Chocolate Lava Cake Recipe

This Chocolate Lava Cake recipe boasts a stunning molten chocolate center but is shockingly easy to make with only 5 ingredients!

These Chocolate Lava Cakes are sure to impress with a rich and decadent cakey outside, and a river of silky, warm chocolate that streams out the center once you slice into it. Best of all, this recipe is shockingly easy to make at home! These Molten Lava Cakes are on your table from start to finish in less than 30 minutes, without any special equipment – just a bowl and a whisk (you can even use a muffin tin instead of ramekins), and 5 pantry friendly ingredients (eggs, powdered sugar, butter, flour, chocolate). You can prep the batter ahead of time and refrigerate then just pop your cakes in the oven for stress free entertaining. Prepare Molten Lava Cakes for holidays, (like upcoming Valentine’s Day!), dinner parties, birthdays, Sunday dinner, movie night or an indulgent late night snack! 

For more yummy chocolate, try Chocolate Covered Strawberries, Homemade Hot Chocolate, Chocolate Raspberry Cake and Chocolate Lasagna.

Recipe photos updated 2/1/23 – same great recipe!

WATCH: How to make Lava Cake

Chocolate lava cake cut open oozing chocolate


 

chocolate lava cake recipe on a white plate with an oozing chocolate center

CHOCOLATE LAVA CAKE Recipe INGREDIENTS:

These Chocolate Lava Cakes are fabulous because they’re made with pantry friendly ingredients!  Let’s take a closer look at what you’ll need (full recipe in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post):

  • Semi-sweet chocolate:ย  You will need 4 ounces quality semi-sweet baking chocolate bar for this recipe – NOT chocolate chips.ย  Chocolate chips won’t produce the same silky “lava” center we’re looking for.ย  Use quality chocolate like Ghirardelli for the best results. ย Use semi-sweet chocolate with a cocoa content of at least 52%, or go as high as 75% or 80% if you prefer the flavor and bitterness of extra dark chocolate.
  • Butter:ย  Use unsalted butter and add ¼ teaspoon table salt, or use salted butter and omit the salt in the recipe.
  • Powdered sugar:ย  Use powdered sugar, also known as confectioner’s sugar, and NOT granulated sugar.
  • Eggs:ย  You will use 2 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks only, for a total of 4 eggs. Bring the eggs to room temperature before using for a lighter, fluffier cake.
  • Flour: I used all-purpose flour but I’m assuming a gluten free 1 to 1 baking flour would also work.
  • Cooking spray: Use cooking spray WITH flour and not just cooking spray (it will say on the front label if it has flour in it.ย  This ensures your Molten Lava Cakes slip out easily from the ramekins. If you don’t have this spray, then grease the pans, then “flour” the pans with cocoa powder.
Top view of Chocolate Lava cake served with powdered sugar and raspberries

How to make Lava Cake

This Chocolate Lava Cake recipe is SO easy to make!  Here is a breakdown of the steps for perfect cakes every time (full recipe in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post):

  • Step 1: Melt the butter and chocolate. Add butter and baking chocolate to a large microwave-safe bowl.ย  Use a bowl large enough to incorporate all of your Lava Cake ingredients because this is going to become our mixing bowl.ย  Microwave butter and chocolate for 1 minute, then stir until the chocolate is completelyย smooth.ย 
a collage showing how to make chocolate lave cake recipe by adding butter and chopped chocolate to a microwave safe bowl, microwaving to melt, then whisking together until smooth
  • Step 2: Whisk in sugar. Next, whisk in the sugar until completely smooth.ย  This tempers the warm chocolate mixture before adding the eggs.
showing how to make chocolate lava cake recipe by whisking powdered sugar into melted chocolate and butter
  • Step 3: Whisk in eggs.ย ย Add eggs and egg yolks, then beat for about one minute. This incorporates air into the cakes, making them lighter and more tender.
showing how to make chocolate lava cake recipe by adding eggs and egg yolks to the batter
  • Step 4: Add flour.ย ย Add flour then fold it in until just combined.ย  As in all cakes, you never want to over-mix or the gluten in the flour will make the cakes dense and tough.ย 
showing how to make Chocolate Lava Cake recipe by folding flour into batter
  • Step 5: Spoon batter into ramekins.ย  I like to use a measuring cup for ease and to help divide the batter evenly. If your batter isn’t evenly portioned, the Molten Lava Cakes will bake unevenly.
showing how to make chocolate lava cake recipe by adding batter to greased ramekins
  • Step 6: Bake. Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake unto the sides of the cakes are firm but the centers are still shiny and slightly jiggly.
showing how to make chocolate lava cake recipe by baking until the edges are set and the center is jiggly
  • Step 7: Invert.ย  Let the Molten Lava Cakes cool for 2 minutes – NO LONGER – you may want to set your timer.ย  If the Lava Cakes are left in the ramekins any longer, you risk a nonexistent lava center.ย  Gently loosen the cakes from the ramekins by sliding a knife around the edges of each cake, then invert the cakes onto serving plates. Dust with powdered sugar and serve with any desired toppings such as raspberries and/or ice cream.

