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.
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Top tips
- 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.
- Don't overbake them. Remove them from the oven as soon as the edges are set and dry and the center looks still wet.
- 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.
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.
Related Recipes
If you love recipes baked in ramekins, you'll love mini cheesecakes, chocolate soufflé, flan, or creme brulee.
Recipe and Video
Mini Chocolate Cakes Recipe
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 tsp vanilla extract)
- 1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¼ tsp 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.
Video
Notes
Top tips
- 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.
- Don't overbake them. Remove them from the oven as soon as the edges are set and dry and the center looks still wet.
- 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.
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