From the outside, it looks like a simple little chocolate cake—but once you cut into Molten Chocolate Cake, a warm, gooey river of rich melted chocolate flows right out. It’s elegant, indulgent, and surprisingly easy to make at home.
With a lightly crisp exterior and a soft, molten center, this chocolate cake is perfect for date night, Valentine’s Day, anniversaries, or anytime you want to impress with minimal effort. And the best part? You only need a handful of ingredients and about 35 minutes from start to finish.
Serve it warm with a dusting of powdered sugar, a few fresh berries, and maybe a scoop of vanilla ice cream—and you’ve got a restaurant-worthy dessert without ever leaving your kitchen. They remind me a bit of the Tunnel of Fudge Cake.
What Makes Molten Chocolate Cake Special?
Molten chocolate cake (sometimes called lava cake) is all about timing. The batter is fully baked around the edges, but the center stays deliciously runny. A touch of espresso powder enhances the chocolate flavor without making it taste like coffee, and using good-quality chocolate makes all the difference.
This version is baked in individual ramekins, making it ideal for serving just two people—no leftovers, no temptation!
How to Make Molten Chocolate Cake
- Melt the chocolate and butter: Use gentle heat so the chocolate stays smooth and glossy.
- Mix the batter: Fold in the dry ingredients, then whisk in the eggs and vanilla until smooth.
- Bake briefly: The cakes bake just long enough to set the edges while keeping the centers molten.
- Invert and serve: After a short rest, flip the cakes onto plates and garnish as desired.
Tips for making Perfect Lava Cakes:
- Use good-quality chocolate—it’s the star of the show.
- Butter the ramekins generously so the cakes release easily.
- Don’t overbake! The centers should still look soft.
- Let the cakes rest for a few minutes before inverting.
- If a cake sticks, give it a minute and gently tap the plate.
Serving Ideas
Molten chocolate cake is delicious on its own, but even better when served with fresh fruit like raspberries and strawberries. A scoop of vanilla ice cream or lightly sweetened whipped cream become soft and melted on the warm chocolate cake. And a drizzle of chocolate sauce or caramel sauce is good too!
Storage:
Molten chocolate cake is best served immediately. If needed, you can refrigerate baked cakes for up to 1 day, but the center will firm up when reheated.
Molten Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped (be sure to use a good quality chocolate)
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch pieces (plus extra for buttering the ramekins)
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar
- 1 dash salt
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 1 large egg (the whole egg)
- 2 large yolks
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- raspberries or strawberries, and whipped cream or ice cream, for serving (optional)
- extra powdered sugar, for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉ Butter 2 ramekins or custard cups (see Notes below). Place them on a baking sheet so they are not touching and set aside.
- Add the butter and chocolate to a large microwave safe mixing bowl. Microwave on 50% power for 1 minute. Stir and repeat if needed at 30 second intervals until the chocolate pieces are almost melted. Remove from the microwave and stir until smooth and all chocolate is melted.
- Using a rubber spatula, fold in the powdered sugar, a dash of salt, flour and espresso powder but don’t worry if it’s not completely mixed.
- In a separate bowl lightly whisk the egg and egg yolks. Add the vanilla and whisk until blended. Add the eggs to the chocolate mixture and whisk until smooth and fully combined.
- Divide the batter between the 2 ramekins and bake for 15 minutes. The edges will be firm but the center will be runny.
- Allow the cakes to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Gently run a knife around the top edge of the ramekin to loosen the cake. Place a serving plate over the top of the ramekin and flip it over, inverting onto the serving plate. Slowly remove the ramekin making sure the cake has released. If the cake has not dropped to the plate, allow it to rest for a minute or two then gently pound the plate on a counter top.
- Sift a little powdered sugar on top, add fresh raspberries or strawberries and a small scoop of vanilla ice cream if desired. Serve and enjoy.
Notes
- This recipe has been tested using two (7 ounce) 4” x 2.5” ramekins. If you’re not positive about the size of your ramekins, test by making sure they’ll hold about 1 cup of water and have similar dimensions as those mentioned above.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This looks incredibly delicious! My boys would devour them quickly.
Ain’t nothin wrong with essentially underbaked cake. YUM!