What’s the one thing that makes these Molten Chocolate Cakes stand out from the crowd? The oozing chocolate centre. It isn’t raw cake batter, it’s chocolate ganache. No more stressing about overcooking and losing the chocolate lava – because melted chocolate will always ooze!
Molten Chocolate Cakes
Molten Chocolate Cakes, also known as Lava Cakes, are warm individual-size chocolate cakes with oozing chocolate centres.
Most recipes will simply have you undercooking a chocolate cake batter, so the outside is set like cake but the inside is raw batter that pours out like lava when you cut into it. Hence the name!
But why settle for cake batter when you can have the real thing? I’ll take molten real chocolate over raw cake, thanks!
What you need for Lava Cakes
Here’s what you need to make Molten Chocolate Cakes:
Dark chocolate / semi-sweet chocolate chips – for both the cake batter and the chocolate ganache filling. Anything up to 50% cocoa will work here. Do not use chocolate with a higher cocoa %. The cake isn’t as soft and also it’s quite hard to make a small batch of ganache with a high cocoa % chocolate;
Flour – A surprisingly small amount, just 2 tablespoons for 4 cakes! Are you shocked? 🙂 These babies are literally mostly chocolate – and we’re all very happy about that!!
4 eggs – We’re using 2 whole eggs and 2 yolks.
Leftover egg whites – Here’s my list of what I do with them and all my egg white recipes can be found in this recipe collection;
Sugar – White caster sugar / superfine sugar. The finer grains make it easier to incorporate into the batter;
Butter – Unsalted; and
Cream – Heavy / thickened cream to make the ganache filling.
If you’re short on time, you can just use Lindt balls instead of making your own ganache!
How to make Molten Chocolate Cakes
You’ll need a few hours for the ganache to set so you can scoop up balls to drop into the batter. But once that’s done, the cake itself is a 10-minute hand-mixing job, and a 20-minute bake.
1. Ganache for molten chocolate filling
This ganache is thicker than traditional ganache. Ordinarily, a ratio of 1:1 chocolate to cream is used. For Lava Cakes, I use less cream so the ganache oozes more thickly and slowly. Otherwise it runs out of the cake too quickly.
Ganache – First, make the ganache. Traditionally ganache is made by pouring hot cream over chocolate, letting it stand to make the chocolate melt then stirring until it’s smooth and combined.
For this recipe, we only need a small batch of ganache. This doesn’t work so well using the hot cream method. So we’re doing it the old-school way: put chocolate and cream in a bowl, microwave in 20-second bursts to melt, then stir until combined and smooth; and
Chill ganache – Once melted, refrigerate until it’s firm enough to scoop into balls. For a small bowl, it shouldn’t take longer than 2 hours or so.
Remember: If you’re short on time, you can just use a Lindt ball instead of making ganache!
2. Molten Chocolate Cake batter
Start the batter once the ganache is firm:
Grease & dust moulds: Grease 4 x 170ml / 5.75 oz dariole or pudding moulds with butter then dust inside with cocoa powder. This ensures the cakes slip right out. You’ll see me demo how I do the dusting in the recipe video below.
No moulds? No problems! Just use ramekins or muffin tins. The puddings won’t stand as tall, but it will taste just as good! Bake times in recipe notes.
Melt chocolate: Melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring in-between. Then leave to cool for 5 minutes to ensure it doesn’t cook the eggs!
Finish Batter: Whisk the eggs and sugar first, then add the chocolate mixture and finally fold through the flour.
Avoid vigorously mixing. There’s not much flour in this, but we can still over-work the gluten which will make the cake less tender. Once you can no longer see flour and the batter has come together and is smooth, stop mixing;
Fill moulds: Fill the prepared moulds ⅓ of the way with the batter;
Drop in ganache: Drop in one generously-heaped teaspoon of ganache and cover with more batter until it reaches 1.5cm below the rim;
Bake for 20 minutes, feeling confident in the knowledge that you needn’t worry about an overcooked molten centre that doesn’t ooze! Because ganache will always ooze!
