Chocolate lava cakes with molten centers. This is an easy chocolate dessert you can make at home! These lava cakes look fancy and taste like the ones served at restaurants, but you only need about 30 minutes to make them and just five ingredients.
Chocolate lava cakes are one of my favorite chocolate desserts and I used to only have them when we dined out. Then I realized how easy chocolate lava cakes are to make at home so now I don’t have to wait to go out to have one.
BF also loves lava cakes, so I’m happy I’ve figured out how to make them. There’s something so satisfying about breaking into the warm cake and seeing the rich chocolate center ooze out onto the plate. Chocolate lava cakes look difficult to make but they only take about 30 minutes start to finish and you only need five ingredients.
Ingredients
- Eggs
- Heavy Cream
- Butter
- Cocoa Powder
- Sugar
How to Make Chocolate Lava Cakes
- Whisk together the eggs and heavy cream. Then add in the butter. If desired, you can also add 1 tsp of vanilla.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together cocoa and sugar, making sure that there are no clumps of cocoa powder.
- Add cocoa mixture to the wet ingredients. Whisk until smooth and pour into ramekins.
- Bake the lava cakes for 13 to 15 Serve the cakes warm.
How do you know when a chocolate lava cake is done?
You know when the cakes are done when the edges of the cake are firm and starting to pull away from the sides of the ramekin. The center will also be jiggly.
What can I serve with chocolate lava cakes?
These lava cakes are great all on their own, but you can dress them up with other toppings, too:
- Dust the warm cakes with powdered sugar.
- Drizzle the cakes with raspberry or strawberry sauce. Or, try drizzling some salted caramel sauce over the top.
- Decorate the cakes with fresh fruit like sliced strawberries and raspberries.
- Add a dollop of whipped cream.
- Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
More Lava Cake Recipes
Since sharing this chocolate lava cake recipe I’ve made quite a few other lava cakes. Here are some reader-favorites to try, too.
- Red Velvet Molten Lava Cake
- Matcha Green Tea Molten Lava Cake
- Oreo Lava Cakes
- Molten Nutella Lava Cakes
- Peanut Butter Molten Lava Cakes
- Instant Pot Lava Cakes
Chocolate Lava Cakes
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs whisked
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter melted
- 1 tsp vanilla (optional)
- 4 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- 4 tbsp granulated white sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease the interior of two 8-ounce ramekins with cooking oil spray.
- In a medium bowl, add eggs and heavy cream and whisk until mixed.
- Add in melted butter and vanilla (if using). Whisk until evenly combined.
- In a separate medium bowl, add cocoa powder and sugar. Whisk to evenly combine, making sure to break up any cocoa clumps.
- Add dry ingredients into the wet ingredient bowl. Whisk until batter is smooth. Divide batter evenly between the two prepared ramekins.
- Place ramekins onto a baking sheet. Place into the middle of the oven and bake for about 13-15 minutes or until the edges of the cake are set (the edges should start to slightly pull away from the ramekin) and the center is still jiggly. I recommend you start watching and checking on the cake after 12 minutes.
- Use a thin spatula or knife to loosen the edges of the cake. You will want to remove the cake from the ramekin while it is still hot, otherwise, the cake will continue to cook. Place a plate on top of the ramekin. Press the plate to the ramekin and swiftly flip upside down, so that the plate is now at the bottom and the ramekin is upside down. Gently tap the ramekin to ensure cake has slid onto plate. Lift up ramekin. Make sure to do this all while using oven mitts as the ramekin should still be very hot. Serve immediately with your choice of toppings.
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
Hi , it soo yummy but the chocolate how much 4 oz in cup ?
the chocolate needs to be weighed, otherwise you’re going to have very inaccurate amounts based on how big or small your chopped chocolate is.
OMG these were great and so easy. I added some cocoa powder to the mix so the color of the cake was a little darker. Thank you for sharing, this recipe its definitely going in the regular rotation.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Is that 350 degree Fahrenheit or Celsius?
Fahrenheit!
How many cakes is this recipe for?
About 4-6 depending on how much batter you put in each one
Hi Kirbie!
I m writing to thank you SO MUCH for this recipe! I have done them 3 days ago, and me and my boyfriend absolutely loved it, and it was actually quite hard not to eat them all in once! :)) You can see few pictures (not as gorgeous as yours tough!) in my blog: https://receitasdabarida.blogspot.com/2011/02/bolinhos-lava-de-chocolate.html
Thanks so much once again! 😉
I’m so happy to hear that you and your boyfriend loved the recipe!
I am drooling now. Mmmm these look delicious!
What type of flour did you use? All purpose or self-rising? Would it make a difference with the molten middle?
I used all purpose. I think it would make a difference if you use self rising, but I’ve never tried making it with self rising.
I just re-read the recipe and yeah it does have eggs in it. I must have completely skipped over them the first time I read the recipe. You are probably thinking . . .can this girl read? Anyway, thanks for the info on the eggs.
Haha, it’s ok. I do it all the time. I read through a recipe, print it out to make it and halfway through making it, I realize that there is an ingredient I don’t have and I didn’t read it, or there is some really long step I don’t have the time to take.
I cannot wait to try your version of molten lava cakes. The only one I have tried has eggs in it, so I always end up over cooking it, because I worry about the eggs and then my molten center isn’t so molten. Your pictures are mouthwatering!!!
Well this one has eggs also…but I don’t think you need to worry. Eggs cook pretty quickly at high heat, so after a couple minutes of baking, you shouldn’t have any problem with raw eggs if you still have a molten center.
These sound so simple and delcious. I love it! Thanks for the recipe
I hope you like it!
Good idea with the cupcake liners! These look so delicious I need to make them asap!
You should definitely try making it!
Wow, that recipe IS easy! I will have to try it soon.
Funny story about BF and dishes – must be a guy thing! It reminds me when my brothers and I were young and if we were on our own for a meal. I was responsible for cooking (or heating up food before microwave ovens) and they were responsible for cleaning up. They made sure I used as few pots and dishes as possible, and if they had their way, we wouldn’t have used ANY dishes.
I think it’s a guy thing too..BF’s brother is the same way!