This Chocolate Lava Cake is so rich, fudgy, and downright indulgent. You won’t believe how easy this heavenly chocolate dessert is to make!
If you love decadent desserts, then you should try these Chocolate Cake Pops and Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars.
Table Of Contents
Recipe Details
I love this Chocolate Lava Cake recipe because it’s easy to prep ahead and sinfully delicious. If you want to impress your guests with a warm dessert, this one is the way to go!
- TASTE: Chock full of sweet chocolate and buttery flavor, these mini cakes are to die for. Topped with powdered sugar, they will satisfy any sweet tooth.
- TEXTURE: This lava cake is light and fluffy on the outside with a gooey, rich chocolate center.
- TIME: This dessert takes less than 25 minutes to make!
- EASE: Easy to make and with only a few ingredients, this Chocolate Lava Cake recipe is nice and simple.
What You’ll Need
Ingredient Notes
- Semisweet chocolate chips- These melt down to create both the outer cake and gooey center. If you use a block of chocolate, make sure to chop it into small pieces before melting.
- Butter- This ingredient gives the center tons of rich flavor and keeps the cake moist.
- Eggs- These are important for giving the cake an airy texture on the outside. It’s the only leavening agent in the recipe.
- Powdered sugar- Adds tons of sweetness without weighing it down. Also makes the perfect topping.
Add-ins and Substitutions
- Substitute different chocolate- You can make lava cake with dark chocolate, bittersweet, milk chocolate, or even white chocolate for different flavor profiles.
- Make this gluten-free- Substitute gluten-free flour in this recipe to make it gluten-friendly.
- Add coffee- Coffee and chocolate pair really well together, so consider adding a spoonful of instant coffee or espresso powder to the batter.
- Leave out the dairy- To make it dairy-free, use plant-based butter and dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips. These are found in most grocery stores.
How to Make Chocolate Lava Cake
- Melt the chocolate. Preheat the oven to 410 degrees Fahrenheit. Over a double boiler, melt the butter and chocolate chips, stirring until they become smooth and silky.
Pro Tip: Make sure the bottom of your glass bowl does not touch the hot water of your double boiler. You only need the steam to gently melt the butter and chocolate.
- Add the rest of the ingredients. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs. Then mix in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and melted chocolate. Sift the flour and whisk it into the chocolate mixture
- Fill the ramekins. Spray each ramekin with cooking spray and fill them with batter, though not to the very top.
- Bake. Put the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes.
- Serve. Once they’re done, immediately flip them over onto a plate using a kitchen towel. Or eat them straight out of the ramekin – we won’t judge 🙂
Recipe Tips
- Stir the chocolate constantly- Avoid burning the chocolate by continually stirring as the butter and chocolate chips melt. The steam from the double boiler will do this pretty quickly.
- Sift the flour- Avoid lumps that can dry out the batter by using a fine-mesh strainer to sift the flour in. This also incorporates more airy, lightening the actual cake.
- Generously grease the ramekins- To remove the lava cakes without sticking, make sure to spray the ramekins generously with oil prior to filling them with the lava cake batter.
- Carefully flip the ramekin to serve- The Chocolate Lava Cake will be super hot when you take it out of the oven, so place a small plate on top of the ramekin, then grab the side of the ramekin with a kitchen towel and flip it over.
FAQs
These terms refer to the same kind of cake – one with a cake-like exterior and a hot, gooey center that spills out when you cut into it. Fondant cakes are another similar term, but they have a slightly more solid center.
While lava cake is cooked quickly to create a fully-cooked, cakey exterior and a molten center, it is safe to eat. The inside reaches above 160 degrees Fahrenheit to cook the flour and eggs, making the liquid center safe to consume.
Serving Suggestions
This decadent Chocolate Lava Cake recipe can be served with lots of other sweet treats. Here are some yummy ways to enjoy one.
- Toppings: Top your Chocolate Lava Cake with Chantilly Cream, Fresh Raspberry Sauce, or Chocolate Ganache for a sweet and delicious presentation.
- Ice Cream: This warm dessert tastes amazing with cold ice cream. Use any flavor you like, including this Easy Ube Ice Cream Recipe.
- Cookies: White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies, Raspberry Thumbprint Cookies (VIDEO), or Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies would pair well with these lava cakes.
- Fruit: Serve them with fresh fruit, or a spoonful of Cherry Pie Filling or Homemade Strawberry Jam. Berries go especially well with this dish.
