Molten Lava Cake

Molten Lava Cake is a chocolate lover’s delight. The drama that goes into breaking into the cake to reveal warm, gooey chocolaty goodness, is priceless! It’s a perfect combination and pairs beautifully with cold vanilla ice cream – the . Surprise your sweetheart this Valentine’s Day with this super easy recipe! And, Subha, thanks for this recipe!

Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 10-15 minutes
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:

Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate – 4 oz (113g)
Butter – 4 oz (113g)
Eggs – 2
Sugar – 1/3 cup (75 g)
All-purpose Flour – 1/4 cup (40g)
Butter – for greasing ramekins

Method:

1. In a double boiler, melt chocolate.
2. In a medium mixing bowl, beat Eggs and Sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Once chocolate is melted, remove pan from heat and add in butter. Mix until the butter melts fully.
4. Add chocolate/butter mixture into the eggs, add all-purpose flour and mix until well incorporated.
5. Butter bottom and sides of ramekins (small glass/porcelain bowls) and pour in mixture about 3/4 way full.
6. Place ramekins on a baking tray and bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit (180 C) for 10 – 15 minutes. Shorter for gooey (molten) inside, longer for stiff inside.
7. Serve hot with vanilla ice cream.

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162 thoughts on “Molten Lava Cake

  1. hi Hetal and Anuja,

    I am making these for a group of 12 ppl tonight. Can I double the recipe or will that spoil it?

    Thanks in advance for your help!

    1. Doubling this recipe should be fine. If you are baking them in the small ramekins, the temp and time will not be different as well.

        1. Just a word of caution…it will be very hard to remove the cake from the muffin pan – especially since it is to be served individually. This is the reason we use separate containers (ramekins).

        2. I’ve never used corelle in the oven but if it says oven safe, it should be alright. They must not hold up to the extreme heat from the broiler and stove.

      1. Hi Hetal,

        1) I used the corelle to bake these cakes and they were fine.
        2) Doubling the recipe seemed alright. I made the mixture in the morning and baked the cakes at night. I was trying to get a crustier outside while keeping the gooey texture in the middle but it seemed like I could only have one thing – either crispier outside or gooey inside. Any suggestions?
        3) My batter was at room temperature but it took around 12-14 mins for the cakes to bake.

        Overall, it was great and all of us enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful recipe 🙂 Someday I would love to recreate the Chocolate brownie/muffins that they have at Sweet Tomatoes – that is my all time favorite!

        Thank you again 🙂

        1. Glad everyone enjoyed the cake. Most ovens are different so it is not surprising that it took longer to bake your cake. For me, the gooey center is the most appealing part so it is ok that the outside is not crispy. As long as it has set, it should be fine.

  2. Hi Guys, i tried this Recipe (i am a Novice at cooking) and it was soooo gooood 😛
    Even when the Cake gets cold its very delicious, the Choclate is very smooth inside, melts in your mouth. Thanks so much for this Recipe!

    Greetings from Germany <3

  3. Hi hetal & anuja,

    Great website with mouth watering, homely and simple recipes. I am not able to see the video presentation though. Donno y coz i have been viewing them till about last week. Could u help?

  4. Hey i was wondering instead of Semi-Sweet Baking Chocolate and unsalted butter can you use cooking chocolate and willlow butter.
    Please answer asap
    Thankss

  5. Made them yesterday, and everyone loved it. Very easy to make and tastes great especially with vanilla ice-cream, the perfect combo of warm and cold.

  6. :)that was quick!!.. thanks a million. I’m giving this wonderful recipe of yours a try for rakhi today :)..sure it’ll be a hit! Thanks again, will come back to say how it was!

  7. hey..i had a small question.. weird no ones asked till now, may be coz im the only one new to cooking :P..i dont have a double boiler, are there any alternatives??? pls reply soon.. 🙂

    1. Hi Shreya,

      Double boiler is just a fancy term for one pot resting over another that is filled with water. It is used when you need to heat things without direct heat. The hot water does the heating, not the stove flame. I’m sure you could find a mixing bowl that will rest over a saucepan. Good luck!

      1. hi hetal
        i’m a big fan of ur website its really great i wannet to know where do u buy the semi chocolate from???? plz reply me back

        1. Semi Sweet Chocolate can be found in regular grocery stores in the baking aisle. It comes in different flavors:
          white, dark and milk
          The dark and the milk work great for this recipe.
          Hope that helps.

  8. Your website is wonderful!!I just tried this recipe in my cupcake pan for a dinner with friends and everyone loved it.I increased the amount of chocolate just a little bit and decreased the baking time to around 8 minutes.It was great!And so easy to make.This is going to be a fixture in my dinner parties from now on.I’m thinking of adding some mint chocolate pieces next time.

