Recipe 60 · Dessert
Thomas's Chocolate Lava Cakes
Little chocolate cakes with a molten, gooey middle that flows out when you cut in. Fancy restaurant dessert, made in your oven.
Jump to recipe ↓Prep15 minutes
Bake11–13 minutes
Serves4 lava cakes
Nutritionabout 420 cal · 6g protein per cake
The centers should jiggle a little when you pull them out — that is the lava.
How to make it
- Heat the oven to 425°F.. Rub the insides of the ramekins with butter, then dust with cocoa powder and tap out the extra. This keeps the cakes from sticking.
- Melt the chocolate and butter.. Put the chocolate and butter in the microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until smooth. Let it cool for 2 minutes.
- Whisk the eggs.. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, yolks and sugar together for about 2 minutes until thick and pale yellow.
- Combine.. Pour the melted chocolate into the eggs and whisk until smooth. Then gently stir in the flour and salt just until mixed.
- Fill the ramekins.. Divide the batter between the four ramekins, filling each about three-quarters full. Set them on the baking sheet.
- Bake 11–13 minutes.. The edges should look firm and set but the centers should still jiggle a little when you shake the pan. That jiggle is the molten lava — do not bake it away.
- Flip and serve.. Let them sit for 1 minute, then run a knife around the edge, flip each one onto a plate, and lift the ramekin off. Dust with powdered sugar and serve right away while the middle is still flowing.
How to serve it
Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. This is a show-off dessert.
Save the leftovers
Best eaten fresh. You can refrigerate leftovers for 1 day and warm them 20 seconds in the microwave to re-melt the center.