Molten Chocolate Lava Cake Recipe
Get ready for pure chocolate bliss! This molten chocolate lava cake isn’t just dessert – it’s a warm, gooey chocolate explosion that’ll make your taste buds dance. Break into that perfectly baked exterior and watch as rich, velvety chocolate flows like liquid gold.
What makes this recipe truly special is the perfect balance of textures – a tender cake exterior giving way to an irresistibly smooth chocolate center. This restaurant-worthy dessert might look fancy, but I promise it’s surprisingly simple to master in your own kitchen.
Ingredients
For the Cake Batter:
- 3 egg yolks
- 3 large eggs
- ½ cup sugar
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
Optional Garnishes:
- Whipped cream
- Chocolate sauce
- Fresh strawberries
- Vanilla ice cream
- Cocoa powder for dusting
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Steps
- Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 450°F (232°C). Timing is crucial for lava cakes, so let your oven fully preheat for at least 15 minutes.
- Using a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment, combine eggs, sugar, salt, and vanilla. Beat on high speed for 3-4 minutes until mixture becomes pale white and very fluffy. The volume should nearly double – this creates the cake’s structure.
- Create a double boiler by bringing water to a low simmer in a medium pot. Place butter and chocolate in a metal bowl over simmering water (bowl shouldn’t touch water). Stir constantly with rubber spatula until completely smooth – about 3-5 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent chocolate from seizing.
- Temper the eggs by slowly folding ½ cup of warm chocolate mixture into egg mixture for 20-30 seconds. This prevents scrambling. Then fold in remaining chocolate until fully incorporated.
- Gently fold in flour just until no dry streaks remain. Over-mixing will make cakes tough.
- Choose your method:
• For immediate baking: Proceed to step 7
• For later baking: Spread in 13×9 dish, refrigerate 30-45 minutes until cool - Thoroughly butter and flour 6 (8-ounce) ramekins or 6 (3×4-inch) baking cylinders. Place on parchment-lined baking sheet.
- Divide batter evenly among prepared vessels, filling each about ¾ full.
- Bake at 450°F (232°C) for EXACTLY 9 minutes. Centers should be set at edges but still jiggly in middle.
- For ramekins: Invert onto serving plates for 10 seconds before lifting off. For cylinders: Lift straight up and transfer cakes with spatula.
- Serve immediately while centers are flowing, garnished as desired. The chocolate will continue setting as it cools.