Turn out: Stand for 2 minutes to let the cake stabilise a bit so it won’t collapse when you turn it out. Then place the mould upside-down on a plate. Give the base a solid tap with a spoon, and gently slide mould off. Voila!
And now, for that moment everybody been anticipating … when you crack into the cake and see that hot chocolate lava come pouring out. Ooof … Surely one of the greatest chocolate theatre moments in living history!
Backtracking a bit now to plating up. 🙂 A scoop of ice cream or dollop of whipped cream is sensational here. The whole hot vs cold and creamy thing is amazing. Finish with a dusting of cocoa powder to pretty it up.
A splash of colour and freshness is always nice, whether it be strawberries, raspberries or perhaps some little edible flowers for looks.
Hmm, it looks like quite a frightful mess once you start digging in, doesn’t it? But a deliciously frightful mess, right?? – Nagi x
PS Extra bonus: keeps 3 to 4 days and you still get the molten centre because reheating won’t cook the chocolate ganache inside! I just reheat in the microwave for 45 seconds, and it is as good as new. If you try reheating the raw cake batter Lava Cakes, the inside cooks.
Watch how to make it
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Molten Chocolate Cakes
Ingredients
Molten Chocolate Ganache Centre:
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips or melts/ semi sweet chocolate chips (Note 1)
- 4 tbsp cream , heavy/thickened
Cake Batter:
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips or melts/ semi sweet chocolate chips (Note 1)
- 100g / 7 tbsp unsalted butter , cut into 1cm / ½" cubes
- 2 eggs , at room temperature
- 2 egg yolks , at room temperature (Note 2)
- 1/2 cup caster/superfine sugar (sub ordinary white sugar)
- 2 tbsp flour , plain / all purpose
To Serve:
- Ice-cream or cream (highly recommended!)
- Cocoa or icing sugar / powdered sugar , for dusting
- Strawberries , raspberries or edible flowers, optional decoration
Instructions
Molten chocolate ganache:
- Place chocolate and cream in a microwave-proof bowl. Microwave on high for three 20-second bursts, stirring in between, until chocolate is melted and smooth.
- Let cool on the counter for 10 minutes, then refrigerate for 3 hours or until firm enough to scoop into balls. (Note 3)
Cake:
- Preheat oven to 200°C / 390°F (180°C fan).
- Grease & dust moulds: Grease 4 x 170ml / 5.75oz dariole or pudding moulds with butter then dust insides with cocoa powder, tapping out excess. (Note 4)
- Melt chocolate and butter: Place chocolate and butter in a bowl. Microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring in between. Stir well until smooth, then leave to cool for 5 minutes.
- Whisk eggs and sugar: In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks and sugar.
- Combine with chocolate: Add the melted chocolate into the eggs, and mix until combined.
- Fold through flour: Add flour and fold through until just combined. Do not over-mix.
- Fill moulds: Pour or scoop the batter into prepared moulds until it reaches ⅓ of the way up.
- Drop in ganache: Place one generously-heaped teaspoon of ganache into middle of batter. Top with more batter until it reaches 1.5cm / ⅗" from the top rim. Repeat for remaining moulds.
- Bake 20 minutes: Place the moulds on an oven tray and bake for 20 minutes, or until the pudding tops spring back when gently touched.
- Turn out: Stand for 2 minutes, then turn onto plate. Tap base then gently remove each mould.
- Serve with ice-cream or cream, dusted with cocoa powder. Decorate with strawberries!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Every year, I vow that this is the year I will teach Dozer to hold a rose in his mouth for a sweet Valentine’s Day photo!
I continue to fail.
Please just pretend I’m not there, holding his snout closed around what turned out to a rather thorny rose. Oops! 😂
it was delightful but it was a bit of a faf getting everything ready it was really good overall though it says you can make 4 but actually it makes 6 it oozed out and it was great fun recomend getting strawberries and dipping them in the centre
Again a recipe that turned out perfect!!!!!
