friends.

Perfect for a fancy dinner party, family get-together, brunch, special occasion, or date night, our easy-to-make chocolate lava cake will satisfy any chocolate lover’s cravings.

Made with simple ingredients, our molten chocolate cakes ooze with a decadent, rich, fudgy chocolate flavor.

If you love ooey, gooey chocolate desserts, make sure to try our chocolate pudding cake and black bottom praline brownie bar recipes.

Ingredients to make a Chocolate Lava Cake

Let’s start by gathering the ingredients we need to make our Molten Chocolate Lava Cake recipe. In Chef Speak, this is called the Mise en Place, which translates into Everything in its Place.

Not only does setting your ingredients up ahead of time speed the cooking process, but it also helps ensure you have everything you need to make the dish.

What type of chocolate should I use to make molten chocolate cakes?

For the best results, use the best chocolate you can find to make this deliciously decadent dessert. I prefer semi-sweet chocolate (don’t use chips) to make the recipe, but bittersweet will work. You can also use a combination of both.

I wouldn’t advise using milk chocolate or white chocolate to make this dessert. The results could be less than spectacular.

How to make a Chocolate Lava Cake

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Butter and flour six 8-ounce ramekins.

• Add the eggs, egg yolks, granulated sugar, table salt, and vanilla extract to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or a large bowl and an electric hand mixer).
• Whip the egg mixture until light and fluffy (3-4 minutes), then set aside until needed.
• Add the unsalted butter and chocolate to a metal bowl that will sit on top of the saucepan (this is a double boiler).
• Add one inch of water to a saucepan and bring it to a simmer, then reduce the heat. Place the bowl with the chocolate on top of the saucepan. Stir the chocolate and butter with a rubber spatula until it’s smooth.
• Pour ½ cup of the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture.
• Fold together using a rubber spatula for about 20 seconds to temper the eggs.

• Pour the remaining chocolate into the egg mixture.
• Gently fold it into the mixture with a rubber spatula.
• Add the all-purpose flour to the chocolate.
• Gently fold it into the mixture with a rubber spatula until well combined.
• Divide the chocolate batter evenly among the prepared ramekins and place them on a large baking sheet, leaving a few inches between each ramekin.
• Place the baking sheet on the center rack of the preheated oven and bake for 9-10 minutes.
  *The cakes need to bake long enough to form a crust around the chocolate filling without baking all the way through.
• Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the molten cakes sit for 2-3 minutes to cool slightly. Then, run a small knife around the edges to loosen the cake.

Place a plate upside down on the ramekin. Holding both the plate and the ramekin, carefully flip it so the cake releases onto the plate. Tap lightly on the bottom of the ramekin if the cake doesn’t release from the ramekin.

Dust with confectioners’ sugar or cocoa powder and serve warm with homemade whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Trust me when I tell you everyone will rave about the molten center of our chocolate lava cake.

Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days or in the refrigerator for up to one week. 

Freezing them after baking is not recommended because it can change the texture, but you can freeze them unbaked for up to 2 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator before baking.

To reheat a lava cake, place the cake on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and warm it in the oven at 350 degrees F. for 7–10 minutes. It can also be heated in the microwave for 1–2 minutes.

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