Chocolate lava cake is the dessert I'm always secretly hoping to see on a restaurant menu - It's rich, dramatic, and unapologetically chocolatey.
Chocolate Lava Cake Recipe Snapshot
What it is: Indulgent individual chocolate cakes with a melty middle that oozes out when you cut into it.
Why you'll love it: This recipe shows you how to properly make lava cakes with perfectly molten centers, rather than relying on hacks.
How to make it: Whisk melted chocolate and butter into eggs and sugar, fold in flour, then chill until ready to bake.
A lot of lava cake recipes "cheat" the molten centre by hiding a frozen piece of chocolate ganache inside the batter. It works, but it's not really what a lava cake is supposed to be. This version relies on technique instead - a simple batter, the right chocolate-to-fat ratio, and precise bake timing - to create a naturally melty middle every time.
Once you understand how lava cakes actually work, they're surprisingly easy to make at home. I've tested this recipe repeatedly to get that perfect balance: soft, set edges with a rich, gooey center that stays molten without collapsing. No frozen centres, no complicated steps - just a reliable method that gives you restaurant-style results in your own kitchen.
Reader Review:
Fantastic recipe! Very easy to make and instructions for cooking time were very helpful! I made this recipe for Valentines day and was a hit!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ - Josee
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Ingredients
This molten chocolate lava cake recipe has very simple ingredients, but it's important that they are high-quality as the flavor will really shine through. This recipe has been tested with both US and UK baking ingredients.
- Eggs - Use whole eggs - large if in the US and medium if in the UK.
- White Sugar - Granulated sugar (caster sugar in the UK).
- Dark Chocolate - Or bittersweet chocolate - preferably 80% cocoa solids or more for an intense chocolate flavor. Make sure to use real chocolate and not chocolate chips.
- Butter - Use unsalted butter so you can control the level of salt.
- Cocoa Powder
- Flour - All-purpose flour (plain flour).
See the recipe card for measurements in both grams and cups (though I highly recommend using a kitchen scale for the best results).
What You'll Need
- Small Ramekins - I used 6-oz ramekins, but you can use whatever size you have.
- Whisk
- Heatproof Bowl
How To Make Chocolate Lava Cake
For such an impressive dessert, this is a surprisingly easy recipe.
Prep Ramekins
Coat the inside of the ramekins in a layer of butter, then cover with a layer of sugar (or cocoa powder). Make sure they are completely covered so your lava cakes don't stick.
Melt Chocolate
Break the chocolate into small pieces and put it in a microwave-safe bowl along with the butter and cocoa powder.
Microwave in 30-second increments until everything is totally melted.
Alternatively, you could do this over a double boiler.
Whisk Eggs + Sugar
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar, just until combined - you are not trying to add any air here.
Fold Together
Gently mix the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture with a rubber spatula and stir until everything is combined.
Then fold in the sifted flour, be careful not to overmix.
Fill Ramekins
Pour the batter into the prepared ramekins; they should be about ¾ full. Cover with plastic wrap and put them in the fridge to firm up until right before you are ready to serve. For a really smooth lava center, chill them overnight. But you can get away with 4 hours or so.
Bake
When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C (170° fan).
Bake for 10-12 minutes - baking time will vary, so look for the visual cues that they are baked to make sure you take them out at the right moment.
How To Know When Lava Cake Is Done
The actual molten chocolate cake batter is very simple - melt, mix, done. The tricky part is the bake. Take them out of the oven one minute too soon, and you'll have chocolate soup; one minute too late, and the molten center is gone.
Since every oven and ramekin size differs, you need to watch for visual cues that they are baked, rather than relying strictly on baking time.
Start checking at 10 minutes. They'll likely look underbaked at first, but within the next minute or two, the edges will be set and pulling away from the edges slightly, but the centre should still be glossy.
Gently tap the ramekin - it should still have a jiggly centre, but the cake should wobble as one piece, not slosh around like liquid.
That's your cue to pull them for a perfectly molten center.
Serve
Remove from the oven and let sit for a minute, run a knife around the outside of the cake, then place a plate over the top of the ramekin and invert it, then carefully remove the ramekin.
Serving Suggestion
It's best to bake the chocolate lava cakes right before you are going to serve them.
Once you have flipped them out onto the plate, dust with powdered sugar on top of the cakes and serve with fresh berries and a dollop of homemade whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
They also go beautifully with a drizzle of strawberry or raspberry sauce on the plate.