Make This Recipe in Advance
Make ahead: After you pour the batter into the greased ramekins, cover each lava cake with cling wrap and place in the refrigerator. When you’re ready, bake them at 410 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 minutes.
Storing: You can keep the Chocolate Lava Cakes refrigerated for 2-3 days before baking. Once baked and cooled, you can store them individually wrapped in the fridge for up to 5 days, but they are best served just after baking.
Freeze: Cover each molten lava cakes with cling wrap and keep frozen for up to 3 months. Bake the frozen lava cakes at 410 degrees Fahrenheit for 11 minutes.
More Scrumptious Chocolate Desserts!
Full Recipe Instructions
Chocolate Lava Cake
Ingredients
- 7 4 oz ramekins
- 12 oz semisweet chocolate chips
- 3/4 cup unsalted butter
- 3 eggs
- 1 egg yolk
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 3/4 cup powdered sugar
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 410 degrees Fahrenheit. Over a double boiler, melt butter and chocolate chips. Keep stirring until it reaches a smooth silky consistency. Tip: make sure the bottom of your glass bowl does not touch the hot water of your double boiler. You only need the steam to gently melt the butter and chocolate.
- In a separate bowl, lightly beat the eggs and egg yolk. Then mix in the powdered sugar, vanilla, and melted chocolate. Sift the flour with a fine-mesh strainer and whisk it into the chocolate mixture.
- Spray each ramekin with nonstick spray and fill with the batter. Make sure NOT to fill each one all the way to the top. I used 4 oz ramekins.
- Place each filled ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 8 minutes. Tip: you can fill the ramekins in advance then cover them with plastic wrap and keep them in the fridge until ready to bake. If you refrigerate your lava cakes, bake them for about 10-12 minutes.
- Once they're done, immediately flip them over onto a plate using a kitchen towel. Or you can always eat them straight out of the ramekin if you prefer not to flip them. Serve warm with berries or ice cream.
Notes
- Stir the chocolate constantly- Avoid burning the chocolate by continually stirring as the butter and chocolate chips melt. The steam from the double boiler will do this pretty quickly.
- Sift the flour- Avoid lumps that can dry out the batter by using a fine-mesh strainer to sift the flour in. This also incorporates more airy, lightening the actual cake.
- Generously grease the ramekins- To remove the lava cakes without sticking, make sure to spray the ramekins generously with oil prior to filling them with the lava cake batter.
- Carefully flip the ramekin to serve- The Chocolate Lava Cake will be super hot when you take it out of the oven, so place a small plate on top of the ramekin, then grab the side of the ramekin with a kitchen towel and flip it over.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted on Feb 20, 2015, we’ve tweaked it a bit since then.
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Audrey says
Confused! Your video shows using 4 ramekins. In your recipe you say to use 7 4oz ramekins, I am wanting to try this recipe for my guests this weekend & would like to know answer. Thank you. Recipe sounds wonderful & eager to try.
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Audrey, the recipe makes 7 4oz ramekins. I used 4 in the video just to make it easier to place on the baking sheet. Hope that helps 🙂
Angela Magnuson says
Followed recipe exactly as written and they turned out perfect! Rave reviews from the family!
simplyhomecooked says
That’s awesome Angela! Thank you for the kind review. I’m glad to hear you enjoyed the lava cake!
Cesarina says
Hello! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
I wanted to ask if is possible to half bake them and finishing them up in the microwave.
I’m looking for a faster way to serve them, I’m planning my birthday and I won’t have an oven and the time to bake time at the moment.
Thank you for helping
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Cesarina, I’ve heard of people making mug cakes similar to lava cakes in the microwave but I have never tried it for myself. So I am not too sure how long you would need to microwave the cake to ensure it gets baked properly.
Mariam says
Hi can i use aluminum cups instead of ramekins??
And how long should i bake them?tnx
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Mariam, you can use aluminum cups, which are thinner than ramekins so the chocolate lava cake will bake faster. I have never tried them in aluminum cups so I am not sure how long exactly they will bake for.
Elen P says
Can I use a non stick muffin pan instead of ramekins?
If yes, for how long should I bake and temperature?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Elen, I’ve never tried using this method so I can’t say too much on how to results will be. If you do use a muffin tin, the lava cakes will bake faster since the metal is thinner than a ramekin. Sorry, I’m not much help.
Jennifer says
Can i use baking chocolate (like the Ghiradelli bars) instead of chocolate chips?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Jennifer, yes you most definitely can.
