These easy molten chocolate lava cakes for two are the perfect Valentine's Day dessert that secretly take just 20 minutes to make. They are so decadent and oozing with rich melted chocolate. You can even prep the batter ahead of time and bake when needed!
If you've been on my blog for any period of time, you know that I love chocolate. Just take a look at my triple chocolate brownies, chocolate raspberry cupcakes, and brown butter chocolate chip cookies.
However... no offense to those recipes, but sometimes I want something even easier. I'm talking, 20 minutes from start-to-finish, no mixer necessary, 7 ingredients easy. These molten chocolate lava cakes come to the rescue.
The fact that this is a small batch recipe that yields just 2 servings is even better- I can satisfy my near-constant chocolate cravings without worrying about leftovers AND without a ton of effort!
I ignore Valentine's Day every year but these lava cakes would be the perfect dessert for that holiday. They look so fancy and decadent, but nobody will know that you put basically no time and effort into them and yet you still did better than Chili's and Domino's.
Jump to:
Ingredients
- Semi-sweet or bittersweet baking chocolate: These lava cakes get all of their chocolate flavor from melted chocolate- there is no cocoa powder in the batter. For that reason, it's important to use QUALITY chocolate! I always use Bakers semi-sweet baking chocolate (56% cacao), but Ghiradelli, Lindt, Guittard, and Callebaut are also great. For more intense, less sweet lava cakes, go for chocolate with a higher percentage cacao. Only have chocolate chips at home? See my FAQ below.
- Butter: Adds incredible flavor and creates a fudgy texture.
- Egg + egg yolk: I know using an extra egg yolk is annoying, but it helps to create a fudgy, brownie-like texture.
- Flour: For structure.
- Powdered sugar: Adds sweetness. You don't want to use regular granulated sugar here- powdered sugar prevents the under-baked center from being gritty.
- Vanilla & salt: For flavor.
Step By Step Instructions
STEP 1: Prep your ramekins. Spray 2 ramekins with nonstick spray or coat with butter, then dust with cocoa powder. Normally you dust cake pans with flour, but cocoa powder is used here because this is a chocolate cake.
STEP 2: Melt the butter and chocolate. Just throw them in a bowl and microwave in 30 second increments until smooth. This can also be done over a double boiler.
STEP 3: Whisk eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until combined.
STEP 4: Combine wet and dry ingredients. Add the beaten eggs, flour, powdered sugar, and salt to the melted chocolate mixture. Stir or whisk until a thick batter forms.
STEP 5: Bake. Divide the batter between the two ramekins and bake for 11-13 minutes.
STEP 6: Invert and serve. Let the cakes cool for a minute, then invert onto your serving plates and enjoy! (Don't forget to top with vanilla ice cream too!)
FAQ
You can prep the batter ahead of time. Follow the recipe through Step 5, then cover the filled ramekins and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Bring to room temperature before baking or bake straight from the fridge (they make take an extra minute or two in the oven).
You can use chocolate chips instead, but pure baking chocolate is best. It gives a more rich and chocolate-y flavor (which is especially important because this recipe does not have cocoa powder). Also, chocolate chips contain stabilizers to prevent them from fully melting down, while baking chocolate doesn't- this means that lava cakes with baking chocolate will be more gooey and molten.
I have tried these 4 ounce and 8 ounce ramekins for this recipe and both have been fine. 6 ounce ramekins also work. If you're buying a new set of ramekins specifically for this recipe, I recommend getting 6 ounce ramekins because they're the most widely used for other recipes like chocolate soufflé and crème brûlée as well.
If you don't have ramekins, you can bake these in a muffin pan instead. Grease and dust 3 muffin tins with cocoa powder, just like you would with the ramekins. Bake for around 8-10 minutes and remove them from the pan using a spoon.
The edges should be firm and set, but the centers will still look a little soft. This is also based partly on preference- the total baking time for this recipe is 11-13 minutes, but you can bake closer to 11 minutes for more gooey lava cakes, and closer to 13 minutes for more well-done lava cakes.
Topping Ideas
- Vanilla ice cream
- Fresh berries (raspberries are my favorite!)
- Chocolate ganache
- Homemade whipped cream
- Dusting of powdered sugar or cocoa powder
- Melted peanut butter
Storing and Freezing Instructions
These lava cakes are best served warm. Cover and freeze leftover baked and cooled lava cakes for up to 2-3 months. Heat them up in the microwave before serving. To make the batter ahead, see the FAQ above.
More Chocolate Recipes You'll Love
Leave a STAR REVIEW below if you try this recipe! Tag me on Instagram @treatsbytalija and for more ideas, check out the other desserts on my blog!
PrintEasy Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes for Two
These easy molten chocolate lava cakes for two are the perfect Valentine's Day dessert that secretly take just 20 minutes to make. They are so decadent and oozing with rich melted chocolate. Even better, you can prep the batter ahead of time and bake when needed!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 2 lava cakes 1x
- Category: cakes & cupcakes, chocolate
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 3 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet baking chocolate, finely chopped
- 57 grams (½ stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
- 1 large egg and 1 yolk
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 32 grams powdered sugar, sifted if lumpy
- 15 grams all-purpose flour
- Generous pinch of salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425˚F (218˚C). Spray 2 ramekins (4, 6, or 8 ounces) with nonstick spray or coat with butter, then dust with cocoa powder. Tap the ramekins so the cocoa powder coats the sides of the ramekins. Place on a small baking sheet and set aside.
- Combine chocolate and butter in a medium bowl. Microwave in 20 second increments, stirring after each increment, until fully melted and smooth. You can also do this over a double boiler. Set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg, egg yolk, and vanilla until combined.
- Add the egg mixture, along with the powdered sugar, flour, and salt, to the melted chocolate. Whisk or stir until just combined. The batter will be thick.
- Pour batter into the prepared ramekins. At this point, you can also cover and refrigerate the filled ramekins for up to 2 days, or immediately move on to Step 6.
- Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until the edges are slightly set and firm but the centers are still soft.
- Allow cakes to cool in the pan for 1 minute. Cover each ramekin with an inverted plate, then using oven mitts, carefully turn it over to release the cake.
- Add any desired toppings and serve while warm.
Notes
- You can use chocolate chips instead of baking chocolate, but baking chocolate produces cakes with a better flavor and more molten center.
- You can scale this recipe up for more servings if desired.
- While the centers of these cakes are undercooked to achieve a gooey consistency, they will still reach above 160˚F (71˚C), which is high enough to make the eggs and flour safe to consume.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 lava cake
- Calories: 577
- Sugar: 40.2 g
- Sodium: 1206 mg
- Fat: 40 g
- Carbohydrates: 50.7 g
- Protein: 8.7 g
- Cholesterol: 246.5 mg
Keywords: chocolate lava cakes, lava cakes for two, molten chocolate cakes, small batch lava cakes
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