Molten Lava Cake

More Ways to Search: Recipe Index

Home » Desserts » Molten Lava Cake

This chocolate Molten Lava Cake is a decadent special occasion dessert for two!  It’s easy to make, requires no fancy ingredients, and yet makes an impressive treat! 

Chocolate Molten Lava Cake topped with ice cream and the chocolate center is flowing onto the plate.

*Originally published January 2018. Text updated.*

Super Easy Date Night Dessert!

This chocolate Molten Lava Cake is a super easy yet impressive dessert.  The recipe doesn’t require any fancy ingredients and yet it makes this stunning treat. 

Plus, the recipe can easily be cut in half to make only two cakes.  Perfect for a special date night in.

A great date night in menu could be a small cheese board for an appetizer, Cheese Ravioli in Mushroom Cream Sauce, Simple Roasted Green Beans, Garlic Cheddar Biscuits, and these molten lava cakes topped with ice cream and raspberries for dessert!

Chocolate Molten Lava Cake topped with ice cream and raspberries.

Simple ingredients

  • Bittersweet chocolate or semi sweet chocolate (use a good quality chocolate) DO NOT use chocolate chips in this recipe. It will not produce the liquidy center.
  • Butter
  • All-purpose flour
  • Powdered sugar
  • Pinch of salt
  • Eggs
  • Vanilla

See nothing fancy, just normal ingredients. And yet they can make such a delicious treat!

Equipment needed

  • 6-ounce ramekins or a standard muffin tin
  • Mixing bowls
  • Rubber spatula
  • Whisk
  • Knife (to chop the chocolate)
  • Cutting board
Chocolate Molten Lava Cake sprinkled with raspberries.

Make-Ahead Options!

Yes!! These Chocolate Lava Cakes can be made ahead of time!

Option #1

You can make the batter several days in advance and pour into prepared ramekins or muffin tin. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Remove from the fridge 2 hours before baking to allow the batter to come to room temperature then proceed as normal.

Option #2

You can freeze already baked cakes. Cool the cakes completely then wrap well with plastic wrap and foil. Place in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.

Thaw completely and reheat in a microwave. Cover 1 cake with a damp paper towel and reheat for about 35-40 seconds. While this method isn’t the most ideal (the centers won’t be as liquidy) it works if you are short on time.

Chocolate Molten Lava Cake topped with soft slightly melting ice cream. The warm chocolate center is flowing onto the plate.

Tips and Tricks:

  • Be sure to butter your ramekins well.  Otherwise, I promise they will stick!
  • Use a high quality chocolate for this dessert.  It’s the key ingredient to making these taste well.  And this recipe has only been tested using a high quality chocolate bar (such as Lindt or Ghirardelli) and not chocolate chips.  Often times chocolate chips don’t melt well which will not give that nice molten center.
  • Be sure not to overbake or you won’t have the molten center.  I found 11 minutes to be perfect for my oven.  You will want to look for the edges to be set but the center should look soft.
  • This recipe makes 4 molten lava cakes but it can easily be cut in half to make 2. If you are using a muffin tin it will make 6 slightly smaller cakes.

Ways to make these cakes extra special!

  • Powdered sugar- dust each cake with a little powdered sugar
  • Ice cream- pretty much any flavor will pair well with these lava cakes!
  • Hot fudge sauce to drizzle over the top
  • Salted caramel sauce for drizzling
  • Fresh fruit- strawberries, raspberries, even blueberries
  • Freshly whipped cream

HUNGRY FOR MORE? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram for all my latest updates!

Chocolate Molten Lava Cake topped with soft slightly melting ice cream. The warm chocolate center is flowing onto the plate.

Molten Lava Cake

Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: chocolate lava cake, lava cake
This chocolate Molten Lava Cake is a decadent special occasion dessert for two!  It's easy to make, requires no fancy ingredients, and yet makes an impressive treat! 
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 12 minutes
Total Time: 22 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 690kcal
Author: Malinda Linnebur
Print Recipe Save Recipe

Ingredients

  • 6 ounces (170g) bittersweet chocolate or semi sweet chocolate (use a good quality chocolate)
  • ½ cup (113g) butter + extra for greasing the ramekins
  • ¼ cup (30g) all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup (45g) powdered sugar
  • pinch of salt
  • 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

  • Lightly grease 4 ramekins with extra butter.  Dust each with cocoa powder or flour; set aside.  Preheat oven to 425°F (218°C)
  • Chop the chocolate and place in a microwave-safe bowl with the butter.  Microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring well after each until smooth.  
  • Add the remaining ingredients and stir well to combine.  Spoon batter into prepared ramekins and place onto a baking sheet.  
  • Bake for 10-13 minutes or just until the sides are set but the center looks soft.  Allow to cool for 1 minute then invert onto a plate.  Carefully remove the ramekin.  Serve immediately with desired toppings: ice cream, fruit, whipped cream.  

Notes

  1. Make ahead option: You can make the batter several days in advance and pour into prepared ramekins or muffin tin. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Remove from the fridge 2 hours before baking to allow the batter to come to room temperature then proceed as normal.   
  2. Freezer Friendly: You can freeze already baked cakes. Cool the cakes completely then wrap well with plastic wrap and foil. Place in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw completely and reheat in a microwave. Cover 1 cake with a damp paper towel and reheat for about 35-40 seconds. While this method isn’t the most ideal (the centers won’t be as liquidy) it works if you are short on time.
  3. If using a muffin tin this will make 6 smaller cakes. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
  4. This recipe can easily be cut in half to make 2 lava cakes. 
  5. Nutrition Facts: Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the information shown is just an estimate.
  6. Recipe adapted from Food and Wine

Nutrition

Serving: 1cake | Calories: 690kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 5.6g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 246mg | Sodium: 44mg | Sugar: 15g | Calcium: 32mg | Iron: 4mg

22 thoughts on “Molten Lava Cake”

  1. Delicious! We skipped the ice cream and dusted the warm lava cakes with icing sugar accompanied by fresh raspberries. A perfect Valentine’s Day dessert!

    Reply
  2. 5 stars
    I absolutely love that you can make these ahead of time. I had a bunch of family coming to stay at my place and I made these before they got here to serve with one of our dinners. Everyone loved them and I loved that I didn’t have to mess around making something else while I had a full house!

    Reply
  3. 5 stars
    Oh, these cakes are calling my name! A friend and I always used to go get a molten lava cake and a giant glass of milk when we had bad days in college, but I’ve never made one at home. Looks like that’s changing this weekend!

    Reply

Leave a Comment

Recipe Rating