Chocolate Lava Cake Recipe | Make Molten Chocolate Cake At Home

If you're among the tribe of people who almost always order a chocolate lava cake at a restaurant, then this is dedicated to you. The best chocolate lava cake recipe is presented here to ensure you can bake your own lava cake anytime you wish. Sumptuous molten chocolate cake oozing with melted chocolate is our idea of heaven and this sinful cake with warm chocolate flowing out, served with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, is just that!

Whether you are looking to impress your family with another winner dessert recipe or simply want a luscious treat for yourself during the lockdown, this molten chocolate cake recipe checks all boxes.
 

Chocolate Lava Cake oozing hot molten chocolate dusted with cocoa and ready to eat

Just five ingredients! We love 5 ingredient recipes

All you need to make this easy chocolate lava cake recipe are five ingredients – eggs, butter, sugar, chocolate, and all-purpose flour (maida). That’s it for ingredients.

The process of how to make chocolate lava cake is divided into six steps – preparing the ramekins, beating the eggs and sugar, melting the chocolate and the butter in a double boiler, folding the egg-sugar mix into the butter-chocolate mixture, chilling the batter, and finally baking it. The lava cake is usually baked in serving portions in ramekins or other small metal molds.
 

Melt butter and chocolate in a homemade double boiler using a pan and heatproof glass bowl
 

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Whip eggs and sugar till pale in colour and thickened

The original molten chocolate cake recipe – the origin story

The origin of this easy chocolate lave cake a subject of dispute. The US-based chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten claims to have created molten chocolate cake in New York City (1987) while chocolatier Jacques Torres from France says such a cake already existed. Vongerichten, supposedly pulled a cake out from the oven before its scheduled time and found the center runny but loved the taste and texture. Whether he invented it or not, he is still believed to have popularized the molten chocolate cake as we know it now.
 

Add half the chocolate mixture to the beaten eggs and gently fold. Repeat for remaining chocolate mixture.

What is the difference between chocolate lava cake and chocolate fondant

We often get a question from our readers about the difference between chocolate lava cake and chocolate fondant. The confusion between the two arises because of the similarity of both the cakes including their ingredients. However, when you cut into a chocolate lava cake it oozes out liquid chocolate that flows onto your plate while the chocolate fondant when cut doesn't flow out. It still creamy and chocolate-y and melts in the mouth. Another difference is that the chocolate fondant recipe uses more butter and chocolate and comparatively less flour than the chocolate lava cake.
 

Gently fold the batter together till no white streaks remain

How to make chocolate lava cake well

To make the chocolate lava cake well, you need to prepare your baking bowls or ramekins before you start preparing the other ingredients. Preparing the baking bowls or ramekins, means greasing them generously with butter, and lightly dusting them with flour. This step helps later in releasing the cake from the ramekin easily and it also ensures the batter doesn't stick to the bowl or ramekin. Some people also like to make this cake in brioche molds and other metallic molds if they are oven-proof.
 

Pour molten chocolate cake batter into buttered ramekins or molds dusted with flour
 

Ensure that all the ingredients are at room temperature before you start. Temperature of the ingredients is a key element. Ingredients at room temperature ensure a smooth and airy batter which will give the desired texture to the chocolate lava cake when baked. This is especially useful in recipes which need you to cream the butter and sugar for a lighter cake crumb.
 

Run a knife around the edge of the chocolate lava cake to loosen
 

The step of refrigerating the batter-filled ramekins overnight is not essential but leads to much better results. If you’re in a hurry, chill the batter-filled ramekins for at least 3 hours before you bake them. Remove them from the refrigerator and set them out on the baking rack at room temperature for 10 minutes before sliding the rack into the preheated oven.

We love using bitter-sweet chocolate for this molten chocolate cake with egg, but you can use your preferred variety of chocolate – we suggest a 50 to 70% chocolate for best results. All you need to ensure is that you use the best chocolate you can lay your hands on, for the best tasting chocolate lava cake. This holds for all our delicious chocolate recipes like the Ultimate Hot Chocolate and our additive Caramel Chocolate Mousse.
 

Flip the cake quickly and unmold onto a plate
 

This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled if you are making it for a larger gathering.

DIY double boiler | How to make a double boiler at home

If you do not have a double boiler, it can easily be made at home. Here’s how! First choose two pots / pans that are almost the same size with one just slight smaller than the other. To check if they are right for making a double boiler, place the smaller one on the larger one. It should sit on the rim of the larger one with just a bit of its base going into the larger one below. It should not go all the way in. Fill the larger lower pot with an inch of water and put the burner on medium heat. When the water starts simmering, place the other smaller pot (an oven proof glass bowl works too) on top of the pot which has simmering water. This should be done in a manner that the heatproof pot on top does not touch the water but sits on the rim of the pot below it. Now reduce the heat to low and your double boiler is ready. In our chocolate lave cake recipe, now is when you add butter and chocolate in the top pot. Keep stirring until just melted and no more. You can then remove the heatproof bowl with the melted chocolate and butter and continue to stir the chocolate-butter mixture using a spatula until smooth. The purpose of the double boiler is to apply gentle heat to the ingredients it contains, in this case, the chocolate and butter. If chocolate is heated directly it can burn. You could do the same process in a microwave too but will need to constantly watch the chocolate to prevent any unfavourable results.
 

Use a spoon or a fork to devour this molten chocolate cake

Serving suggestions for the best chocolate lava cake

Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream or thick cream. You can drizzle the ice-cream with a raspberry sauce and garnish with a sprig of mint for a touch of freshness and visual appeal. Or dust with cocoa powder before serving.
 

Top shot of Chocolate Lava Cake on the plate as well as in a ramekin
 

Try our chocolate lava cake recipe with a step by step process along with photos and video. Find the complete details of how to make the best chocolate lava cake at home including all ingredients and cooking method here.