EASY CHOCOLATE LAVA CAKE is an elegant dessert idea that’s easier to make than you might think!
Dark chocolate takes the center stage with these mini cakes that explode with a molten center when you cut into them. Garnish with some whipped cream and fruit and you’ve got a treat any chocolate lover will go crazy for!
You’ve probably enjoyed these yummy cakes at your favorite restaurants. I know I’ve seen this type of cake on the menus of many of the places I dine at and have enjoyed them for dessert many times. I’ve never thought about trying to make them at home though because I’ve always thought they were too complicated to make. When I stumbled upon an easy recipe for chocolate lava cake on Allrecipes, I knew I had to try my hand at this popular dessert.
I altered the recipe just a bit to suit my tastes, but the recipe itself is very straight forward. The hardest part is judging just when to take the cakes out of the oven. No worries though, if you happen to under-bake them, well, you have more “molten” to enjoy. If you happen to over-bake them, then you have rich little solid chocolate cakes. Either way, you can still enjoy them no matter what happens!
Be sure to use good-quality dark chocolate in this recipe for success. I used Ghiradelli 60% cocoa chips and they produced great flavor and texture! If you use a chocolate bar, make sure you chop up the pieces before melting them with the butter.
Wouldn’t these cakes make a great date night or special occasion dessert for someone you love? Give them a try today! You’ll be glad you did!
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 1/2 oz. dark chocolate chips I used Ghiradelli 60% dark chips
- 5 TBS unsalted butter
- 3 TBS all purpose flour
- 1 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Butter or spray well with non-stick cooking spray, four 5 or 6 oz. glass ramekins. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine the eggs, egg yolks and sugar with an electric mixer on medium speed until they are foamy and light yellow in color.
- In a small bowl, melt the chocolate chips and 5 TBS butter in the microwave on HIGH in 30 second intervals, stirring between each time until melted.
- Whisk the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture until well combined.
- Sift the flour and cocoa powder into the egg mixture and whisk until combined.
- Add in the salt and the vanilla extract and whisk.
- Pour into each prepared ramekin and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
- Place the ramekins into a casserole dish. Pour enough warm tap water into the casserole dish to come up about halfway on the ramekins.
- Bake in oven for 10 -15 minutes or until the tops begin to look dry. (bake time will vary with different ovens)
- Take out of oven and lift ramekins out of water and let cool for 10 minutes. Invert onto cake plate and sprinkle with powdered sugar. Garnish with whipped cream or ice cream and fresh fruit, if desired. Enjoy warm!
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