Chocolate Lava Cakes

Chocolate Lava Cakes have become a holiday tradition. The rich chocolate, sweet berries, and individual servings make for an elegant dessert.

Molten Lava Cakes are perfect for Christmas, Valentine’s Day, or even an après-ski treat to take the chill off.

Why You’ll Love Molten Lava Cakes

I’ve made nearly a dozen different chocolate lava cakes AKA molten lava cake recipes. Some in sugar-crusted ramekins, others in buttered and floured ramekins, but these from Pam Anderson were to be made in muffin tins filled with extra-large paper cupcake liners. A novel procedure that works!

• Everyone gets their own chocolate cake!
• The warm fudgy sauce in the middle pushes the over the top!
• They’re easier to remove than many other lava cakes since they’re baked in muffin tins with paper liners!

Frequently Asked Questions

What Is a Lava Cake?

The original molten lava cakes were created by chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Made with a brownie-like batter versus a typical cake batter, the insides remain liquid or lava-like, while the edges are cooked enough to hold in the molten center.

Why Are These Called Lava Cakes?

These individual chocolate cakes have thick fudgy centers which ooze out when cut into, resembling lava flowing out of a volcano.

Is It Safe to Eat a Lava Cake?

Though the middle of these cakes is warm, the centers are not cooked up to the temperature in which salmonella is killed, or 150°. So it’s best not to serve these to the very young, very old or anyone with a suppressed immune system.

How to Garnish and Serve Lava Cakes?

PRO-Tip: Make sure to let these cool a few minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. If the edges don’t have time to cool and firm up, the lava will ooze out before your fork can break it open.

Once these babies are baked, carefully remove the paper liners and transfer them to serving plates. Garnish these chocolate lava cakes with a sprig of mint and a few sweet raspberries. A dollop of whipped cream would be marvelous, too.

How Do You Reheat Lava Cakes?

Gently reheat leftovers in the microwave, but note that some of the lava may cook and solidify. They’ll still be mighty tasty!

How to Make Molten Lava Cakes

Whether you’ve returned from a run down the slopes or are just enduring the frigid temperatures at home, a warm, comforting dessert is just what the doctor ordered. Though my family loves these enough to indulge on a 90º summer day! Here are some tips for making the perfect molten lava cakes.

• PRO-Tip: These molten lava cakes can be prepped ahead of time and popped in the fridge. Just bring them back to room temperature before baking and in minutes you will have a chocolate lovers’ dream before you!
• The key to perfect chocolate lava cakes recipe is timing. Bake too long and there’s no molten center. Too short and they will collapse. Both ends of the spectrum are still delectable, but watch for the perimeter to look firm and the center (less than the size of a quarter) to appear soft. This could take as little as 8 minutes or up to 12—all depending on the heat of your oven. Mine were perfect at 11 minutes.
• The rest of the recipe is easy. Melt the chocolate and butter, beat the eggs, sugar, and vanilla, then combine the two into one luscious batter. Make sure you use the best quality ingredients for the most delicious results.
• Divide and pour batter into either muffin tins or ramekins. These should have paper liners that have been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. I’ve made many other lava cake recipes without paper liners, just make sure to grease the ramekins well. I like lining the ramekins with a round of greased parchment to avoid any chance of sticking.
• Since the molten centers may not come up to 160º which will kill salmonella, you may want to use pasteurized eggs, especially when serving to children or the elderly.
• I only made a half a batch (FYI, a half a beaten egg is approximately 1 1/2 tablespoon plus a 1/8 teaspoon) so I used 3/4 cup capacity ramekins instead of a tin. 

And here were the thoughtful comments from my family—brace yourself. “They complement the beer well.” “Thems good eats.” “Better than Arby’s.” Did you know Arby’s is now serving molten lava cakes? Me, either! So if you don’t want to get carryout lava cakes from Arby’s, I recommend making these in a couple of weeks for your Valentine or surprising your family any day of the year when they need to warm up from the inside out. This Chocolate Lava Cakes Recipe is a winner!

Join Us for a Weekend Ski Party! Here’s Some Menu Inspiration:

Appetizers

• Bacon Wrapped Chicken Stuffed Jalapeno Bites
• Tandoori Meatballs
• Slow Cooker Asian Style Wings

Drinks

• Brandy Avondale
• Totally Decadent Hot Chocolate with Amaretto

Soup

• Loaded Potato Leek Chowder

Main Course

• Polenta ‘Lasagna’ with Swiss Chard

Bread

• Three Cheese Fondue

Veggies/Side Dishes

• Broccoli Cheese Toasties
• Orange Pomegranate Salad with Fennel Pollen and Toasted Quinoa

Desserts

• Hot Chocolate Custard
• Chocolate Lava Cakes

More Delicious Lava Cake Recipes

There are numerous variations from the classic chocolate version including my White Chocolate Lava Cakes as well as these Pumpkin Butterscotch Lava Cakes, Peanut Butter Cup Lava Cakes, and these gorgeous Raspberry Molten Lava Cakes.

Heck, I’ve even made Chocolate Lava Cookies! There’s even a super easy, full-size, fudgy Chocolate Lava Cake! Plus, if you’re hankering for chocolate cake and don’t want a full-size dessert, try this Chocolate Mug Cake! If you’re a chocoholic, check out my Chocolate Recipes.