Teju says
I plan to bake the cake for about 200 guests. My place where I plan to bake it is a distance to the events place where the guests will be. How do I go about this in order to keep it warm. If I may ask, must the cake be served warm? Also if possible can you give me the recipe for 100guests? Thank you
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Teju, these lava cakes are meant to be served warm. I’m not too sure how you would keep them warm when you have a distance to drive. If you multiply the recipe by 15 you should have about 100-105 lava cakes. Hope that helps 🙂
Karen says
Can I use 3 oz ramikins? I have 8 that size. How will that change the cooking time?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Karen, yes you can use 3 oz ramekins but they will bake faster. I’m not too sure how much faster though.
Zahida says
Hi
How many grams is 1 1/2 stick of butter
simplyhomecooked says
170 grams = 1 1/2 sticks butter
Sangeeta says
Loved your recipe…very easy to try and I am sooo happy i could finally find an easy and exact recipe for lava cakes …kids loved them! Thank you!!
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you Sangeeta! Glad your kids loved the lava cakes 🙂
Jamie says
Just now made them. Omg they came out amazing and tasted amazing as well. Perfect quick luscious dessert.
simplyhomecooked says
Thank you for such a wonderful review Jamie!
Peggy says
Crazy question… How does this happen? And is the lava part unbaked cake?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Peggy, the way you get the molten center in a lava cake is by baking it almost completely. If your’e worried about it being raw in the middle, salmonella dies at 150 degrees Fahrenheit so it should be safe to eat. If that still worries you, you can always use pasteurized eggs 🙂 Hope that helps.
Rachel says
I promised a student I would bake these for them. I teach all day & there is no way I could bake them right before class. Could I bake the lava cakes & then refrigerate them? Maybe let them come to room temp or put them in the Mike just to get them warm?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Rachel, since you are teaching all day, refrigerating and microwaving later would probably be your best option. I’ve never tried microwaving lava cakes before, so I can’t say they will taste just as good. But theoretically your method should work.
Trish says
If you make them in advance, do you pre-bake them and refrigerate, then bake again for 10-12 minutes when ready to serve? Or do you refrigerate the batter in the ramekins, then bake them?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Trish, if you want to make them in advance, refrigerate the batter in the ramekins unbaked.
Bob213 says
Can I make these in foil cupcake liners? How much would you reduce cooking time?
simplyhomecooked says
You can bake the lava cakes in the foil cupcake liners, but you would have to eat them right out of the liner. Otherwise if you try removing the lava cake from the liner, it will fall apart. Baking time should be the same. Hope that helps 🙂
Grace says
If I refrigerate them, how long should I heat them up for?
simplyhomecooked says
Hi Grace, in step #4 I mentioned that you will need to bake it for 10-12 minutes if you refrigerate them before.
Simona says
This is one of my favourite dessert. I’m looking forward to making this recipe soon.
simplyhomecooked says
Simona, let me know how it turns out 🙂
Valentina says
Lol. Yes I asked my mamma about you guys and your parents were at my wedding. Small world 🙂
simplyhomecooked says
No kidding! That’s so awesome 🙂
Sharon says
I love how by food and recipes you connected to family! Just going through recipes for a dinner party tomorrow so fingers crossed this works for me. I’m a wedding cake baker but come to finicky deserts such as hoping it is gooey I’m all fails! Lol
simplyhomecooked says
Let me know how it turns out Sharon!:)
Valentina says
Lol that’s too funny. I am a Rusev as well! I used to live in South Carolina but got married and now live in Everett. I have a ton of family in Tacoma that I haven’t met.. who knows you might be one of them! Lol I made this the other day and it turned out amazing! Thank you for the recipe!
simplyhomecooked says
I just asked my mom about you… your dad and my mom are cousins! And our moms were best friends. How awesome is that? I’m so happy you enjoyed the lava cake Valentina 🙂
Valentina says
I only have 4 ramekins and was wondering if I can pour the batter into the the ramekins and keep the rest in a bowl until my first batch is complete? Also if I was to make this ahead of time and refrigerated would it take longer to bake if the batter is cold? On your about me section you mention Bulgarian food. Are you Bulgarian?
simplyhomecooked says
Valentina, you can definitely make the first batch ahead of time and reserve the rest in a bowl. but you don’t want to keep it refrigerated for too long because the batter will get really thick. The cold batch will take a little longer to bake. And yes I am half Bulgarian. My mother is full Bulgarian. Her maiden name is actually Rusev 🙂 Where are you from?
Kim says
your recipe states not to fill to the top, so how full should I fill it percentage wise? 80%? 90%? using 4 ounce ramikins
admin says
Fill each 4 oz ramekin to about 90%