There’s nothing quite like breaking into warm chocolate lava cakes and watching that molten centre ooze out—it’s pure dessert heaven. These Chocolate Lava Cakes look and taste impressive but are surprisingly simple to make, with just a handful of ingredients and no fancy equipment needed. The key is keeping a close eye on the baking time so you get that perfect balance of set edges and a gooey, chocolatey centre. Serve them fresh from the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dusting of icing sugar, and you’ve got a restaurant-worthy dessert that’s guaranteed to wow your guests (or just treat yourself…no judgment here!).
If you’re in the mood for something fresh and zesty, check out the Lemon Possets with Summer Fruits, simple, creamy, and a perfect make-ahead dessert.
Chocolate Lava Cakes
Ingredients
- 100 g dark chocolate around 70% cocoa, chopped
- 100 g unsalted butter plus extra for greasing
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 100 g caster sugar
- 50 g plain flour
- Pinch of salt
- Optional: icing sugar vanilla ice cream, fresh berries to serve
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Lightly grease 4 ramekins like these and dust with flour to help the cakes release easily.
- Melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl like this over a pan of simmering water, stirring until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar together until pale and slightly thickened.
- Pour the melted chocolate mixture into the eggs and fold together gently using a silicone spatula to keep the mixture light.
- Sift in the flour and a pinch of salt, then fold until just combined, don’t overmix.
- Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared ramekins.
- Bake for 10–12 minutes, until the edges are set but the centres still have a wobble.
- Leave to rest for 1–2 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and turn out onto plates.
- Serve immediately with a dusting of icing sugar, vanilla ice cream, and fresh berries if you like.
Top Tips for these Chocolate Lava Cakes
Don’t overbake: The magic is in the gooey centre, keep an eye on the timing and take them out when the edges are set but the middle still wobbles slightly.
Make ahead: You can prep the batter ahead of time and keep the filled ramekins in the fridge for a few hours, just add 1–2 minutes to the baking time if baking from chilled.
Grease well: Grease and flour the ramekins properly to make sure the cakes release easily when you turn them out.
Test one first: If it’s your first time making them, bake one as a tester to nail down the perfect baking time in your oven.
Serving ideas: These are amazing with vanilla ice cream, but also try salted caramel sauce or a drizzle of raspberry coulis for something different.