Lava Cake Recipe Tips

  • Use quality chocolate. It is CRUCIAL to use quality baking chocolate for this recipe or your filling will be grainy and you may miss the lava center completely. ย Set yourself up for success by using QUALITY baking chocolate such as Ghirardelli brand.ย Baking chocolate is cooled, hardened chocolate liquor with a high percentage of cocoa butter because itโ€™s intended to be baked with and therefore melts beautifully, whereas, chocolate chips contain less cocoa butter and will not melt seamlessly.
  • Don’t overmix the flour. You don’t have to worry about overmixing the batter until you add the flour. When adding the flour, fold it in just until combined in order to not release/break down any air inside the mixture. This will produce the lightest Molten Lava Cakes, as opposed to dense and tough.
  • Use room temperature eggs. Room temperature ingredients bind together more easily than if you had some cold and some warmer ingredients โ€“ you can literally feel the difference when mixing by hand. In other words, the batter is easier to NOT overmix and overwork the gluten, which creates more even lift and rise in the cakes when baking. Cold eggs can break the emulsion of the sugar and butter, so the batter loses air cells, resulting in baked cakes that are grainy or flat in texture, dry or dense.
  • Room temperature eggs hack:ย Add warm (not hot) tap water to a bowl then add eggs (still in their shells) for at least 20 minutes.ย 
  • Donโ€™t pack the flour:ย Whenever you measure flour, donโ€™t scoop it into the flour bag/container or else the flour will compress; packed flour yields denser, drier Molten Lava Cakes. Rather, fluff, then scoop the flour into a measuring cup with a spoon and then level.
  • Evenly divide the batter. It’s important that you add the same amount of batter to each ramekin so the cakes bake evenly. You can use a measuring cup, cookie scoop or kitchen scale to help.
  • Don’t overbake the cakes. The centers of the the cakes should still look shiny. See section above on how to tell if the cakes are done. Over-baked Lava Cakes are still tasty, but the centers will be more fudgy then streaming liquid chocolate. Next time, reduce the baking time by 1 to 2 minutes.ย 
  • Don’t cool the cakes longer than 2 minutes. The cakes will continue to bake as they cool in the ramekins, so it’s important to invert them at 2 minutes, otherwise the center can bake and you’ll loose the lava.

possible Molten Lava Cake variations

Have fun experimenting with this Lava Cake recipe! Here are just a few ideas:

  • Flavor variations: Mix up the flavor profile by adding 1 tablespoon of espresso powder or ½ teaspoon orange extract, lavender extract, or peppermint extract to the melted chocolate and butter before folding into the eggs.
  • Filling variations: Molten Lava Cakes can be filled with just about anything! Keep in mind, however, some fillings will be more “lava” than others once baked. To use a different filling, add about 75% of the batter to the prepared ramekins. Top the batter with 2 teaspoons per ramekin of your desired filling, taking care it doesn’t touch the sides. Top the filling with the remaining batter.

filling ideas include:

  • Chilled caramel sauce (homemade or store-bought)
  • Chilled butterscotch sauce
  • Nutella
  • Peanut butter cup: mix 1 ½ tablespoons creamy peanut butter (Do NOT use natural-style) with 1 tablespoon softened butter and 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
  • Cookie Butter, like Biscoff
  • Dulce de leche
  • Caramel filled chocolate, like Rolos
  • Fruit preserves or puree
front view of Chocolate Lava Cake Recipe showing the liquid chocolate center

ways to serve Chocolate Lava Cake

Chocolate Lava Cakes are fabulous in their own decadence, but even more delicious with some toppings.ย  Here are a few ideas:

  • Powdered sugar: A light dusting of powdered sugar not only looks beautiful but enhances the sweetness.
  • Chocolate Sauce:ย  Chocolate, on chocolate, on chocolate – oh my! I recommend my 5 minute Chocolate Ganache recipeย – it is SO easy and lusciously creamy.
  • Caramel:ย  I LOVE drizzling my Molten Lava Cakes with my 5 minute Caramel Sauce.ย  I don’t think it gets any better than this.
  • Coconut:ย  If you love coconut, try topping with my Coconut Caramel Sauce, toasted coconut and even pineapple and/or bananas!
  • Sea salt:ย  The sweet and salty combo is divine.
  • Ice cream:ย  Sweet, creamy and refreshing vanilla ice cream is always a win with chocolate.ย  You can also pair Molten Lava Cakes with strawberry ice cream, raspberry ice cream, pistachio ice cream, etc.
  • Whipped cream:ย  This is an easy win and it looks beautiful, especially with berries.
  • Berries:ย Raspberries, strawberries, or blackberries or a combination of all three!
  • Nuts:ย  Just think of your favorite brownies and how pecans add a fabulous nutty dimension! Nut are also extra tasty with a drizzle of caramel too.
chocolate lava cake recipe on a white plate with an oozing chocolate center
up close of lava cake recipe oozing chocolate

CHOCOLATE LAVA CAKE FAQS

What are Chocolate Lava Cakes?

