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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Made these for my birthday. They were delicious!
Made these last night, and they were absolutely delicious! I ended up eating two 🙂 paired with vanilla bean gelato and dusted with powdered sugar. The centers were molten-y but didn’t have quite the lava flow I was expecting. I think I may have over-beat the egg mixture because the batter was quite thick. I will try less mixing and bake time 8-9 minutes next time.
All your recipes turn out great, and I especially loved this one!
I made these tonight for Valentines Day and they were delicious but not much lava. I did 9 minutes and decided to take them out just because they were starting to look over cooked. Next time I would try 8 minutes. The taste was great! I served with vanilla ice cream and raspberries, just like the pic ?
Any reason not to just leave them in the ramekins and serve them that way?
Hi Susan, it’s perfectly fine to eat them right out of the ramekins. Enjoy!
Hi Jenn, Could this be made in a soufflé or casserole dish? If so, what size and how long should it be baked? Thanks for all of your great recipes. Sharon
I’ve never tried it this way, Sharon, but I imagine it’d work in an 8-inch baking dish or equivalent. The bake time should be about the same.
This may have been the best dessert I’ve ever made, restaurant quality. Huge hit!
I tried last evening for birthday party. Should have tried a few days in advance as well. Why did the centers all sink all the way to the bottoms? Served with chocolate ganache and ice cream. Was voted to be “10” even with the funkey centers. I live at over 5300 feet, how can I adjust receipt? Can I use cup cake tin?
Hi Doris, The centers of these really do kind of collapse due to their very “molteny” center. I do suspect, though, that the altitude can have an effect on anything you bake. I don’t know much about baking at high altitude, but here are some helpful tips. And yes, these could be made in a cupcake tin.
Also, the only changes I made was that I dusted the buttered ramekins with cocoa powder, and baked them at 425 degrees instead of 450.
I loooooove this recipe. Looooove. I tried the original and it was good. But then I tried this one and it was awesome. Genius move on using brown sugar because it makes a huge difference in the texture. I have one more cake sitting in the fridge and I keep debating about whether to bake it and eat it right now… even though I already had one today. We ate ours with coffee ice cream and fresh raspberries. So good. I’ve made this recipe 3 times in the past 2 weeks and every time people raved. I wish I could give it more than 5 stars. Thank you!
Hi Jen, Can you tell me why you use brown sugar in this recipe? I have done a lot of searching and most use confectioners sugar, and a few regular white sugar. I’m curious as to why you use brown. I am planning to make these for a dinner party tomorrow night and am scared they’ll be overdone after reading some reviews. But I am really wondering about your choice for the sugar. So far EVERY one of your recipes I have made has been delicious, so I am not questioning your decision, just curious. Thank you!!
Hi Dany, So glad you’ve been happy with the recipes! No reason really, other than I like using brown sugar with chocolate for the deeper extra flavor.