Taste and Occasion
A characteristic feature of lava cake is its consistency: rather firm and crispy on the outside, creamy-soft to runny on the inside. Like chocolate mousse, the dessert is almost always served in small individual portions, not as a large cake.
The Lava Cake recipe I'm sharing with you in this post is actually very simple and, most importantly, quick to make.
You only need basic baking ingredients, no special Lava Cake molds and of course, no baking mix. The only slightly tricky point: the baking time. It's about your life minutes…! You may need a try or two to get the perfect consistency for you.
But after all, there are far worse things than snacking your way through different versions of lava cake, right 😉 ?
Ingredients
Most recipes for warm chocolate cupcakes, known by names like petit gâteau, chocolate lava cake, moelleux au chocolat, lava cake or fondant au chocolat, are based on the same ingredients: chocolate, butter, sugar and eggs.
However, the proportions differ, sometimes significantly. And even the amount of sugar ranges from 50 to almost 200 grams. My motto: less is more.
Lava cake is served while still warm - either spooned or toppled. There are special lava cake molds that are supposed to make the cakes easy to turn out. However, in my experience, these are superfluous.
Suitable are, among other things, souffle molds or simple canning jars (lintel jars). If they are well greased, the French chocolate cakes with liquid core really come off easily.
And the result tastes heavenly. When you eat it, you feel a bit like you fell into a big bowl of chocolate cake batter in the land of milk and honey… 🙂
How to Make the Lava Cake
Let's get started with the recipe: First of all, chop the chocolate into small pieces. Melt it with together with butter in a hot water bath. Stir everything well once and let it cool until lukewarm.
For the next step, preheat your oven to 374°F/190°C and grease 4 souffle dishes or tumblers well; they should be about 3 inches/7-8 cm in diameter. If you want to overturn the Lava Cakes later, you can also cut a small piece of baking paper round and place it on the bottom of the glasses for safety.
Now, beat the eggs with the sugar for a few minutes until they are light and fluffy. Sift the flour over them. Add salt and lukewarm chocolate-butter mixture and mix everything gently. Divide the batter among the moulds (it barely rises in the oven).
Bake your Lava Cakes for 9-14 minutes, see tip. And serve them immediately while they are still warm. Dust the Lava Cakes with powdered sugar if desired and offer them for spooning, or wait a minute after baking and then carefully turn them out.
Top Tip
The crux - the baking time - is also specified exceptionally differently. Of course, every oven is different. Personally, I like it more soft-creamy instead of runny. Still, I will give you good clues in the recipe for testing different consistencies.
Recipe Card
How To Make Chocolate Lava Cake
Ingredients
- 150 grams (0.9 cups) dark chocolate
- 140 grams (0.6 cups) butter
- 3 eggs , large or 4 smaller ones
- 60 grams (0.3 cups) sugar
- 40 grams (0.3 cups) all-purpose flour, or cornstarch
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Melt with the butter in a hot water bath. Stir well once and let cool until lukewarm.
- Preheat oven to 374°F/190°C. Grease 4 souffle dishes or tumblers well; they should be about 3 inches/7-8 cm in diameter. If you want to overturn the Lava Cakes later, you can also cut a small piece of baking paper round and place it on the bottom of the glasses for safety.
- Beat the eggs with the sugar for a few minutes until light and fluffy. Sift the flour over them. Add salt and lukewarm chocolate-butter mixture and mix gently. Divide batter among moulds (it barely rises in the oven).
- Bake Lava Cakes for 9-14 minutes, see tip. Serve immediately while still warm. Dust with powdered sugar if desired and offer for spooning, or wait a minute after baking and then carefully turn out.
Notes
- The perfect baking time depends on your oven, of course, but also on other criteria.
- It varies depending on how runny or creamy you want the center to be and whether you have larger shallow ramekins or smaller and taller ones.
- Rule of thumb: For flat souffle molds with a diameter of 3 inches/8-9 cm, it takes a maximum of 10 minutes for a liquid center and about 12 minutes for a creamy-soft center. For higher ramekins with a diameter of 2.5 inches/6-7 cm, it takes about 11 minutes for a liquid center and about 13 minutes for a soft-creamy center.
Ingredient substitutions
Similar Recipes
Are you a chocolate lover through and though? If that's the case, feel free to have a look at my other delicious chocolate recipes such as my super quick and moist Chocolate Muffins or these soft Chocolate Chip Cookies Dough Brownies.
About Kathrin & Jan
It's like a little miracle to me every time. Seemingly simple ingredients are made into something that can brighten up your life. Butter, sugar, eggs, and flour melt into an airy biscuit, a fine tart, a juicy cake, or a crispy biscuit. Baking simply makes you happy. Welcome and enjoy our blog!
Kathrin & Jan
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