Chocolate Lava Cakes
Individual chocolate cakes with set edges and a warm molten centre, baked in ramekins in twelve minutes.
- Measurements grams + cups
- Cuisine French-inspired
Why You'll Like This Recipe
- Twenty-seven minutes start to finish, and most of that is melting chocolate.
- The molten centre is not a separate filling — it is simply batter that has not finished baking, which is why timing is the whole recipe.
- Everything can be mixed ahead and the ramekins baked to order.
Recipe
Chocolate Lava Cakes
Small chocolate cakes with a warm molten centre.
Ingredients
Ingredients scaled. The method below still refers to the original quantities.
Instructions
- Step 1. Heat the oven to 220 C / 425 F. Butter four 175 ml / 6 oz ramekins generously and dust the insides with cocoa powder, tipping out the excess.
- Step 2. Melt the butter and chocolate together, stirring until completely smooth. Let it cool for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Step 3. Whisk the eggs, extra yolks, sugar and vanilla until slightly thickened and paler in colour.
- Step 4. Whisk in the chocolate mixture, then fold in the flour and salt just until no streaks remain.
- Step 5. Divide the batter among the ramekins and set them on a baking sheet.
- Step 6. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. The edges should be set and puffed while the centres still jiggle when the sheet is moved.
- Step 7. Rest for 1 minute, run a knife around each edge, invert onto plates and serve immediately.
Notes
- The bake time is the recipe. One minute too long and the centre sets; one minute short and the cake collapses when you turn it out. Watch the first batch closely and note what your oven does.
- Butter and dust the ramekins thoroughly, including the rim. A cake that sticks will tear open and the centre runs out onto the dish.
- Rest exactly a minute before inverting. Longer and residual heat keeps cooking the middle.
- The batter can be made, divided into ramekins and refrigerated for up to a day. Bake from cold and add 1 to 2 minutes.
Chocolate Lava Cakes — Simple Table Recipes · https://simpletablerecipes.com/recipes/chocolate-lava-cakes/
Ingredient Notes
- Chocolate
- Use a bar rather than chips. Chips contain stabilisers that help them hold their shape, which is the opposite of what you want in a melted centre.
- Extra egg yolks
- The yolks enrich the batter and keep the centre flowing rather than setting into cake. Whole eggs alone give a firmer, more brownie-like result.
- Cocoa powder for the ramekins
- Dusting with cocoa rather than flour means no white residue on a dark cake. It also grips the butter better and helps the cakes release cleanly.
- Flour
- Only a quarter cup. This is barely a cake batter — more flour sets the middle and there is no lava.
Equipment
- Four 175 ml / 6 oz ramekins
- Heatproof bowl or small saucepan
- Whisk
- Baking sheet
Substitutions
- Semisweet chocolate
- Dark chocolate up to 70 percent works and gives a less sweet cake. Above that the batter can seize — add a tablespoon of hot water if it stiffens.
- Ramekins
- A deep muffin tin works. Butter and dust it the same way, and reduce the bake to about 8 to 10 minutes since the cavities are shallower.
- All-purpose flour
- A cup-for-cup gluten-free blend works, and with so little flour the difference is barely noticeable.
Storage & Freezing
Storing: Best eaten immediately — the molten centre is a stage of baking, not a stable state, and it sets as the cake cools. Unbaked batter keeps in the fridge for up to 24 hours.
Freezing: Freeze the filled, unbaked ramekins, covered, for up to 1 month. Bake from frozen and add roughly 4 to 5 minutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did my lava cakes not have a molten centre?
They baked too long. The window is narrow, often only a minute or two. The edges should look set while the middle still moves when you nudge the tray.
Why did my cakes collapse when I turned them out?
Underbaked, so the walls were not strong enough to hold. Give them the full minute of rest and check the edges are firm and slightly pulled away before inverting.
Can I make these ahead?
Yes, and it is the best way to serve them at a dinner. Fill the ramekins and refrigerate up to a day ahead, then bake from cold with an extra minute or two.
Do I have to serve them upside down?
No. They can be served in the ramekin, which is more forgiving since there is no risk of collapse. Set the ramekin on a small plate and hand out spoons.
Is the centre raw?
It is underbaked batter containing egg, in the same way a soft-set custard or a runny-yolk egg is. If that is a concern for who you are feeding, bake an extra two minutes for a soft but set centre.
Can I double the recipe?
Yes, but bake in batches of four to six. A crowded oven drops in temperature and the timing shifts, which matters more here than in almost any other bake.
Did you make this?
Let other people know how it went. One tap, nothing to fill in.
Thanks — that helps.