  9. i saw this receipe n reminded me of carnival cruise. i saw ur earlier post to use flaxseed and water instead of eggs. is there any other substitution besides flaxseed for eggs, i would really like to make it for my mother-in-law without eggs.

  10. I know you said we can use steel bowls (katoris) for this. I just want to confirm we’re talking of the same thing. Do you really mean our desi steel katoris? I’ve never tried them for baking, so just a little surprised. If that’s what you’re talking about, I can make this much sooner!! And I won’t have to go buy more stuff!! 😉
    Thanks you two!! You guys are just awesome!! 🙂

    PS: Have you guys considered showing videos of making desi baby food? I have a 10-months-old son, and I’m running out of interesting food ideas for him. I thing he too is getting bored as he’s started fussing more at meal times! 🙁

    1. Yes, it is the steel katoris that we use with thali.

      We do have a few things like:
      -Mung daal Khichdi
      -Daal Soup (minus the spices)
      -Quinoa Soup (mashed up if the baby does not have teeth)
      -Potato Stew
      Pav Bhaji (bland)
      -Most of the daal minus the spices

      We also have a few more coming up!

  11. Hi again!
    This is one of my favorite dessert videos! The only thing is that i haven’t made it yet! Before I do make it, I have a few question,
    1. Does it make a diffrence if the chocolate is dairy or non-dairy?
    2. Can I make these in a tray of cupcake things?
    3. I know it changes the whole recipe, but would it work to make it into a cake? Or would the whole center deflate?

    I tasted something like this, except that it was not entirely chocolate, it was regular with chocolate chips and then it had a scoop of ice cream ontop! Would you perhaps know of a recipe of that sort? Thanks alot!!! love you show!!

    1. Hi Sara,

      We’ve only tried this recipe with semi-sweet chocolate (non-dairy) so we’re not sure if it will change the texture if you use dairy vs non-dairy. Usually, non-dairy chocolate is used for baking purposes. This recipe will not work in a cupcake pan because when you tip the pan over to remove the cake, all of them will fall out at once. And last, baking it in a pan as a cake would not give you the crust all around and gooey center for all servings. The ones in the middle will only be gooey.

  12. Hi Hetal and Anuja,

    According to earlier postings the batter can be made ahead of time and poured in the ramekins and refrigerated. Can the ramekins be taken right out of the refrigerator to the oven? How much ahead of time can the batter be prepared and refrigerated?

    Thanks in advance,
    Riya

      1. Riya,
        Although we have never tried it, but our guess would be that bringing it down to room temperature and then baking it would work out better that staright out of the refrigerator.
        Let us know which method you and and what the out come is…would love to compare:)
        Hope that helps!

  13. Looks yummy! What are the diameter and height of the ramekins you are using? And how many ramekins does the recipe fill with this size? Thanks!

  14. Hi Hetal & Anuja,
    This recipe was awesome. It brought back memories of the molten lava cake served on the carnival cruise ships 🙂

  15. hi both u fabulous women!!
    i m rite now making this dessret for my loving hubby but its a surprise so i m going to make it ahead of time,pouring into the ramekins,n then at the nite baking it in the oven.
    i have also added a teaspoon of orange zest to make it more citrusy! lets see how tat turns out!
    thnx again for sharing the recipe

  16. Hi Hetal and Anuja,

    You guys are doing a great job. I wanted to know the size of the ramekins you were using in the video. One of the viewers has already posted the same question but its still unanswered. Hope to get a reply.

    All the Best!
    Kiah

    1. Hi Kiah,

      Sorry, we must have missed the earlier comment. Our ramekins are approx 1/4 cup. This sounds small, but since this is a really rich dessert, it’s the perfect amount to have (without feeling too guilty). 🙂

  17. Hi Hetal and Anuja,

    My 3 year old son watches the recipe videos along with me…and guess what he always asks me to play the Molten Lava Cake video…He loves to watch that over and over again..I guess watching this makes him happy cos there is chocolate in there 🙂
    So one day I deviced to make it….and my little one was so happy….he simply loved it. The joy in his face made my day..and I have to thank you both for that. You both are doing a wonderful job…you make a whole family happy!!

      1. Hi Pavithra,

        Thank you so much for sharing your darling little son’s pics with us. He is adorable and truly looks like he is enjoying the cake. Please give him a big hug from Hetal Aunty and Anuja Aunty!

  18. Hi Hetal and Anuja,

    I tried this recipe with whole wheat flour instead of all purpose. After 10-12 of baking the cake looked very undone and so I had to bake it for about 20 mins or so to cook the flour and eggs although I wanted the gooey cake. How can I get the gooey center but the cake should be cooked at the same time?

    Will using whole wheat pastry flour make any difference? I don’t use white flour.

    Thanks for any tips.

