This Easy Chocolate Lava Cake will give you everything you need in a decadent dessert….warm, chocolatey, gooey, and indulgent! The fact that you can have it done in 20 minutes only makes it even more decadent. If you need a special treat for your Valentine’s Day, anniversary, or celebration, this is it my friend!
The best part of this recipe is that it is one of the easiest desserts you will ever make. Simple ingredients that everyone has on hand but the results are out of this world! Just don’t tell anyone how ridiculously easy it was to throw together. They should believe you slaved for hours in the kitchen just for them.
Plus, double bonus….you can make these ahead of time, cover tightly, refrigerate, and then bake them when you are ready. They will need an extra 3 minutes in the oven, but they work perfectly this way as well!
I particularly love these cakes as a Valentine’s Day dessert because they are just plain sexy! Come on….take a look at these and tell me you don’t agree?
Is it safe to eat chocolate lava cake?
This question comes because of the large amount of egg in the recipe and it doesn’t “fully bake” like a normal cake.
Yes, molten lava cakes are perfectly safe to eat because even though the cake doesn’t fully set, the eggs reach a high enough temperature to be completely safe. No worries!
What to serve with easy chocolate lava cake
Since this cake is rich and indulgent, you want to find something to cut down on that a bit to balance it out.
The classic pairing is vanilla ice cream and my husband likes to scoop it right onto the top so he can eat it like the best hot fudge sundae.
I prefer using whipped cream, but one that only has a hint of sweetness to it. For me, it is the perfect balance with the warm, sweet chocolate cake.
How do you know when chocolate lava cake is done?
Unlike a normal cake where you insert a cake tester or a toothpick to test, a lava cake won’t work with this method. The whole point is to NOT have it fully bake through….or you eliminate the lava 🙂
Instead, you want to make sure the cake is set across the top. Tap it gently and be sure a crust has formed. After that, you are good to go.
I prefer a lava cake that is heavy on the lava, so the bake time of 13 minutes will give you a beautiful, generous lava core. Be cautious going longer than that and remember that it will continue to bake after it comes out of the oven.
Looking for more chocolate dessert recipes?
Frosted Fudgy Brownies 
Chocolate Buttercream Frosting
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Print Easy Chocolate Lava Cake
Molten chocolate lava cakes make a show stopping dessert for a special night but they are so easy to make! Serve with vanilla ice cream for a perfect ending to your meal.
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 8 cakes
Ingredients
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8 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
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15 Tb butter
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4 1/2 eggs (just beat up one egg and eyeball about half of it)
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4 1/2 egg yolks (same as above)
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2 1/4 C powdered sugar
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3/4 C flour
Instructions
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Place ramekins on a jelly roll pan and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
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In a medium bowl, place the chocolate and butter. Melt in the microwave for 45 seconds, then stir. Microwave for another 35 seconds then stir until all the chocolate has melted and the butter has mixed in completely. Cool slightly.
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Whisk eggs and yolks together in a large bowl. Whisk in sugar until smooth. Slowly add the chocolate mixture and then the flour. Beat until combined. Pour batter evenly into the 8 ramekins. I used an ice cream scoop to make that easier. (They can be covered and chilled for one day at this point)
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Bake for 13 minutes or 16 minutes if the batter has been refrigerated. Allow the cakes to sit about 8-10 minutes after baked so the filling isn’t dangerous. Serve with your favorite ice cream or whip cream.
- Prep Time: 7 minutes
- Cook Time: 13 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baked
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cake
- Calories: 603
- Sugar: 55 g
- Sodium: 85 mg
- Fat: 36 g
- Saturated Fat: 20 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 67 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 265 mg
Keywords: easy chocolate desserts, valentine’s day desserts, chocolate cake
Eftychia says
This is a very nice recipe. I love chocolate in all its forms. Thanks for sharing!!
Joy says
If I do not have ramekins, what is a suitable substitute?
Carole says
Great question Joy! You can use a coffee mug or small oven safe bowl.
Marie says
These were absolutely amazing! I made them for my family over the holidays and they were just what I was looking for because I’ve tried others that were just ok.
Carole says
I’m so happy to hear it Marie! Thank you so much for coming back and leaving your review because it helps out so much 🙂
Shelly says
Wow! You weren’t kidding about how amazing these are. Thank you. They are dangerous but we will be making them again 🙂
Carole says
I’m so glad you loved them Shelly! And thanks for coming back and leaving a review. They help so much!