Chocolate Lava Cake is a small, individual-sized cake traditionally baked in a ramekin. It is made by whisking chocolate, flour, eggs, butter and powdered sugar together by hand. What sets Chocolate Lava Cake apart from soufflรฉs and other cake recipes is the center is purposefully slightly under-baked, resulting in a melty, molten chocolate center that oozes out when you cut into it.ย 

What do Chocolate Lava Cakes taste like?ย 

Molten Lava Cakes consist of a soft, warm chocolate cake outside giving way to a creamy, smooth stream of warm liquid chocolate inside, ensuring every forkful is bathed in velvety chocolate.ย  It will be love at first bite.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SOUFFLE AND A MOLTEN LAVA CAKE?

Soufflรฉs and Chocolate Lava Cakes are similar in appearance, share many of the same ingredients and are even served with similar toppings, but don’t be fooled, they are not the same dessert. The differences lie in the texture of the desserts as well as the presentation:

1. A soufflรฉ is fully cooked, whereas a lava cake maintains a runny, chocolatey liquid center. This does not mean that soufflรฉs are the same consistency as cake. A soufflรฉ is definitely moist in the center, much more so than a slice of regular cake would be.
2. The soufflรฉ has a merengue appearance on top and a light texture. Chocolate Lava Cakes are denser than a soufflรฉ, and as previously mentioned, boast a river of chocolate lava that oozes from its center once cut into.
3. Soufflรฉ comes in a variety of flavors like chocolate, lemon or even cheese. Molten lava cake features one flavor- chocolate!
4. While soufflรฉs are typically served in their baking container, Chocolate Lava Cakes are inverted onto serving plates where all of their gooey goodness can flow freely.ย 

WHEN WAS CHOCOLATE LAVA CAKE INVENTED?

A chef in New York City, Jean-Georges Vongerichten, is credited with inventing Chocolate Molten Lava Cake in 1987.ย  Vongerichten removed a sponge cake from the oven too early and realized that while the center was still runny, the outside of the cake had a texture and taste that were desirable.

Fun Food Fact: Vongerichten is the man behind the famous Jean-Georges restaurant located in New Yorkโ€™s Trump International Hotel and Tower.ย  However, Jacques Torres, a French chef and chocolatier, who also happens to be a judge and co-host of the popular food show Nailed It!, says that the Lava Cake already existed in France before Vongerichten claimed to have invented it. Wherever the truth lies, our lives are blessed from the creation of the Chocolate Lava Cake!

What about the “uncooked” egg in the center of Chocolate Lava Cakes? Is it safe to eat?

Just like in custard, the interior of the Lava Cake reaches over 165 degrees Fahrenheit, which is high enough to eliminate any bacterial risk from the eggs. You may use pasteurized eggs, however, if you have any concerns.

What if my Molten Lava Cakes don’t look done after 12 minutes?

If the centers are still liquidy to the touch after 12 minutes, continue to bake an additional 1 to 2 minutes. When the cakes are done, they will have risen completely, look firm on the outside, but the centers will still look shiny and jiggle just a bit.

Are Lava Cakes raw in the middle?

No, it reaches past 160 degrees F, just like custard, so it is safe to eat.

What is the difference between Molten Chocolate Cake and chocolate Lava Cake?

No difference whatsoever! They both refer to the rich, personal-sized chocolate cakes with a gooey, chocolaty center. They are also known as Molten Lava Cake, Molten Chocolate Lava Cake.

Are Molten Lava Cakes served hot or cold?

Chocolate Lava Cakes are servedย hotย from the oven, with just a one to two minute rest before being inverted onto the serving plates. They must be served hot, otherwise, the molten lava centers will thicken as the cakes continue to bake and cool.

Should you refrigerate lava cake?

Yes, both unbaked and baked Lava Cakes should be refrigerated.

Can I double or triple the recipe?ย 

Yes! You can double or triple the recipe, but the cakes will likely need an extra minute or two in the oven. Take extra care to evenly divide the batter between the ramekins or muffin tin.

