Chocolate Molten Lava Cake
Learn how to make the best molten lava cake with this quick and easy recipe
Equipment
- 2 oven-safe ramekins
- Hand whisk
- 1 microwave-safe mixing bowl
- 2 regular mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 85 grams chocolate
- 58 grams unsalted butter
- 15 grams all-purpose flour
- 30 grams icing sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 egg
- 1 egg yolk
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 210-215 Degree Celsius*
- Grease your ramekins with butter and dust them with cocoa powder to prepare them for baking. This makes sure that the cake does not stick to the ramekin and comes out smoothly
- In a microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate (85 gms) and the butter (58 gms) and melt over a double boiler or in the microwave* in 20 second increments (mixing between each increment) until both the ingredients are melted. Set it aside to cool
- Using a hand whisk, combine the mixture until the butter is well incorporated in the chocolate
- Combine the dry ingredients: flour (15 gms), icing sugar (30 gms), and salt (pinch) in a bowl using hand whisk
- In another bowl, whisk together the egg (1) and egg yolk (1) until well combined
- Add the dry ingredients mix and the egg mix into the cooled chocolate and butter mix and mix the ingredients gently using a rubber spatula or a wooden spoon until everything is well combined. If there are lumps in your batter, whisk it quickly to smooth it out. Make sure not to overmix at this point
- Pour the batter in the prepared ramekins until they are filled 3/4th of the way
- Bake the cakes for 10-12 minutes or until the sides are set but the center is still jiggly. Pay attention to the center, it should still be soft and jiggly but not too soft. Experiment with the baking time on your first try to make sure you get it right.
- To take the cakes out of the ramekin, place an inverted plate over it, then turn the ramekin around with the plate and place it on the table. Be very careful at this step as the ramekins will be extremely hot, don’t forget to use a mitten. Then, slowly lift the ramekin from the plate, the cake should slide out smoothly. If your cake breaks down in a puddle at this step, you have underbaked it. Try leave it in the oven for a minute or two on your next try.
- Serve immediately with your favorite toppings. Ice cream is a must!
Notes
Tips and tricks:
- Oven temperature and baking time: Contrary to popular belief, every oven works differently. The type and size of your oven majorly affect the end results. You may have to experiment a little to find the perfect baking time for your oven
- Chocolate: Using high-quality chocolate is important in this recipe. Regular old chocolate chips like the ones from Hershey’s will not result in a very good molten lava cake. This cake has chocolate front and center, so make sure you’re using high-quality baking chocolate like this one
- Melting chocolate: If you’re melting your chocolate in a microwave, do it in 30-second intervals and mix it around after every interval to stop it from burning. You can also melt it on the stovetop using a double boiler. A double boiler basically means placing a pot with chocolate over another pot filled with water. Chocolate cannot be melted directly on the stovetop as it will burn immediately, which is why we place the pot with chocolate over another pot filled with water, the steam from the boiling water in the pan below is what melts the chocolate. Make sure the water from the bottom pot is not touching the chocolate pan, or it may result in your chocolate seizing. Remember, chocolate and water are mortal enemies!