These chocolate molten lava cakes are ready in under 30 minutes, with only a 15 minute prep time. Easy, delicious and impressive chocolate desserts that can be made ahead of time and frozen for later too. With gluten free, dairy free, and sugar free options.EASY - Perfect dessert for novice bakers. Please use oven mitts when handling baked ramekins, since this dessert needs to be served while still warm. This recipe will make 4 regular lava cakes. OR about 7 cupcake-sized lava cakes. Please use weight measurements for accurate, consistent results. US based cup, teaspoon, tablespoon measurements. Common Measurement Conversions.
7ozsemisweet chocolate chips55% cocoa content, approximately 1 cup + 3 tbsp
4ozunsalted butter1 stick of butter, see DF substitutions in recipe notes below
½tspsea saltor just ¼ tsp if you don’t like a hint of saltiness in your cakes
1tbspvanilla extractor bourbon or rum
2.3ozwhite sugarabout ⅓ cup
2whole eggslarge
2egg yolksfrom large eggs
0.7ozAP flouror 2 tbsp, see GF substitutions in recipe notes below
Extra butter and cocoa powder to dust ramekinsI use 6 oz ramekins here
Confectioner’s sugar and berries to serve
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400°F / 205°C.
Generously butter four, ½ cup ramekins, and dust them with cocoa powder. Set aside until needed.
Extra butter and cocoa powder to dust ramekins
Place the butter, chocolate, and salt in a large microwave-safe bowl.
7 oz semisweet chocolate chips, 4 oz unsalted butter, ½ tsp sea salt
Melt the ingredients in the microwave in 30 second increments, while stirring in between. This should take approximately 60 - 90 seconds. You can also melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler.
Stir the sugar and vanilla into the warm butter-chocolate mixture.
1 tbsp vanilla extract, 2.3 oz white sugar
Next, add the eggs and yolks, and whisk them in well. You should end up with a “gloopy” chocolate batter.
2 whole eggs, 2 egg yolks
Whisk in the flour.
0.7 oz AP flour
Pour the batter into the prepared ramekins. Make sure they are no more than ¾ of the way full, since they will rise as they bake. If you're not baking the cakes right away, cover the ramekins with plastic wrap and freeze / refrigerate for later.
Place the ramekins on a baking tray and transfer the tray into the preheated oven. The cakes will take about 11 minutes to bake in metal ramekins. In glass / porcelain ramekins, they may take about 12 minutes. (See recipe notes below for baking times for frozen cakes.)
When the cakes are done, remove them from the oven, and let them rest for about 30 seconds (no more than a minute).
Using a towel / cloth napkin, turn the cakes out onto serving plates (be careful, as the ramekins will be very hot, and may be slippery too). Tap the top of the ramekin with a spoon to loosen the cake, and gently remove the ramekin to reveal the cake underneath. Serve immediately while the cakes are still warm.
Dust the cakes with confectioner's sugar, and serve with raspberries or strawberries (or other toppings of your choice).
Confectioner’s sugar and berries to serve
To make lava cakes in a cupcake pan
Butter and dust cocoa powder in 7 to 8 cupcake cavities. Make sure that they are well coated so that the cakes come out easily and cleanly.
Pour about 70 - 72 g of batter into each cavity (or until 3/4 of the way full).
Bake in preheated 400°F / 205°C oven for 7 - 8 minutes.
While the cakes are baking, get a parchment paper (to fit the half sheet baking pan), and the half sheet baking pan ready.
Once the cakes are baked, remove them from the oven. Place the parchment paper over the cakes, followed by the baking pan (upside down).
Using oven mitts, carefully flip over the cupcake tray and baking tray together. Then carefully remove the cupcake tray, and the cakes should now have been transferred onto the parchment paper.
Use a thin metal spatula (large angular spatula, brownie spatula, or fish spatula) and slide it under a mini lava cake and carefully lift it off the parchment paper.
Immediately transfer to your serving plate. Repeat with all the cakes.
Serve immediately while still warm.
Notes
Ingredient substitutions
DAIRY FREE - use vegan butter or a dairy free margarine instead of regular butter.GLUTEN FREE - replace the 2 tbsp flour with 1 tbsp cornstarch OR 2 tbsp gluten free flour (1:1 gluten free flour substitute).
Baking times
Refrigerated chocolate molten cakes -Metal ramekins take about 11 ½ minutes. Refrigerated porcelain ramekins with thicker walls will take about 12 ½ minutes.
Frozen chocolate molten cakes -Metal ramekins take about 12 - 12 ½ minutes. Porcelain ramekins with thicker walls will take about 13 - 13 ½ minutes.
Instructions to reheat the cakes in the microwave if necessary
Set microwave power to 40% or 50%. Heat the cake in the microwave for 15 seconds (at a time) until it feels warm to the touch (this should prevent the cakes from getting overcooked). For mini cupcake lava cakes, 15 seconds is usually enough. For regular-sized lava cakes, you may need up to 30 seconds (i.e. two 15 second increments).