If dark chocolate running in rivulets down whipped cream mountains is the backdrop in all of your greatest fantasies, this alluring molten chocolate lava cake recipe is the dessert you’ve been looking for. The spongy cake has an unabashedly liquid center that bursts forth the moment the chocolaty dam is broken by spoon. Many recipes achieve this effect by purposely undercooking the cake, so that the middle is raw batter. Effective, but not the most delicious.
In our version, a spoonful of chilled ganache is placed at the center of the cake batter. As the bake time ticks down, the ganache is rendered molten as the batter shores up around it.
You’ll need four 6-oz. ramekins to pull off the recipe (though a jumbo cupcake or muffin tin will work in a pinch). We like to butter and then line the individual dishes with demerara or raw sugar (instead of the more typical flour or cocoa powder) for little pops of texture. If you’d like to serve with a dusting of powdered sugar or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, be our guest. Watch how this chocolate lava cake is made here or take a chance on chocolate lava cake’s caramel counterpart instead. –Joe Sevier
Editor’s note: This recipe was originally published as BA’s Best Molten Chocolate Cake on February 2, 2016.
Ingredients
4 servings
¼
7
6
3
⅓
1
3
½
Special Equipment
Preparation
Step 1
Heat cream in a small saucepan over medium until just beginning to simmer. Place 2 oz. chocolate in a small bowl; pour hot cream over. Stir until smooth. Chill ganache until firm, at least 1 hour.
Step 2
Preheat oven to 425°. Coat ramekins with butter and sprinkle with demerara sugar, tapping out excess.
Step 3
Combine 6 Tbsp. butter and remaining 5 oz. chocolate in a medium heatproof bowl set over a large saucepan of barely simmering water (do not let water touch bowl); stir constantly until chocolate is melted (you can also do this step in the microwave).
Step 4
Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat eggs and brown sugar in a large bowl until light and tripled in volume, about 4 minutes. Beat in vanilla.
Step 5
Gently fold melted chocolate into egg mixture until incorporated. Fold in flour and salt until smooth.
Step 6
Divide half of batter among prepared ramekins (about ⅓ cup each). Place 1 mounded Tbsp. ganache in the center of each partially filled ramekin. Divide remaining batter among ramekins.
Step 7
Bake until tops are firm but cakes wobble slightly when jiggled, 13–15 minutes. Let cool 30 seconds before inverting onto small plates. Serve immediately.
Do Ahead: Ganache can be made 1 week ahead. Tightly wrap and keep chilled. Cakes can be assembled 1 week ahead. Tightly wrap with plastic in ramekins and freeze. Let sit at room temperature 1 hour before baking.
Leave a Review
Reviews (34)
Back to TopEasy and delicious!
Judy
Reno NV
4/10/2022
Loved this! Will make again and again--if you make ahead, note that your ganache center may sink to the bottom. Added cardamom and might try saffron or orange next time around.
Sumaiya
San Francisco, CA
12/30/2021
1. I love that this recipe takes a lot of the stress out of lava cake – – with the ganache in the center you don’t have to obsess over the timing. Also no raw eggs, so pregnancy friendly! 2. This recipe is slightly more work than other lava cakes I have made, however I would say the effort is worth it. 3. I did not follow the directions and put too much batter in each cup. This only made three cakes. Obviously a user error. 4. I love that this cake can be refrigerated raw and baked off at will. I’m excited to have this recipe to throw down once dinner parties are an option again – – coming in hot with a lava cake always makes you look like a g
Sarah T
Maine
4/12/2021
Amazing! Super rich though (I definitely recommend adding a fruit topping like raspberry or strawberry to help combat the richness of it) but overall 10/10, I could’ve shared 1 ramekin with my significant other due to the richness! Definitely saving this one!
Julia
Los Angeles, CA
2/15/2021
I used a very high quality chocolate and this was absolutely delicious. I cooked it for 13 minutes, and probably only needed 11 or 12, so I will check it earlier next time.
Anonymous
Massachusetts
4/26/2020
I just made these and they turned out great! I baked for 13 minutes and the cake was a little bit on the dry side, but my scale was out of batteries so I had to kind of guesstimate the amount of chocolate (side note, can all math be about chocolate? I think I'd like it more if it was), but honestly, I think it would just soak up ice cream or creme anglaise that much better. So not really a problem. The batter was SO LIGHT! Like, it held its shape when I scooped it into the ramekins, which was really cool! It made the baked cake very airy and nice. I baked one cake and froze the other 3 to make fresh when I'm feeling lazy and need some chocolate. Stellar job as always!
honeybeebutch
Minneapolis
9/12/2019
I made these for a special Valentine's Day dinner and they were superb!!! Easy to make and tasted like a 5 star restaurant dessert.
Anonymous
pompano beach
2/15/2018