Molten Chocolate Cakes
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Molten chocolate cakes, also known as lava cakes, are rich individual chocolate cakes with oozing molten centers.
Molten chocolate cakes—also known as chocolate lava cakes—are a dream for chocolate lovers: rich, individual chocolate cakes with irresistibly molten centers. The original recipe was created by master chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten fortuitously, when he pulled a chocolate cake out of the oven before it was done and discovered the center to be enticingly warm and pudding-like. Surprisingly, molten chocolate cakes are easy enough for even the novice baker to make at home. What’s more, they can be prepared ahead of time, stored in the fridge, and then baked at the last minute. The key is to serve them right out of the oven; if they sit too long after baking, the molten centers will cook through.
“I made this for a dinner party, and it turned out perfectly…All my guests raved about it, and it is a wonderful stress-free dessert because it can be made ahead of time.”
What You’ll Need To Make Molten Chocolate Cakes
- Butter: Gives the cakes a rich flavor and smooth texture, plus more for buttering the ramekins.
- Bittersweet Chocolate: Bittersweet chocolate offers a deep, rich chocolate taste. The quality of chocolate significantly impacts the flavor of the cakes, so use a high-quality brand, such as Ghirardelli or Guittard—it makes a difference!
- Eggs + Egg Yolks: Provide structure and richness to the cakes. The additional yolks make the cakes extra rich.
- Light Brown Sugar: Adds sweetness and a hint of molasses flavor.
- Vanilla Extract: Adds warmth and complements the chocolate flavor.
- Salt: A small amount helps balance the sweetness and intensify the chocolate flavor.
- All-Purpose Flour: Gives the cakes structure, but only a small amount is used to keep them moist and fudgy.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-By-Step Instructions
You’ll need six oven-proof 6-ounce ramekins for the recipe, which you can find at any kitchen store. If you have ramekins that are slightly larger, the recipe is still doable, but you’ll likely need to add a minute or two from the baking time (and this will also impact the number of servings you get from the batter).
Begin by buttering the ramekins liberally to ensure the cakes release easily.
Melt one stick of butter and add the chopped chocolate to a medium bowl.
Stir until the chocolate is melted and smooth. If a few chunks of chocolate remain, place the bowl back in the microwave for 20 seconds, then stir again.
In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla extract.
Beat until pale and thick, about 4 minutes.
Add the flour and melted chocolate mixture (the chocolate mixture sinks to the bottom).
Gently fold to combine.
It will deflate a bit—that’s okay.
Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared ramekins.
Bake for 10 minutes in a 450°F oven.
They’ll puff up just over the edge of the ramekins when done. Be sure not to overcook them, or the centers won’t be molten. Let the cakes sit in the ramekins for a minute, then carefully invert them onto plates.
Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve with vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream and fresh berries.
Make-Ahead Instructions
The batter can be spooned into the ramekins, covered, and refrigerated for several hours before baking. Take them out of the fridge about 30 minutes before baking so they come to room temperature, and proceed with the recipe.
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Molten Chocolate Cakes
Molten chocolate cakes, also known as lava cakes, are rich individual chocolate cakes with oozing molten centers.
Ingredients
- 1 stick (½ cup) unsalted butter, plus more for buttering the ramekins
- 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped, best quality such as Ghirardelli
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons light brown sugar, packed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Pinch of salt
- 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
For Serving (optional)
- Confectioners' sugar
- Vanilla ice cream
- Sweetened whipped cream
- Berries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450°F and set an oven rack in the middle position. Generously butter six 6-ounce ramekins (really be generous, and do not substitute non-stick cooking spray). Set the ramekins on a baking sheet.
- Melt the butter in a medium bowl in the microwave. Immediately add the chopped chocolate and stir until the chocolate is completely smooth and melted. If a few chunks remain, place the bowl back in the microwave for 20 seconds, then stir again. Repeat if necessary. Set aside.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle or beaters, beat the eggs, egg yolks, brown sugar, vanilla and salt at high speed until thickened and pale, about 4 minutes. Add the melted chocolate mixture and flour to the egg mixture and fold with a rubber spatula until just combined (the chocolate sinks to the bottom so be sure to scrape it up into the batter).
- Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared ramekins and bake for 10 minutes, until the cakes are set and puffed over the edges of the ramekins. Let the cakes cool in the ramekins for 1 to 2 minutes; then, holding the hot ramekins with a dish towel, carefully invert the cakes onto dessert plates. They should pop right out, but you can run a thin-bladed knife around the edges if necessary. Serve immediately. (It's important not to let the cakes sit after baking, as the centers will continue to cook.) Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve with vanilla ice cream or sweetened whipped cream and berries, if desired.
- Make-Ahead Instructions: The batter can be spooned into the ramekins, covered and refrigerated for several hours before baking. Take them out of the fridge about 30 minutes before baking so they come to room temperature.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 416
- Fat: 31 g
- Saturated fat: 18 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Sugar: 29 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Sodium: 85 mg
- Cholesterol: 174 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Love this recipe. It was amazingly simple to make! I put it together while preparing my family dinner. Popping it in the oven while everyone was finishing dinner was brilliant. Can’t wait to try it with other varieties of chocolate.
I have tried this one so many times! My kids absolute favorite. I follow the recipe not changing one thing and it comes out perfect each and every time. Two thumbs up!
Made these once but they came out all cake and no lava. Searched and found the original recipe on Food and Wine and this recipe makes only 4 servings, not 6. Made recipe again for 4 and it worked! Lava!
Recently tried these in 6 – 4 oz ramekins. They came out the best yet with just the right amount of lava!
At first I felt intimidated thinking this recipe for molten chocoate cakes would be difficult. The last time I tried molten cakes was in a restaurant in Kuai for dessert years ago. It just happened that my children gave me 6 rankings for a holiday gift a perfect size to make molten cakes. Your pictures helped me over come my fear and then become excited to shop for ingredients and make it. Thank you for such a rich, delicate dessert. I made it last night for dessert. My kids loved adding ice cream and raspberries. So scrumptious All of loved eating each delicious bite.
The lesson form me is to read and study your pictures prior to making which gave me more confidence.
This is my families favorite dessert now.
Thank you
I make these cakes every year for a Christmas dinner party and my guests ask for them! They are wonderful served with Graeter’s Peppermint Ice Cream!!!
Fabulous dessert and super easy to make especially in a busy kitchen. We used 4oz ramekins and baked for about 8:30 minutes…they were delicious. Next time will serve with small scoop of vanilla ice cream. This will be our go-to super delicious dessert to impress our friends! Thank you!
Hi Jennifer,
I would like to know what size ramekin you used? And do you fill the ramekin to the top?
Thanks,
Richard
Hi Richard, I use 6-ounce ramekins; you’ll fill them a little more than halfway.
I am searching for a molten chocolate cake recipe to make for my bestfriend’s birthday. I found your website:). Could you please explain to me how the proportion of butter to chocolate will affect the cakes? I noticed you have a bit more butter than chocolate in your recipe, but I also saw lots of recipes with the same amount for chocolate/butter and also some with more chocolate than butter. Please enlighten me, this will help me understand what texture to get:)
Thank you for your lovely blog and sharing with us your expertise!
hanh
Hi Hanh, To be honest, I really haven’t compared this recipe to others in terms of the chocolate-butter ratio. There are so many factors in each recipe — such as the amount of flour, eggs, cook time, etc. — that affect the the quantities of the all the ingredients so it’s really hard to say. But I can tell you is that this recipe is based on the original and works really well. I hope you’ll try it 🙂
Hi Jenn
How long can these sit after baking before eating them. I want to make these for a dinner party but don’t want to bake after guests arrive. thanks.
Hi Maria, Unfortunately, they really can’t be kept long — maybe 20 minutes at most. You can do all of the prep ahead of time so they’re ready to pop in the oven, but it’s best to bake them right before serving. Sorry!
Hi, I really want to make these little cakes but my oven temp can’t be trusted. With the center being molten how do you check for doneness? Thank you, Dolores
Hi Dolores, it’s a little bit challenging to tell with these because of the molten centers! You could insert a toothpick on the edge of the ramekins to make sure it comes out clean and then again in the center to see if that’s still a bit gooey. Hope that helps!
I don’t think my cakes rose enough in the oven. Still delicious though I left them in a couple more minutes to see if rise more so not molten in middle, just undercooked. Delicious though! Any idea where I went wrong?
Hi Molly, Did you beat the egg mixture for the full 4 minutes? Were your ramekins a bit bigger than mine?