Chocolate Lava Cakes (Printable)
Warm, molten chocolate cakes served with creamy vanilla bean ice cream for a rich dessert experience.
# What You'll Need:
→ Chocolate Lava Cakes
01 - 4 oz semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
02 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter
03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 2 large egg yolks
05 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
07 - 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
08 - Butter and cocoa powder (for greasing ramekins)
→ Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
09 - 2 cups premium vanilla bean ice cream
# Directions:
01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Generously butter four 6 oz ramekins and dust with cocoa powder, tapping out excess.
02 - Melt chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, egg yolks, and sugar until thick and pale, about 2–3 minutes.
04 - Fold the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Add flour and salt, folding gently until just combined.
05 - Divide batter evenly among prepared ramekins. Place ramekins on a baking sheet.
06 - Bake for 10–12 minutes, until edges are set but centers are still soft. Do not overbake.
07 - Let cakes rest for 1 minute, then run a knife around the edges and invert onto serving plates.
08 - Serve immediately with a generous scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.
# Cooking Tips:
01 -
- Takes barely half an hour from start to table, yet feels like you've been baking all day.
- The contrast of warm, molten chocolate against cold vanilla ice cream is pure magic—every bite feels like a small celebration.
- Impresses literally everyone, which means you'll actually make it again and again.
02 -
- The baking time is a tight window—set a timer and check at 10 minutes, because every oven is different and overbaking by even 60 seconds will set the center hard instead of leaving it molten.
- Let the melted chocolate cool for at least a minute before folding it into the eggs, otherwise the heat will start cooking the eggs and you'll end up with bits of scrambled egg in your batter.
03 -
- Use a quality chocolate with at least 60% cacao—grocery store baking chocolate will give you a flat, waxy result instead of something with actual depth and flavor.
- The secret to that perfect molten center is respecting the timing; set your oven to the right temperature at least 15 minutes before baking so it's fully preheated and consistent.