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chocolate lava cake recipe on a white plate with an oozing chocolate center

Molten Lava Cake Recipe

Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes are decadently rich but wonderfully easy with only 5 ingredients! Molten Lava Cakes look impressive but are super easy to make!ย  They take less than 10 minutes to whip up and only require one bowl and a whisk to prepare!ย 
Servings: 4
Total Time: 27 minutes
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes

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Ingredients

  • 4 6-8 oz. custard cups/ramekins
  • 1/2 cup salted butter (or unsalted butter + ¼ tsp salt)
  • 4 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate, roughly chopped (I HIGHLY recommend Ghirardelli)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar
  • 2 whole eggs, at room temperature
  • 2 egg yolks, at room temperature
  • 1/3 cup flour + 1 tablespoon

For serving (Optional, pick your favs)

  • powdered sugar
  • fresh berries
  • vanilla ice cream

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Generously spray 4 small ramekins/custard cups with nonstick baking spray WITH flour or grease and dust your cups with cocoa powder. Place cups on a baking sheet.
  • Add butter and baking chocolate to a large microwave-safe bowl and microwave for 1 minute, or until butter is melted, then stir until butter and chocolate are completely smooth.
  • Stir in sugar until smooth. Add eggs and egg yolks, then beat for 1 minute with a handheld whisk. Fold in flour just until combined.
  • Evenly spoon batter into prepared cups (I use a large cookie scoop). Bake for 11-13 minutes at 425 degrees F, or until the sides are firm but the centers look slightly shiny and jiggly but are not wet to the touch.
  • Let cool for 2 minutes, then gently loosen cakes from custard cups by sliding a knife around the edges of each cake; then invert cakes onto serving plates.
  • Dust with powdered sugar or top with ice cream and berries if desired. Serve immediately (because the cakes will continue to cook in the center).

Video

Notes

  • To use a muffin tin: ย The muffin cups in a standard muffin pan/cupcake pan are 4 ounces, smaller than our 6-ounce ramekins. Therefore, you will need to divide the batter between 6 muffin cups instead of 4 and bake for 8-10 minutes. Use a butter knife, spoon or offset spatula to release the cakes from the pan and place each upside down on individual plates (and donโ€™t forget to grease your muffin pan!).
  • Use quality chocolate:ย It is CRUCIAL to use quality baking chocolate for this recipe or your filling will be grainy and you may miss the lava center completely. ย Set yourself up for success by using QUALITY baking chocolate such as Ghirardelli brand.ย Baking chocolate is cooled, hardened chocolate liquor with a high percentage of cocoa butter because itโ€™s intended to be baked with and therefore melts beautifully, whereas, chocolate chips contain less cocoa butter and will not melt seamlessly.
  • Room temperature eggs hack:ย Add warm (not hot) tap water to a bowl then add eggs (still in their shells) for at least 20 minutes.ย 
  • Scoop and level flour:ย Whenever you measure flour, donโ€™t scoop it into the flour bag/container or else the flour will compress; packed flour yields denser, drier Molten Lava Cakes. Rather, fluff, then scoop the flour into a measuring cup with a spoon and then level.
  • Evenly divide the batter:ย It’s important that you add the same amount of batter to each ramekin so the cakes bake evenly. You can use a measuring cup, cookie scoop or kitchen scale to help.
  • Can I reheat baked Molten Lava Cake?ย  Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes are best enjoyed hot, immediately after removed from the oven. When you reheat them, you are cooking the center, so it is more likely to be fudgy instead of like “lava.”ย  However, I have had success by slicing into the cake immediately after it is baked and allowing some of the lava to stream out of the cake before cooling and refrigerating. When you heat the sliced cake, the streaming lava will remain liquidy.

Prep Ahead

I love that Molten Lava Cakes are prep ahead friendly for stress free entertaining. You have a few options to prep ahead:
  • Prepared batter: Prepare the batter according to directions, cover the mixing bowl tightly with plastic wrap and store it for up to two days in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before adding to ramekins.
  • Individual ramekins: I suggest lining the bottoms of the ramekins with parchment paper before spraying with non-stick spray with flour. This ensures your cakes donโ€™t stick to the bottom of the ramekins after sitting for a longer period of time prior to cooking.ย  Next, add the batter, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for up to one day. When ready to bake, set the ramekins on the counter for 30 minutes to help come to room temperature. I’ve had some readers say the Molten Lava Cakes take a little longer to bake this way, closer to 15-20 minutes, so check for doneness early, but be flexible.
  • Frozen batter: Again, line the ramekins with parchment paper. Transfer the batter to the ramekins, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before baking.

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Chocolate lava cake cut open oozing chocolate

Recipe Source: Adapted from Kraft Recipes

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85 Comments

  1. Julie Klauer says

    Made this recipe last night for a dinner party and it was superb!!! I made the batter up in the afternoon and put it in the refrigerator covered in a big bowl. I took it out about an hour before baking so it could come to room temperature. Also, before our guests arrived, I sprayed and floured the ramekins and just put them on the countertop covered loosely with tin foil. It was the best dessert ever!!!

    • Jen says

      Thank you!! I’m thrilled they were a hit!

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