Molten Chocolate Cake

This Molten Chocolate Cake recipe is the perfect small-batch dessert! Easy to make and ready in less than 30 minutes. What’s not to love? It’s perfect for date night, a dinner party, or Valentine’s Day.

Molten Chocolate Cake is truly one of my favorite recipes on the entire planet. They’re so quick and easy, you’ll want to make these molten chocolate cake all the time. Serve this decadent with powdered sugar or vanilla ice cream on top.

What’s so special and standout about this dessert? They look so complicated and intimidating, like something you’d only get to indulge in at a restaurant, but actually not! The oozing chocolate center. It isn’t raw cake batter, it’s chocolate ganache. So I’ll tell you how to make and how to avoid overcooking and losing the chocolate lava melting centre!

What is molten chocolate cake?

This cake goes by many names. I call them Chocolate lava cakes, molten lava cakes, molten chocolate cakes, and chocolate fondant cakes, but whatever the name, they’re all the same. they all refer to these delightful mini chocolate cakes a.k.a individual chocolate desserts that originated from France, with a melting chocolate center no one can resist.

They are made with a chocolate cake batter, then poured into mini pans or ramekins (or even a muffin pan/cupcake pan), and baked until the outside is set, with a divine, luscious liquid center.

When you dig in, the center flows out like actual lava, and trust me, it’s as delicious as it sounds. Plus, they’re surprisingly easy to make, so you can wow everyone without breaking a sweat!

My kind of quality time

Do you ever have those moments when you want something sweet, but you don’t want to make a huge batch? Maybe it’s just you and one other person living in your home and you really don’t require a lot of desserts.

That’s where small-batches cakes come in super handy. This chocolate lava cake recipe makes just two servings and is incredibly impressive, yet easy to make.

So If you need some time with your hubby. Spending quality time with your partner is essential, especially when you find those rare moments alone together without the kids. Preparing a molten chocolate cake together can be a delightful way to enjoy each other’s company and indulge in a sweet treat. This dessert is not only easy to prepare but also comes in convenient single servings, ensuring you don’t spend too much time in the kitchen. It’s the perfect activity for a relaxed evening, allowing you both to engage in a light, enjoyable task that results in a delicious reward, leaving you more time to unwind and connect without feeling exhausted.

Moreover, the experience of making and enjoying a molten chocolate cake can create a cozy, romantic setting at home.  The super moist chocolate cake cradles the intense flavors of the molten chocolate to create simply the most romantic dessert. They are totally irresistible because the warm, dark chocolate that runs through the center of these rich, dense individual cakes makes them, well…irresistible!

Each cake combines a moist exterior with a gooey, molten center, creating a simple yet impressive dessert experience. The molten chocolate lava cakes are rich, decadent, moist, robustly chocolaty, and sweet enough but not too sweet. 

Ingredients of Molten Chocolate Cake

• Semi-sweet Chocolate; I recommend using a high-quality baking chocolate bar, and not chocolate chips, so you get the best smooth and melty centers. Semisweet chocolate usually contains about 40 – 65% cocoa content. I use 55% semisweet chocolate here. Meanwhile, if you want more intense chocolatey taste go with Bittersweet chocolate contains between 65 – 80 % cocoa content. Usually around 70%.
• Unsalted Butter at room temperature; be sure to use unsalted butter, so the lava cakes do not end up overly salty.A stick of butter lends richness, moisture, and flavor. In a pinch, you can absolutely use vegan butter to make this a dairy-free lava cake instead of regular butter too.
• Egg and Egg Yolk; So, basically we need 4 eggs with 2 whole eggs and 2 egg yolk.
• Granulated Sugar; superfine sugar. The finer grains make it easier to incorporate into the batter; sugar not only adds sweetness to the recipe, but also helps with the texture of the cake. Even if you use bittersweet chocolate, do not skip the step of adding this small amount of sugar to these cakes.
• All-purpose Flour; A surprisingly small amount, These babies are literally mostly chocolate – and we’re all very happy about that!! All-purpose flour gives the batter structure. The flour provides structure, but too much will compromise the molten centers. You just need a little bit of flour to bind this batter together. All-purpose is perfect.  If you are looking to use other flours, almond flour is also a great substitute.  
• Vanilla Extract; Use pure vanilla extract for the best flavor. 
• Salt; A pinch of salt enhances the flavor of the other ingredients. it brings out the chocolate flavors and makes it richer and sweeter. Salt is absolutely necessary in my opinion.

Other

• Butter to grease ramekin; it avoiding cake stick to the bowl
• Cocoa to dust ramekin; Cocoa powder is key to this lava cake’s rich, chocolatey flavor
• For garnish; Feel free to garnish this molten chocolate cake with everything you have on my mind. even just let the cake just cake it won’t decrease the taste and it’s elegance melting chocolate centre. Well, for garnish here I use vanilla ice cream, powder sugar and some cocoa to dust and garnish cake.

How to Make Molten Chocolate Cake

First, preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Grease a 9-ounce ramekin with butter, then lightly dust it with cocoa powder to prevent the cake from sticking and to add a hint of chocolate flavor to the exterior.

Next, place butter and chopped chocolate into a heatproof bowl. Set this bowl over a pot of simmering water (double boiler method) and stir continuously until the chocolate and butter are completely melted and combined. This ensures a smooth and creamy chocolate base.

Then, in a separate bowl, whisk together an egg, an egg yolk, sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt until smooth. This mixture will create a rich and flavorful base. Add the melted chocolate mixture to the eggs and stir until well combined, ensuring that the chocolate blends thoroughly with the eggs and sugar.

After that, gently fold in the flour to the chocolate mixture using a spatula. Be careful to mix until just combined to avoid overworking the batter, which helps keep the texture light and soft. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared ramekin.

Bake the batter in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes. The edges should be firm and the top set, but the center should still be slightly jiggly. This is crucial for achieving the molten center that makes this dessert special.

Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for 2 minutes. Carefully run a knife around the edges of the ramekin to loosen the cake, making it easier to invert onto a plate.

Garnish, Serve and Enjoy!

Finally, place a serving plate over the top of the ramekin and carefully flip it to turn the cake out onto the plate. Dust the warm cake with powdered sugar for a sweet finish and serve immediately with a scoop of vanilla ice cream to complement the rich, molten chocolate center.

Enjoy your delicious homemade dessert!  Serve immediately

Recipe Notes;

• For the richest flavor, use high-quality chocolate.
• This recipe also doubles well if you need two cakes for sharing.
• Watch the Baking Time with avoid overbaking to ensure the centers remain gooey and molten.
• Make it in advance!  You can prepare the batter a day or 2 in advance wrap it tightly and store it in the refrigerator.  Allow them to come to room temperature before baking. Follow the normal baking time.
• Beat the eggs with the sugar, and then fold in the chocolate to create the rich, moist, texture we want. Be sure to follow the steps in order.
• Don’t let the molten cake rest in the ramekin for too long, about 2-3 minutes maximum, because the molten center will become less ooey-gooey the longer it sits before you invert it.

Since you love chocolate, here for other chocolate recipes:

Try this recipe! 

I’m delighted to find an easy and delectable menu like this! I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

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