Let’s Make Some Chocolate Lava Cakes!
Ever want to whip up something really impressive, but don’t have a ton of time? That’s where these chocolate lava cakes come in. Seriously, they come together so fast, you’ll wonder why you haven’t made them sooner. They’re perfect for a quick dessert after dinner or when you have guests over and want something a little extra special without all the fuss.
What You’ll Need
- six ounces or 168 grams of bittersweet chocolate
- half a cup or 113 grams of unsalted butter
- two large room tempered eggs
- two egg yolks
- a quarter cup or 50 grams of granulated sugar
- an eighth of a teaspoon of salt
- two tablespoons of flour
- some powdered sugar
- some raspberries
Getting Started
First things first, crank your oven up to 450°F. You want it nice and hot for these.
Next, grab six ramekins, about 4 to 5 ounces each. If you’re not sure about the size, just pour half a cup of water into one; that’s roughly four ounces. We need to butter and flour these well. This is super important because the last thing you want is a stuck cake. Seriously, getting them out of the ramekin is one of the only places this recipe can go a little sideways, so butter generously! Use your finger to make sure you get into all the corners. Then, just a light dusting of flour – maybe half a teaspoon to a full teaspoon. Swirl it around, tap out the extra. Do that for all of them. Once they’re prepped, set them aside for a minute.
Time to melt some chocolate! You’ll want a double boiler for this. Just put about an inch and a half of water in a medium pot, then place a heatproof glass bowl over it. Make sure the bowl isn’t touching the water, only the steam. If you don’t feel like messing with a double boiler, the microwave works too! Just use a microwave-safe bowl and zap it in 30-second bursts, stirring in between. The double boiler method is nice because it’s a gentle heat, less chance of scorching your chocolate. But honestly, either way gets the job done.
Now, chop up your bittersweet chocolate. Pick a brand you really like, since that flavor is going to shine. If all you have are bittersweet chocolate chips, totally use them! They’ll work fine. I just find chocolate bars melt a bit smoother and usually have a better chocolate taste. The main thing is to chop it into small, even pieces. You don’t want a few big chunks hanging around, taking forever to melt while the rest gets too warm.
Alright, that’s chopped nicely.
Pop your chopped chocolate into that glass bowl. Add in the half cup of unsalted butter, cut into a few pieces. Put the bowl over your simmering water – make sure the heat is low, just a simmer, not a rolling boil. Stir it every now and then until everything’s melted and smooth. It usually doesn’t take long. Once it’s all melted, take it off the heat. You don’t want that residual steam to keep heating the chocolate. Just set it aside to cool down a bit.
In a large bowl, crack in your two large, room-temperature eggs. If you’re super careful, crack them into a small separate bowl first to check for any rogue shells, then add them to the big bowl. We also need two egg yolks for a little extra richness. Save those whites for another project, or just freeze them for later. Now, add a quarter cup of granulated sugar. It might not seem like a lot, but this cake is all about the chocolate, so you don’t want to overpower it with too much sweetness. A tiny pinch of salt, about an eighth of a teaspoon, goes in too, just to help balance the flavors.
I like to use a hand mixer for this step. My stand mixer sometimes struggles with smaller amounts in the bowl. Beat the egg mixture on medium speed until it gets thicker and turns a pretty pale yellow. It takes a few minutes, but you’ll see it transform. See? It’s thicker and lighter in color. Perfect.
Now, grab that chocolate mixture we melted earlier. Pour it into the egg mixture. It’s important that the chocolate has cooled down a bit. If it’s too hot, you risk cooking the eggs and getting a strange texture. Just a few minutes of cooling is usually enough.
Next, we add just two tablespoons of flour. Yes, only two! That’s how little you need to hold these cakes together. Sift it right over the mixture as you stir. This helps prevent any lumps. Mix gently until you don’t see any more streaks of flour. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with your spatula to make sure everything’s mixed in. And just like that, the batter is done. Seriously, so easy.
Grab your prepared ramekins. Carefully divide the batter among them. I sometimes end up with five slightly fuller cakes instead of six perfectly portioned ones, and that’s totally fine. If you have five bigger ones, you might just need to add about 30 seconds to the bake time.
This recipe is a secret weapon for when you want to impress. It looks fancy, but it’s really just a few ingredients, no tricky steps, and it bakes super fast. A little insider tip: you can even make these ahead of time! Pour the batter into the ramekins, cover them, and stick them in the fridge for up to two days. When you’re ready to serve, just let them come to room temperature and bake as usual. So convenient for entertaining!
Okay, these guys are ready for the oven! Into that hot 450°F oven they go, for about six to eight minutes. The key here is not to overbake them. When they’re ready, the edges will look set, but the middle will still have a bit of a jiggle. You really want to bake these right before you serve them. So, get your dessert plates ready. Pop them in, and we’ll be back in a flash. If you bake them too long, they’ll still be a delicious chocolate cake, but you’ll miss out on that gooey, molten center. Speaking of other treats, if you like chocolate, you might also like these easy fudgy brownies.
My cakes baked for seven minutes today since I had a bit more batter in each. See how they look? Right out of the oven, the edges are set, but there’s still a nice jiggle in the middle. Let them cool in the ramekins for just one minute. That’s it.
Now, grab a dessert plate, put it right over the ramekin, and flip it quickly. Give it a little tap to help it come out. Look at that! So warm and gooey in the middle. Dust it with some powdered sugar, add a few fresh raspberries, and it’s ready for a bite. Pure chocolate bliss. It’s so rich and warm and fudgy. Hard not to smile when you eat one.
Easy and Quick Chocolate Lava Cake
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat your oven to 450°F (230°C).
- Generously butter and lightly flour six 4 to 5-ounce ramekins. Tap out any excess flour and set aside. (Alternatively, you can use five slightly larger ramekins and adjust bake time by 30 seconds).
- Prepare a double boiler: Fill a medium pot with about 1.5 to 2 inches of water and place over medium heat. Place a heatproof glass bowl over the pot, ensuring it does not touch the water. Alternatively, you can use a microwave for melting chocolate.
- Chop the bittersweet chocolate into small, uniform pieces. This ensures even melting. If using a microwave, ensure the bowl is microwave-safe.
- Add the chopped chocolate and cut unsalted butter to the bowl of the double boiler. Reduce heat to low to maintain a simmer, not a boil. Stir occasionally until the chocolate and butter are fully melted and smooth. If using a microwave, heat in 30-second increments on high power, stirring between each increment, until melted.
- Once melted, remove the chocolate mixture from heat and set aside to cool slightly while preparing the egg mixture.
- In a large bowl, combine the 2 large room temperature eggs, 2 egg yolks, 1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon salt.
- Using a hand mixer (or whisking vigorously by hand), beat the mixture on medium speed until it thickens and turns a beautiful pale yellow color.
- Pour the slightly cooled chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Ensure the chocolate has cooled enough to prevent the eggs from curdling.
- Sift the 2 tablespoons of flour into the mixture. Mix until just combined and no streaks of flour remain. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula to ensure everything is incorporated.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared ramekins.
- Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 6 to 8 minutes. The edges should be set, and the center should still have a slight jiggle.
- Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool in their ramekins for just 1 minute.
- Carefully place a dessert plate over the top of each ramekin and invert it. Give a gentle tap or ‘oomph’ to help dislodge the cake.
- Dust with powdered sugar and garnish with fresh raspberries immediately before serving. Enjoy the warm, molten center!