  19. Thank you for your lovly receipes and that Moulten Lava Cake looks delicious because I am a chocoholic and I love spicy things

  20. I have come back to your site several times, my 6yo daughter really wanted me to make these cakes and they were quite amazing, as a matter of fact exactly like the ones served in fancy restaurants! Thanks for the easy recipe. Really like your site, please keep the recipes coming!

  21. Hi Rabeea,

    This is more of an individual type dessert. One of our viewers had an innovative idea if you don’t have the ramekins. He baked this cake in coffee mugs! The bake time was a little longer. You can see his comment above.

  22. HI! I really want to make this but I dont have the custard cups. Will it work if I use one cake pan? How long will I have to cook it for?
    Thanks!!

  23. Hi Shaliee and Shantha,

    If you do not have access to remekins, you can also use muffin/cup cake baking pans or steel bowls (katoris). Make sure what you use is oven-proof.

  24. Hi Urmila,

    This cake is best served right out of the oven – otherwise, it looses its “molten” quality. You could prepare everything and put the batter into the ramekins and keep them in the fridge. This way, all you have to do is bake them when you are ready for dessert. It only takes 10-15 minutes to bake.

  25. Hi Anuja & Hetal,

    You both are doing a fabulous job. I have tried out several of your recipes and they all have come out great.I especially appreciate the way you guys even give the amount of salt and water to add in some of the dishes. I love to cook..but the recipes are just approximate measures..I just eyeball everything.Your website gives the measurement of everything accurately. I would like to know how to prepare this cake before hand and heat it just before serving. If you microwave I feel the inside gets cooked.

    Thanks a lot!!!!!

  26. Hi Anuja & Hetal,

    Could you please post the recipe for making pancakes from scratch. I started loving pancakes after I had it in IHOP. I tried few methods it didn’t turn out good.

  27. Hi Aditi,

    You can make this dessert ahead of time but it will definitely lose it’s molten (gooey) quality. One way to get around this is to make the batter ahead of time, pour it into the buttered ramekins and keep them in the refrigerator. It only takes 10-15 minutes baking time and the results will be worth it.

  28. Hi Anuja and Hetal..this receipe looks yummy.i had a question.Can we do it ahead of time and keep?if yes,what would be the bect way to warm it before serving.If kept in oven to re-heat,will it not solidify the gooey stuf inside?.How do i re-heat to keep the gooey stuff intact?

  29. Hi Anuja & Hetal,

    I tried the recipe it turned out excellent. We all enjoyed so much thanks a lot. By showing your recipes online you are making so many people happy.

  30. Well when I got those aluminum cups out, it turned out they were much smaller than I remembered, so I used a pair of coffee mugs instead! The cake ended up cooking for about 18 minutes, but it turned out great, very molten and goey. Thanks so much for this recipe, it’s terrific!!

  31. Hi Jeremy,

    You should be able to use the aluminum cups. The temp would remain the same, however, you will probably have to reduce the baking time to about 8-10 minutes. Let us know if it works for you.

  32. Thanks for the terrific recipe! I have some small aluminum cups about the size of those ramekins, could I use them instead? Would I have to alter the recipe in any way?

  33. I HAVE A REQUEST TO YOU CAN YOU PLZ MAKE CHICKEN PIZZA OR VEGETARIAN PIZZA, I’LL BE GREATFULL TO BOTH OF YOU. I REALLY WANAA LEARN IT. REPLY PLZ.

    THANKU.

    BYE, HETAL AND ANUJA.

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  34. Hi Megha,
    Egg Substitute: 1 tablespoon of ground flax seed powder + 3 tablespoon of water is equivalent to 1 egg. Set this aside for 15 to 20 minutes to get consistency of egg white. This is only good for recipes that call for baking.
    We personally have never tried it but know someone who has. Let us know how well it works for you.
    Enjoy!

  35. Hi Rachita,

    The difference between baking chocolate and regular eating chocolate it that baking choc doesn’t have any cocoa butter in it — only chocolate liqueur and sugar. The presence of cocoa butter may alter the texture of the cake. Also, if you use anything other than semi-sweet baking chocolate, the amount of sugar in the recipe will also have to be adjusted.

  36. Hi
    The recipe looks simple. I would like to know the difference between a baking chocolate and regular chocolate? Can Lintz brand chocolate work for this recipe? Rachita

  37. Hi….. the look of this cake makes me want to actually jump up with joy:D but then makes me sad as well as we don’t eat Eggs. So can you tell me if this can be substituted ?? and with what ?

    Pls pkls reply me soon so that can try it ASAP 😀

    Thanx.

  38. hetal and anuja ,
    I love the fruit chips from corner bakery .Could you please try and give me the reciepe . Its like rusk or toast which we eat with tea. its like a cranbery bread

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