By Yossy Arefi
Updated Feb. 29, 2024
- Total Time
- 25 minutes
- Rating
- 5(5,271)
- Notes
- Read community notes
Chocolate lava cakes gained popularity in the late 1990s thanks to the chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and they have stuck around on dessert menus for good reason: They are rich chocolate cake and velvety sauce all in one, and they are surprisingly easy to make in under an hour. If you like to plan ahead, you can prepare the batter a day in advance, refrigerate it, then pop the cake into the oven when you are ready for dessert. This recipe, made in a 10-ounce baking dish, is meant for sharing, but you can also make it in two 6-ounce ramekins. Just cut the baking time to 7 to 9 minutes. Also, be sure to use chopped chocolate bars or chocolate fèves rather than chocolate chips here. Chips are made with stabilizers that inhibit melting and will negatively affect the texture of your dessert.
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Ingredients
Yield:2 servings
- 3ounces/85 grams bittersweet chocolate, 70 to 74 percent cacao (not chips), chopped (about ½ cup)
- 3tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus more for the ramekin
- 3tablespoons granulated sugar, plus more for the ramekin
- 1large egg
- 1large egg yolk
- ½teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛teaspoon kosher salt
- 2tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Confectioners’ sugar, to serve (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)
533 calories; 35 grams fat; 20 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 54 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 44 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 165 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Heat oven to 425 degrees and butter a 10-ounce ramekin. Dust the buttered ramekin with granulated sugar.
Step
2
Combine the chocolate and 3 tablespoons butter in a heat-safe bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth. (Alternatively, combine in a bowl and microwave in 30-second blasts, stirring in between, until melted and smooth, about 1 minute.) Remove from the heat and set aside.
Step
3
In a medium bowl, combine the 3 tablespoons sugar, egg, egg yolk, vanilla and salt. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is thick, foamy and pale, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the flour until smooth.
Step
4
Using a spatula, add the chocolate to the egg mixture and stir gently until combined.
Step
5
Pour the mixture into the ramekin. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until the edges are set and puffed, but the center is still soft when lightly pressed. (You can also cover and refrigerate the batter up to a day in advance. Add an additional minute or 2 to baking time if you are baking the cake directly from the refrigerator.)
Step
6
Use an offset spatula or small knife to loosen the edges of the cake from the ramekin. Place a plate over the ramekin and carefully invert the warm cake. Use an oven mitt or clean kitchen towel to remove the ramekin, dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar and serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
Ratings
5
out of 5
5,271
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Cooking Notes
naomi dagen bloom
Am 85, no ramekins either...helpful alternative!
Ali
So good! Am 25, don’t own ramekins. Muffin tins worked fine. Made 4.
Fif
Have made this for 4 people this year. Singlehandedly soothed roommate relationship during dark period of quarantine; staved off a breakup at least 2.5 weeks. True rating is 4.99/5 to account for the time it falsely raised hopes of intense seriousness and perhaps love in a casual relationship.
Shawn N.
60. Had ramekins. No joy. Gave them to Goodwill. Missed ramekins (creme brûlée!) so bought more. Found the box that never made it to Goodwill. Felt bad for having a ridiculous number of ramekins. No joy. Made this recipe. The joy is back
Mary ann
Pat, It's illegal,I'm most states to own a ramekin if you are under the age of 30.
Bella
Am 55. Had ramekins. Had teens too. Teens broke ramekins. Used pyrex cups. Tremendous.
Beverly
Ha ha, reading the notes on this about ramekins is probably almost as good as eating the cake (which I haven't tried yet)! Y'all are funny!
NancyKelley
Am 65, realized the dish I was using for our dog’s water was in actuality a ramekin!
Veej
I have saved small cans - chilis actually - that I cut both ends from. Gives me a perfect 2&1/2" form. I set them on parchment to cook and can slide knife around edges to release.
Ali
I reduced baking time by two minutes! Also, I bought some ramekins this weekend. Used them twice already. Everything I eat will be in individual serving sizes from here on out.