Storage
You want to bake the lava cakes right before serving, but you can store them, ready to be baked, in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Make sure the tops are well covered in plastic wrap or in an airtight container to stop them from drying out.
FAQ
The short answer is no, but the results will be much better if you do. Chilling the chocolate fondants overnight allows them to set so they will be more likely to hold their shape when turned out onto the plate. It also keeps the batter cool in the middle longer as the outside bakes.
If you don't have time to chill, don't worry, you can still make delicious molten chocolate lava cakes; you may just want to bake them for a minute or so less. More important is that you properly coat your ramekins to make sure the puddings don't stick to the inside.
Show Me Your Bakes!
If you make this recipe, please tag @bonni_bakery on Instagram or send me a photo - I love seeing all your creations.
Want your bake featured on the blog? You can also upload a photo here.
More Chocolate Desserts
Try some of these other chocolate dessert recipes to satisfy your chocaholic sweet tooth.
Watch How To Make Them (Video)
Watch exactly how to make these molten chocolate lava cakes:
Recipe
Chocolate Lava Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 Large Eggs (medium in the UK)
- 100 g (½ cup) Granulated Sugar (caster sugar) plus extra for ramekins
- 75 g (2.6 oz) Dark Chocolate 80% cocoa or above is best
- 85 g (¾ stick) Unsalted Butter plus extra for ramekins
- 1 tablespoon Cocoa Powder
- 40 g (⅓ cup) All-purpose Flour (plain flour)
Equipment
Instructions
- Prepare ramekins by covering the inside with butter and then coating well with a layer of sugar.
- Break the chocolate into small pieces and put it in a microwave-safe bowl along with the butter and cocoa powder.75 g (2.6 oz) Dark Chocolate, 85 g (¾ stick) Unsalted Butter, 1 tablespoon Cocoa Powder
- Microwave in 30-second increments until everything is totally melted. Alternatively, you could melt the ingredients over a double boiler.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar, just until combined - you are not trying to add any air here.3 Large Eggs, 100 g (½ cup) Granulated Sugar
- Gently mix the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mix aturend stir until just combined.
- Fold in the sifted flour, be careful not to overmix.40 g (⅓ cup) All-purpose Flour
- Pour the batter into the prepared ramekins, they should be about ¾ full. Cover with plastic wrap and put in the fridge to firm up until right before you are ready to serve. For a super smooth molten middle, chill overnight - but you can get away with 4 hours.
- When ready to serve, preheat the oven to 375°F / 190°C (170° fan) and prepare the plates you want to serve it on. It's important to serve these as quickly as possible once they come out of the oven
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, depending on your oven and the size of your ramekins. After the 10-minute mark, watch your lava cakes like a hawk, they change very quickly from the stage where they will make a chocolatey puddle on your plate to the stage where they are overbaked and won't ooze properly. You'll know they are ready when the outside looks baked and is pulling away from the edges slightly, but the middle still looks slightly glossy - if you tap the ramekins, the center should still be jiggly - but it should wobble all together as a whole, rather than sloshing like liquid.
- Remove from the oven and let sit for a minute, then run a knife around the outside edge of the cakes to help release them. Place a plate over the top of the ramekin and invert it, then carefully remove the ramekin. Repeat for all the cakes.
- Sprinkle with a dusting of powdered sugar and serve with ice cream and raspberries!
Donna
My husband can not eat chocolate! Can I make these using strawberry as the cake and add like banana pudding as the lava part? Would this be safe and a good idea for eating? Never have tried lava cakes with chocolate or any flavors. I do not like dark chocolate at all! Can? I make using milk chocolate, only.
Advice would be helpful and grateful tyvm
Kathy
Can milk chocolate be substituted instead of dark .
Jules Grasekamp
Hi Kathy,
You can use milk chocolate but the results will not be anywhere near as chocolatey. If you would like a lighter dessert you can use milk chocolate 🙂
Jules
Bell
Loved this recipe super easy and simple. I didn't have scale to weight chocolate instead I used 1/2 cup chocolate instead still turned out awesome.
Josee
Fantastic recipe! Very easy to make and instructions for cooking time were very helpful! I made this recipe for Valentines day and was a hit!
jules
I'm so glad to hear that Josee! Thanks so much for trying my recipe, hope you had a wonderful Valentines Day!