CHOCOLATE MOLTEN LAVA CAKES

These decadent chocolate molten lava cakes are the perfect small batch dessert! They’re incredibly easy to make and ready in minutes!

Valentine’s Day is next week, and I’ve got the perfect dessert for you to make! These individual chocolate molten lava cakes are a breeze to whip up and only take 8 minutes to bake. You can place the filled ramekins into the fridge for a few hours before you plan on baking them, and then pop them into the oven right after dinner. Nothing beats a freshly baked gooey molten cake topped with ice cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce! These will make you swoon!

So how do you make these decadent little cakes? First, you’ll want to butter and dust four ramekins with cocoa powder. I used 6 ounce ramekins. Next, grab a stick of butter and melt it in the microwave. Whisk in 4 ounces of chopped chocolate (I prefer semisweet) until it’s silky smooth.

In a separate mixing bowl, whisk 2 eggs, 2 yolks and granulated sugar until the mixture turns pale and thickens. If you want to add a splash of vanilla extract you can, I always love a little hit of vanilla, even in my chocolate desserts, but it’s totally optional.

Add the egg mixture and flour to the melted chocolate, beat until combined. Divide the batter between the ramekins. Place in the oven and bake at 450 degrees for 8 to 9 minutes. This is the nerve wrecking part. You want the edges and tops to be set without the center being over-baked. The easiest way for me to gage doneness was to check if the tops were set (or looked like they were no longer batter) but still jiggly.

Remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool for 1 minute before inverting onto individual plates. Let the cakes sit for about 10 seconds before lifting up the ramekins. The goal is to get them out without breaking them… just be careful, they’re fragile! Serve them immediately with a scoop of ice cream, a drizzle of chocolate sauce and some fresh fruit. They will be devoured in seconds!

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Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

8 mins

Total time

18 mins

 

These decadent chocolate molten lava cakes are the perfect small batch dessert! They're incredibly easy to make and ready in minutes!

Author: Natalie

Yield: 4

Ingredients

• ½ c. (1 stick) unsalted butter + 1 tsp. for ramekins
• 4 tsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 oz. bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 eggs + 2 yolks
• ¼ tsp. vanilla extract (optional)
• ¼ c. granulated sugar
• 2 tsp. all-purpose flour

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Using 1 tsp. of butter, grease and dust four 4 or 6 ounce ramekins with cocoa powder. Tap out the excess cocoa powder; set aside.
2. In a medium microwave-safe bowl, add ½ cup butter. Place in the microwave and melt. Whisk in the chopped chocolate until smooth.
3. In a separate medium mixing bowl add the eggs. Add the vanilla (if desired) and sugar, whisk until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Add the egg mixture and flour to the melted chocolate; beat until combined.
4. Divide the batter between the ramekins. Place in the oven and bake for 8 to 9 minutes. The tops should look set but still be jiggly. Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 1 minute before inverting onto plates. Let the cakes sit for 10 seconds before lifting up the ramekins. Serve immediately, with ice cream, chocolate sauce and fresh fruit.

Notes

- You can add a dab of peanut butter, cookie butter or Nutella into the middle of these for an even more decadent lava cake!