Cracking into a lava cake and watching the molten chocolate pour out never gets old. These individual cakes are rich but not heavy, with a tender edge and a gooey heart. The trick is pulling them from the oven at exactly the right moment.
Prep: 15 mins Cook: 12 mins Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 170g dark chocolate, chopped
- Half a cup butter, plus extra for greasing
- 2 whole eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- Quarter cup sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- Cocoa powder for dusting
- Powdered sugar to finish
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 425F. Butter four ramekins and dust them with cocoa powder, tapping out the excess.
- Melt the chocolate and butter together gently, stirring until smooth, then let it cool slightly.
- Whisk the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, salt, and vanilla until pale and thickened.
- Fold the melted chocolate into the egg mixture, then sift in the flour and fold just until combined.
- Divide the batter among the ramekins and place them on a baking tray.
- Bake for 11 to 12 minutes until the edges are set but the centers still jiggle slightly.
- Rest for 1 minute, then invert each onto a plate and dust with powdered sugar.
Tips
- You can fill the ramekins ahead and refrigerate, adding a minute or two to the bake time.
- Watch closely near the end, as an extra minute turns molten into fully baked.
- Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a hot-and-cold contrast.