Easy Molten Chocolate Lava Cake

Easy Molten Chocolate Lava Cake

Rich, smooth, decadent, this cake should be illegal around the world! This makes for great dinner parties, or for a family of 4. An elegant yet simple dessert idea.

What is a molten cake?

Molten cake is a cake layer surrounded by a molten center. The molten is the center of the dessert when chocolate lava pours out. It is an under baked component in the cake, it is safe to eat and free to slurp up!

A rush of chocolate from the center surrounded by tender cake for a sexy dessert anyone can make in under 20 minutes.

What chocolate is best to use?

I used Ghirardelli bittersweet because the chocolate percenter melts perfectly where as milk chocolate would be incredibly over powering and it does not melt as gracefully as bittersweet. This is due to the fat content in milk chocolate versus semi-sweet chocolate, bittersweet chocolate, extra bitter sweet chocolate (70%-ish), dark chocolate, and unsweetened chocolate. It actually goes in that order! This dessert is sweet enough you don’t need the milk chocolate but if you feel your life is not complete without milk chocolate on your chocolate cake, add some chocolate chip after you invert your ramekins and allow to melt for 1 minute before diving in!

Is this hard to make?

This recipe is pretty self explanatory and hard to mess up. The only problem I foresee is greasing the dish. My mother and I have both had no luck using each others technique. She greases and flours, I just grease and when we try it the opposite ways it never works out for us. SO, I say heavily grease 2 and grease and flour the other 2. See what luck you have. Worse case scenario you eat the cake from the dish!

Can this be mug cake made Gluten Free, Dairy Free, and/or Vegan?

This can be made gluten free using the suggested brand below that I make all my recipes with when gluten free requests pour in. For dairy free, I have yet to test that request. As explained above, the chocolate content has milk fat which is dairy fat. I would say try your luck. Worse case, the center isn’t as runny? Using a dairy free butter wouldn’t alter the cake part, it would just be the choice in chocolate. Remember, any variations to any recipe will either turn out similar or completely different. I would definitely use a dairy free butter and dairy free chocolate any day if I had someone coming over who asked for no dairy. Vegan, work your magic! I would love to try a vegan version of my recipe. Send me the best egg substitute and I am all in!

Watch video below to see start to finish and pick up on a few tips along the way!

Chocolate Molten Cake

  • Servings: 4
  • Difficulty: Easy
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Ingredients

  • 6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
  • 4 ounces unsalted butter
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • Dash of salt
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour*

Directions

  1. Pre-heat oven to 450 degree F. Liberally spray 4 6 ounce ramekins with non-stick spray. Set onto baking sheet.
  2. In a large, microwave-safe bowl melt butter and chocolate together until smooth in 15 second increments.
  3. In a large mixing bowl, using a whisk, beat eggs, sugar, and salt together until pale in color.
  4. Whisking rapidly, temper the eggs by adding chocolate in slowly.
  5. Fold in flour until combined.
  6. Evenly distribute between ramekins. Bake 12 minutes.
  7. Remove from oven, allow to set for 2 minutes. Using a butter knife gently remove sides from dish.
  8. Place a plate over the top, using a heat pad, grab the dish and invert cake on top of the plate.
  9. Dust with powdered sugar, cocoa powder, or ice cream.
  10. Store left overs in refridgerator.

*For gluten free, use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Baking Flour 1:1 ratio.