Molten Lava Cake (gooey middles!)

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The Molten Lava Cake is one of the easiest and most decadent desserts to make at home! It only takes a few ingredients that you probably already have on hand! If you love chocolate, try my Perfect Chocolate Cake with Easy Chocolate Frosting. It’s one of my most popular recipes!

What is lava cake?

Lava Cake is a mixture of chocolate cake and soufflé. Originally from France, lava cakes are made from a combination of eggs, chocolate, sugar, butter and flour. The outside is a dense chocolate cake, while the inside is essentially uncooked cake batter brought to temperature for safety. The center is particularly hot, which is why this dessert is called Molten Lava Cake.

You can top this dessert with powdered sugar, whipped cream, ice cream, syrup and/or fresh berries.

What kind of dish do I use?

Molten lava cakes are typically baked in a muffin tin or a casserole dish. Pudding cups can also be used and are similar in size and shape to ramekins. The main difference is that custard cups are made of porcelain or glass and are used for serving, while ramekins are typically made of ovenproof ceramic or silicone and are used for baking.

How to make lava cake

For full recipe details, including ingredients needed, see the printable recipe card below. If you want to do Mini lava cakes If you’re using a mini muffin tin, scroll down for step-by-step instructions on how to do it. Here’s what you can expect when preparing this recipe:

Preheat oven + prep

Preheat oven. spray 4 pudding cups or casserole dishes with Nonstick Cooking Spray and put on a baking tray.

Make the dough

Melt in a microwave-safe bowl butter And Chocolate until the butter has melted. Stir until the chocolate has melted. stir in Sugar until well mixed. Stir in eggs And egg yolk. stir in Flour. Distribute evenly into baking pans.

Bake hot and serve

Bake for 13-15 minutes until the sides are firm and the center is soft. Let stand 1 minute before removing. Serve warm with ice cream, whipped cream or powdered sugar and berries!

How to make mini lava cakes

If you want to make mini lava cakes, you need one 24-hole mini muffin tin. Most of the recipe stays the same except for the baking temperature and time. That’s how it’s done:

Prepare a mini muffin pan

preheat the oven 400°F Spray liberally a Mini muffin tin Coat with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.

Make the dough

Melt those Chocolate And butter in a large microwave-safe bowl. Cool down for 3 minutes. stir in eggs And egg egg yolk until incorporated. stir in powdered sugar And Flour. Pour into prepared muffin pan, filling each cavity 3/4 full.

Bake hot and serve!

Bake 4-7 minutes or until the edges are cooked and the centers are tender. Let cool for 5 minutes and carefully remove from the pan with a butter knife. Serve warm whatever your heart desires!

Make Ahead + save instructions

While leftover lava cakes can be chilled and refrigerated to enjoy later, I would highly recommend eating this dessert fresh rather than reheating leftovers. This is because reheating can overcook the center. If you want to reheat I would suggest doing it gently in either the microwave or the oven for a short time.

Prepare (and bake later) – Prepare the dough 2 days in advance and store covered in the refrigerator. Be sure to let the dough come to room temperature before baking.

Freeze – Store in an airtight, freezer-safe container. Baked lava cakes stay up to fresh 3 months in the freezer. Reheat in the microwave, but don’t overdo it, you still want the center to be runny.

More delicious chocolate cake recipes!

Voila! That’s it! Perfect for Valentine’s Day, a date, an anniversary or just because. If you try this recipe, I would appreciate it if you gave it a one star rating and let me know what you think in the comments. The printable recipe card below. 🙂