Chocolate Lava Cake
Servings: 6
There’s something almost magical about a chocolate lava cake. From the outside, it looks like a simple little chocolate cake—but the moment you cut into it, that warm, rich chocolate center starts flowing out. 🍫❤️
This is one of my favorite desserts when I want something that feels special without spending hours in the kitchen. It uses simple ingredients, takes only minutes to bake, and looks like something you’d order at a restaurant.
I love serving it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and fresh berries. The combination of warm chocolate, cold ice cream and that gooey molten center is simply irresistible.
And don’t let the fancy appearance fool you—the secret is really just the baking time. Get that right, and you’ll have the perfect chocolate lava cake right in your own kitchen. 😍
Servings: 6
Ingredients
100 g dark chocolate, preferably 70% cocoa
100 g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
2 large eggs
2 egg yolks
100 g caster sugar
100 g all-purpose flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp cocoa powder, plus extra for dusting the ramekins
Powdered sugar, for serving
Vanilla ice cream, optional
Fresh berries, optional
Method
Prepare the ramekins.
Preheat the oven to 200°C / 400°F. Generously brush the insides of 6 ramekins with melted butter, then dust with cocoa powder. Tap out any excess.Melt the chocolate.
Place the dark chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl. Melt gently over a water bath or in the microwave in short intervals, stirring until completely smooth. Set aside for a few minutes to cool slightly.Whisk the eggs.
In a separate bowl, combine the whole eggs, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla. Whisk until the mixture becomes pale, thick and slightly fluffy.Add the chocolate.
Slowly pour the melted chocolate and butter mixture into the eggs, gently mixing until combined.Add the flour.
Sift in the flour and gently fold it into the chocolate mixture just until no streaks of flour remain. Avoid overmixing.Fill and bake.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared ramekins. Bake at 200°C / 400°F for approximately 12 minutes. The outside should look set while the center remains soft.Rest and flip.
Remove from the oven and allow the cakes to rest for about 1 minute. Carefully run a knife around the edge if necessary, place a serving plate over each ramekin and flip.Serve immediately.
Dust with powdered sugar and serve while warm. I love mine with vanilla ice cream, strawberries and blueberries—and then comes the best part: cut into the cake and watch that chocolate center flow. 🍫😍
Important tip: Baking time is everything with lava cake. Start checking around 10–12 minutes because ramekin size and ovens vary. You want a cooked exterior with that beautiful molten center.