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Home » Cakes

Mini Chocolate Cakes

Last updated on January 31, 2022Originally published January 8, 2019Leave a CommentSabine

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These Mini Chocolate Cakes come with a gooey center and are so easy to make. Learn everything you need to know about making lava cakes. They are perfect for special occasions like Valentine's Day. By the way, have you tried my Valentine's Day Cake yet?

Mini Chocolate Cake with molten center

Mini Chocolate Lava Cakes are small chocolate cakes baked in ramekins. They have a gooey center, and the sides are firm and solid. The intense chocolate taste will blast you away. Eat them when they are still warm and dust with powdered sugar, top with ice cream, chocolate fudge sauce, and berries.

Jump to:
  • Equipment
  • Instructions
  • Top tips
  • Variations
  • Make-ahead
  • Storage
  • More mini recipes to try
  • Recipe

Equipment

So, what do you need to make this recipe?

  • 4 bowls
  • 1 wooden spoon or rubber spatula
  • 6 ramekins
  • 9 ingredients
  • 10 minutes of active preparation time
  • toppings of your choice

All ingredients in separate bowls

Instructions

Start with combining chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl and microwave until melted. I suggest placing the chocolate in the bowl first and put the butter on top because it helps with stirring. Stir every 20 seconds to prevent seizing.

In a small bowl whisk eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla.

In a medium bowl, combine sifted powdered sugar, flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, and salt. It is not relevant which cocoa powder you use. You can use either natural cocoa powder or dutch-processed cocoa powder. But I don’t recommend using sweetened cocoa powder.

Three bowls with ingredients for mini chocolate cakes

Combine all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula. If there are lumps of flour, use a whisk to break them up. But be careful that you don’t overmix the batter that you don’t create air pockets. Too much air would make them cakey rather than gooey.

All Ingredients for mini chocolate cakes in one bowl

Butter and flour 6 ramekins. You can see in the photos and the video how to do that the easiest way. I put a fork into a piece of butter and circle around inside the ramekins until the bottom, and the sides are completely buttered. Make sure the butter is cold and firm and not soft.

Ramekins with butter

Then place one tablespoon of flour into the first ramekin and move and shake carefully until the bottom and the sides are evenly coated with flour. Then tap excess flour out of the first ramekin into the second ramekin and repeat until all ramekins are floured.

Ramekins with butter and flour

Spoon the batter into the ramekins and bake for about 11-13 minutes until the sides look solid, dry, and firm and the center soft. I baked mine for exactly 12 minutes. The center is gooey and thick rather than completely liquid.

Unbaked chocolate cake batter in ramekins

Do not overbake them, or you end up with dry cakes. So please resist the urge to let them in the oven until it looks completely dry and set in the center. In the photo below, you see the center is still soft.

Let stand for 1 minute then place an inverted plate on top of each ramekin and turn over. The ramekins are very hot. So, use a napkin or an oven mitt to invert the cakes.

Baked Mini Chocolate Cake in Ramekin

Top tips

  1. I recommend using high-quality semi-sweet or dark chocolate bars. My personal favorites are Ghiradelli and Lindt. Chocolate chips are not a good choice because they are not as tenderly melting as high-quality chocolate and the core wouldn’t be that gooey. The chocolate is the key to a gooey center.
  2. Don't overbake them. Remove them from the oven as soon as the edges are set and dry and the center looks still wet.
  3. Let them stay 1 minute before you invert the cakes onto plates. They continue baking and they need that little extra time that they come out of the ramekins beautifully.

Variations

Muffin pan

If you don't have ramekins, you can make them in a muffin pan instead. You will have enough to get about 8 mini cakes. In this case, I recommend reducing the baking time to 8-9 minutes. Don’t use muffin liners, and butter and flour the muffin pan exactly like the ramekins.

Small batch

Just divide the ingredients by half, and you end up with 3 instead of 6 cakes.

Additional flavors

You could also add some additions. Think of melting caramel, peanut butter, or pure melting chocolate in the center. Therefore, place a piece of soft caramel candy, a dollop of peanut butter, or a piece of chocolate in the center. Or Reeses? You get the idea.

Baked Mini Chocolate Cake in ramekin from above with molten core

Make-ahead

You can make the batter in advance for up to 2 days. Let the prepared batter in the mixing bowl, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and store in the fridge until you are ready to bake them. Let them come to room temperature before you spoon the batter into the ramekins.

Storage

Although they are best eaten on the same day and freshly baked, you can store leftover cakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 day and reheat them in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds before serving.

