Molten Chocolate Lava Cake for Two
Crisp on the outside, gooey molten chocolate in the middle. This bistro classic is shockingly easy and ready in under 25 minutes from start to finish.

Introduction
Lava cake feels fancy and tastes fancy, but it's secretly one of the easiest desserts you'll ever make. The trick is good chocolate — splurge on a 70% bar — and pulling the cakes out a moment before you think they're ready. The center should still jiggle when you tap the ramekin; that's the molten part.
Cooking your way through our archive? Don't miss our Classic French Lemon Tart or our Classic Tiramisu with Mascarpone and Espresso, and browse every dessert recipe for more ideas.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Servings
- 2
- Difficulty
- Easy
Ingredients
- •100 g good-quality dark chocolate (70%), chopped
- •100 g unsalted butter, cubed, plus extra for the ramekins
- •2 large eggs
- •2 large egg yolks
- •60 g granulated sugar
- •30 g all-purpose flour
- •Pinch of salt
- •Cocoa powder for dusting
- •Vanilla ice cream and fresh raspberries to serve
Instructions
- 1
Preheat the oven to 220°C / 425°F. Generously butter two 180 ml ramekins and dust them with cocoa powder, tapping out any excess.
- 2
Melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl set over barely simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from the heat.
- 3
In a separate bowl, whisk the whole eggs, yolks, and sugar until pale and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
- 4
Fold the warm chocolate mixture into the eggs, then sift in the flour and salt and fold until just combined.
- 5
Divide the batter between the prepared ramekins and place on a baking tray.
- 6
Bake for 11–12 minutes, until the edges are set but the center still looks slightly jiggly.
- 7
Let rest for 1 minute, then run a thin knife around the edge, invert onto plates, and lift off the ramekins.
- 8
Serve immediately with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and fresh raspberries.
Tips from our kitchen
- Every oven is different — your first attempt is a calibration. If the center is too liquid, add 1 minute next time.
- You can prepare the batter ahead and refrigerate it in the ramekins for up to 24 hours; add 2 minutes to the baking time.
Nutrition (per serving, estimated)
Nutrition is an approximation generated from ingredient databases and may vary based on brands and exact measurements.
- Calories
- 620 kcal
- Protein
- 10 g
- Carbs
- 48 g
- Fat
- 44 g
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