I just made this tonight for a surprise Valentine’s Day treat for my husband. Soooo delicious!!! It got 5 star reviews all round. Will definitely make it again. Thank you so much!
I made this for my hubby’s birthday. feedback was good. Easy to follow recipe. My ganache didn’t ooze out. I wonder if it’s because I put in about 1 tablespoon of filling instead of 1 teaspoon. Will try less ganache next time. I managed to fill 3 ramekins with a big dome at the top. Next time will try less batter and fill up 4 ramekins. Thanks.
Hi Nagi – can you safely triple this recipe?
Hi. I can’t wait to bake this but Is there a way to make this gluten free? Thanks.
The best lava cake 😋 Thank you it’s delicious 🥰
Turned out wonderfully, and not overly sweet. Surprisingly uncomplicated to do. Enjoyed making them with my teen daughter for Mother’s Day dinner. Got compliments from everyone!
Awwww! I love it that you cook together!! Happy Belated Mother’s Day! N x
Hi Nagi,
I made the lava cakes today as a trial before a dinner party. They were a bit too sweet for me, do you think the recipe would still work if I reduced the sugar content?
Hi! Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe! The ganache recipe is wonderful! I encountered a problem where my batter became too oily after making it sit in room temperature for 5 mins while I was scooping my batter to my ramekins. All my ingredients were in room temperature and I followed the recipe exactly. Do you think it’s because of the weather since I live in a humid and hot country? What should I do to avoid oily cakes and batter? (I’ve been really stumped on this problem)
Thank you in advance 💗
I am ready to make but realized I don’t have cocoa powder for dusting the ramekins. Could I use powdered sugar instead for dusting the ramekins?
You can Debbie – you just might get a few white marks on them which is why I usually use cocoa! N x
I don’t have individual molds, but I have a standard size pop over pan I’d like to try using. Can you tell me how many fluid ounces your mold holds, so I can compare to see if the pop over pan would work?
Do you have a link for the recommended pudding molds? For some reason searching by the dimensions you listed I’m having an issue coming up with the proper mold. There are so many to choose from and I don’t want to mess it up. Thank you for your time!!
Try ebay or a specialty baking site – it really depends on what country you are in! N x
I made this today for the first time. Tasted delicious but the centre didn’t ooze. I think I left the ganache in the fridge too long. I had to scrape it out with a tablespoon – it wasn’t scoopable. I also applied it straight from the fridge so I think that’s where I went wrong. Also, when I turned it upside down, it broke and the ganache was left at the bottom of the ramekin. Hopefully it will work out better next time.
Yes Nicola, you really need to follow the details with regards to fridge times or other timing on baking recipes as it can make a huge difference in the final result!! N x
Hi there, could I make these ahead of time and pop in the oven when ready to serve
Cheers
Always such great recipes Nagi
Have converted many friends 🙂
I haven’t let them sit very long before baking Lorraine – I would suggest baking first and reheating as per the notes just before serving. N x
Ah yes thanks Nagi
I made these for Valentine’s Day as well and they were excellent! I used Lindt chocolates instead of making the ganache – so delicious!
What a great idea Lori! N x
Absolutely delish! I made these for Valentine’s Day. I made the ganache the night before, used a muffin pan and the cakes turned out amazing.
I’d like to try this, but cream is ridiculously expensive around here. Would canned evaporated milk work instead?
I do have a question, for the eggs do I need a total of 20 eggs or 40? This is urgent!!
Hi Meghan – the recipe calls for 2 eggs plus 2 egg yolks – total of 4 eggs. N x
I was wondering whether the ganache could be made the night before and if so can I use it straight from the fridge?
Thanks.
I’ve made this 3 times now. I definitely feel proper dariole moulds are better than ramekins. The cakes made in ramekins just didn’t cook consistently for me either underdone or over. It was 3rd time lucky dariole mould cakes came out perfectly with the lindt balls for centre.
Jenny, have you had success reheating these Lava cakes with the Lindt balls inside? Does it still ooze out? Want to make them in advance for Xmas. Thanks!
Thanks for the update Jenny! N x