You can also freeze the baked cakes. Therefore, let them cool completely then wrap each cake tightly in plastic wrap or place in freezer bags. They freeze well up to 3 months. To thaw, unwrap, and let sit on the counter for about 1 hour. Then reheat in the microwave before serving.

More mini recipes to try

If you love mini recipes, you'll love mini cheesecakes, chocolate soufflé, flan, chocolate glazed red velvet cake donuts, strawberry chocolate pop tarts, or creme brulee.

Recipe

Mini Chocolate Cake with molten center from the center

Mini Chocolate Cakes Recipe

5 from 4 votes
Author Sabine Venier
Calories: 347kcal
Servings: 6 lava cakes
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 12 minutes
Total 22 minutes
Print Pin Rate
These Mini Chocolate Cakes come with a gooey center and are so easy to make. Learn everything you need to know about making lava cakes. With video and step-by-step photos.

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 ½ cup semi-sweet or dark chocolate, chopped
  • ¾ cup unsalted butter
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 large egg yolks
  • 1 vanilla bean* or (1 teaspoon vanilla extract)
  • 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
  • 2 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
  • ¼ teaspoon salt

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).
  • In a heatproof bowl, combine chocolate and butter and microwave for about 2 minutes, until fully melted. Stir every 15-20 seconds to prevent seizing. Set aside.
  • In a small bowl, stir eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla* to combine. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk powdered sugar, flour, cocoa, and salt to combine. Set aside.
  • In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, slowly stir just until combined. Use a whisk to remove any lumps, if there are any. The batter will be thick. Set aside.
  • Butter and flour six 1-cup-sized (6oz / 240ml) ramekins. 
  • Spoon batter evenly into the ramekins. Bake for 11-13 minutes. I baked mine for exactly 12 minutes. The edges will look solid and firm and the center soft. Remove from the oven and let stand 1 minute. Then place an inverted plate on top of each ramekin and turn over. Caution: the ramekins are still super hot! Use a napkin or oven mitt. Top with powdered sugar, ice cream, berries, or chocolate fudge sauce to your preference. Serve immediately.
  • Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 1 day. Reheat in the microwave for about 20-30 seconds. However, they are best eaten fresh on the same day.  Freeze up to 3 months. 

Notes

*First, cut off the straight end of the vanilla bean. Then place the tip of your sharp knife below the curled end and cut the vanilla bean through the middle of the bean lengthwise. Although you don't need to cut it all the way through, it's ok when you do so. Then open the vanilla bean and scrape out the flavorful seeds with the back of your knife. Just use the seeds.

Top tips
  1. I recommend using high-quality semi-sweet or dark chocolate bars. My personal favorites are Ghiradelli and Lindt. Chocolate chips are not a good choice because they are not as tenderly melting as high-quality chocolate and the core wouldn’t be that gooey. 
  2. Don't overbake them. Remove them from the oven as soon as the edges are set and dry and the center looks still wet. 
  3. Let them stay 1 minute before you invert the cakes onto plates. They continue baking and they need that little extra time that they come out of the ramekins beautifully. 

Muffin pan
If you don't have ramekins, you can make them in a muffin pan instead. You will have enough to get about 8 mini cakes. In this case, I recommend reducing the baking time to 8-9 minutes. Don’t use muffin liners, and butter and flour the muffin pan exactly like the ramekins.

Small batch
Just divide the ingredients by half, and you end up with 3 instead of 6 cakes.

Additional flavors
You could also add some additions. Think of melting caramel, peanut butter, or pure melting chocolate in the center. Therefore, place a piece of soft caramel candy, a dollop of peanut butter, or a piece of chocolate in the center. 

Make-ahead
You can make the batter in advance for up to 2 days. Therefore, keep the prepared batter in the mixing bowl, cover it tightly with plastic wrap, and store in the fridge until you are ready to bake them. Let them come to room temperature before you spoon the batter into the ramekins.

Video

You can find the video in the post above. If you don't see a video, please check your browser settings.

Nutrition

Calories: 347kcalCarbohydrates: 25gProtein: 4gFat: 26gSaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 184mgSodium: 127mgPotassium: 61mgFiber: 1gSugar: 20gVitamin A: 881IUCalcium: 26mgIron: 1mg
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword lava cakes, Mini Chocolate Cake Recipe
Did you make this recipe?Leave a feedback and rate this recipe!
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About Sabine

I'm a passionate baker, cookbook author, and award-winning food photographer. You find here kitchen-tested quality baking recipes everyone will love.

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Hi, my name is Sabine Venier! I’m a cookbook author and the food blogger behind Also The Crumbs Please. Here you will find trusted and easy recipes for every occasion. I'm here to teach you how to make delicious food and give you the confidence to bake and cook from scratch.

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