Food and Recipes Desserts Cakes Chocolate Lava Cakes Be the first to rate & review! A dessert made to melt. By Laura Kanya Laura Kanya Laura Kanya served as a recipe tester and developer in the Vermont test kitchen of Dotdash Meredith. She has been active in the food industry for more than two decades, including as a pastry chef, chef instructor, executive chef, and director of operations in restaurants, resorts, and food production companies. Southern Living's editorial guidelines Published on February 3, 2023 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Greg DuPree; Food Stylist: Ali Ramee; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood Active Time: 20 mins Total Time: 35 mins Servings: 4 Jump to recipe If you're looking for a dessert that is decadent, rich, and chocolaty, this lava cake recipe may be the one for you. You'll get four individual desserts, each with their own molten lava center of gooey chocolate fudge. It's great for a date night when you want to impress, or when you have company over and need to show off how great you are with desserts. It would also make a special birthday cake. A bit of espresso powder in the batter heightens the chocolate flavor; it doesn't overwhelm it. We like the bittersweet chocolate flavor for these lava cakes because it keeps the sweetness at bay—you can always add ice cream, homemade whipped cream, or more powdered sugar if you want to blunt the edge of the bittersweet chocolate a bit more. This is a traditional way to make a chocolate lava cake—and a very easy way to accomplish it. Bake these just before serving so the center rolls out of the center perfectly. They're ready in 10 minutes, so you can wait to put them in the oven until you're ready to remove plates. By the time everyone has cleared the table, these desserts will be ready to be flipped out of their ramekins and served. Ingredients Cooking spray 1 cup (7 oz.) chopped 60% to 70% bittersweet chocolate bar 1/2 cup (4 oz.) unsalted butter 2 large eggs, at room temperature 2 large egg yolks, at room temperature 1/2 cup (about 2 oz.) powdered sugar, plus more for garnish 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1/8 tsp. table salt 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp. instant espresso powder Sweetened whipped cream Directions Preheat oven 450°F. Coat 4 (6-oz.) ovenproof ramekins with cooking spray, and place on a small rimmed baking sheet. Fill a medium saucepan with water to a depth of 1 to 2 inches; bring water to a boil over high, then reduce to a simmer over medium-low. Place chocolate and butter in a medium-size heatproof bowl; set bowl over simmering water in saucepan, making sure that the bottom of the bowl does not touch water. Cook, stirring constantly, until chocolate is fully melted and smooth, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and cool, undisturbed, about 5 minutes. Greg DuPree; Food Stylist: Ali Ramee; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood Meanwhile, add eggs, egg yolks, sugar, vanilla, and salt to the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment; beat on medium-high speed until thickened, pale, and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Greg DuPree; Food Stylist: Ali Ramee; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood Fold slightly cooled chocolate mixture into egg mixture in 3 batches, working quickly but gently, leaving some streaks so as not to deflate the mixture. Gently fold in flour and espresso powder just until combined and glossy brown, about 10-15 seconds. Greg DuPree; Food Stylist: Ali Ramee; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood Divide batter evenly among prepared ramekins (about 1/2 cup per ramekin). Greg DuPree; Food Stylist: Ali Ramee; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood Bake in preheated oven until sides are firm but centers are soft, about 10 minutes. Let stand on baking sheet about 5 minutes, then unmold cakes, turning upside down onto a plate. Dust with additional powdered sugar, and serve with whipped cream. Greg DuPree; Food Stylist: Ali Ramee; Prop Stylist: Hannah Greenwood Rate it Print