Marta Frijole
Am 63. Own ramekins. Bought them on the sly many years ago (I was young then; am older now). I keep them off-scene, hidden away. Why? Husband (67) believes they take up an obscene amount precious storage space. (He did buy crumpet rings, however, at the start of the pandemic).I will make lava cake. I will demonstrate the redeeming qualities of ramekins. I will fantasize about replacing crumpet rings with ramekins in the coveted drawer.
MRR
I have ramekins and kept them, I guess they “sparked joy”.
Nicole
They are perfectly safe to eat. A little bit of science: only 1 in 20,000 eggs possibly carry salmonella; salmonella is destroyed at 160*F; cakes are set at 200-210*F; and the internal temp of the lava cake reaches that magic number of 160*F. Also, if you are basing this concern on being told not to eat raw cookie dough because of eggs, the truth is people were getting sick from the flour in the cookie dough, not the eggs. So you can have your cake and eat it too!
Karen
The article above the recipe says you can use 2 - y ounce ramekins and cut the baking time to 7-9 minutes. My first attempt was also over cooked. 7 minutes was a flop. On the third attempt, I turned the temp down to 400, baked 9 minutes - perfection!
Peter
When you grow up you can get some ramekins. :)
Madeleine
Am 33. Own ramekins. Ruffled feathers of my 65 year old mama by asking if she has ramekins “I’m 65. Of course I have ramekins”. A delightful thread for a wonderful recipe.
Gale
Love the comments! Very entertaining. Can’t wait to make this recipe. Who doesn’t love chocolate, especially warm. It solves any problem 99.9% of the time.
Carol
125 g batter per 6 oz ramekin160 degree center is cooked enoughMade 6/24/2024 - 35th anniversary
LLinDallas
So good! I did 1.5 recipe for 4 ppl and felt the servings were still plenty generous. Baked in 4 ramekins for 8 minutes. Reduced sugar by about 1/4-1/3 and subbed strong coffee and a little Kahlua for the vanilla.
Marie
Easy, delicious! loved the crisy edges the most! And yes! at 60+ we have lots of ramekins!! my husband loves to make souffles and flan. This recipe is a winner.
Kelly
Am 35. Own ramekins. Stuck in ramekins the first time-- still delicious. Put in circles of parchment the second time and they popped right out. This will be on regular rotation in our house.
Instant Pothead
Own small ramekins and used them. Fit perfectly in two.Used two whole eggs and it was fine. Used half the sugar called for and found the sweetness overwhelming the chocolate flavour. Will cut down sugar further next time.
Laurie
Loved how quickly this came together, loved the result—and really appreciated having only 2 servings. I forgot to add the flour, and it still came out great! I used 2 6-oz ramekins, and it took about 10-11 minutes (probably due to the lack of flour)
mar
It’s embarrassing how many times I have made this since making it the first time 2 months ago. It’s so good and easy!
Richard Seelig
Simple and elegant. Only correction is to cut the baking time by one minute (or even a bit more)
jen
I made this 12 of these for my husbands' birthday party. I used semi-sweet chocolate chips. They were delicious! It's possible that they would have been better with the recommended chocolate but I didn't receive any complaints! Also, I cooked all of them at the same time on 2 cookie sheets. In the middle of cooking, I switched the sheets. Great recipe!
Kellie
Wasn’t sure I would spring for the ramekins but am now convinced they are utterly necessary.
Michael L
I used guittard baking chocolate for this but the end result did not “flow” out of the cake. What did I do wrong?
Michael L
Update: I recreated this recipe with chocolate that is free from lecithin, and that did the trick.So did cooking at the right temperature and whipping the eggs, but who’s keeping score?
Instant Pothead
I use Guittard wafers and they worked fine.
Kelly
Maybe just overcooked? I have only used Guittard baking bars and it has worked perfectly.
Melissa
So good, so easy, we save it for special occasions or we'd eat this everyday!
SK19118
Yes this was so wonderful!!!! Made as described in 2 ramekin-sized dinnerware bowls that are probably not ramekins (age 48)…. Kept an eye on during baking as cook time was shorter due to smaller size of dish.
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