Chocolate Molten Lava Cake is an ultra-indulgent dessert that everyone loves. A chocolate cake with a firm layer on the outside and a molten interior. The chocolate molten cakes, ready in less than 10 minutes, are the perfect dessert to finish a meal.
These small molten chocolate cakes, known in French by three different names that all mean the same thing.
“Fondant au chocolat – mi-cuit au chocolat – coulant au chocolat”
I’m sure that if there’s one chocolate dessert that everyone loves, it’s the ultra chocolate molten lava cakes. I love chocolate in all its forms and never tire of making chocolate cakes, entremets or desserts. I particularly like the chocolate cake for its simplicity and intense cocoa flavour.
Some people, to describe this cake with a well-baked outer layer and a still molten interior, call it a “half-baked chocolate cake” or “chocolate cake with a molten center”. It can be used as a last-minute Christmas or New Year’s dessert.
How to make a perfect chocolate lava cake?
Table of Contents
The difference in texture of the molten chocolate cake comes down to the secret of its baking. Even though this chocolate lava cake is very easy to make, if it isn’t baked properly, you’ll end up with a regular chocolate cake instead of one with a molten center.
To achieve an ultra-molten chocolate cake with a well-maintained outer layer, it needs to be baked quickly at a high temperature.
In this way, the chocolate lava cake is set on the outside while remaining very molten on the inside. You’ll find that chocolate lava cake is disconcertingly simple to make, and it’s always a hit.
Recipe in video
Ingredients you’ll need:
In the video I multiplied the recipe by 4 because we had guests.
- Dark chocolate 66% cocoa
- Milk chocolate 40% cocoa
- Heavy Cream can be replaced by milk
- Skimmed milk
- Pinch of fleur de sel, if you don’t have any, normal salt will do too.
- Unsalted Butter
- Eggs
- Sugar, We use very little because the chocolate provides enough sweetness for the molten cakes.
- All-purpose flour, we use very little flour .
- Roasted hazelnuts or almonds. It’s not mandatory; it’s just an extra touch.
Preparation steps:
NB: Find details of ingredients in the recipe card below, which you can print out.
1. Start by preheating the oven to 250°C (480°F) with fan assisted.
2. Grease the molds and dust them with unsweetened cocoa powder.
3. Melt the chocolates with the milk, heavy cream, salt, and butter over a double boiler on low heat.
4. Beat the eggs and sugar together until the mixture becomes pale and slightly thickened, then add the flour. Mix well.
5. Combine the two mixtures and add toasted chopped hazelnuts if desired (I used roasted diced almond).
6. Pour into moulds.
7. Bake on the middle rack for 4 to 5 minutes, depending on the size of the molds.
8. The chocolate molten cakes should be firm on the outside to be able to unmold them.
9. Enjoy immediately, dusted with powdered sugar. You can accompany this chocolate molten lava cakes with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes
Ingredients :
- For 3 small molds of 8 cm (3 in)
- 100 g dark chocolate 66% (3.53 oz)
- 25 g milk chocolate 40% (0.88 oz)
- 25 ml heavy cream (you can use milk instead) (0.85 oz)
- 10 ml skimmed milk (0.35 oz)
- A pinch of fleur de sel
- 50 g butter (1.76 oz)
- 75 g eggs (2.65 oz )
- 20 g sugar (0.7 oz)
- 40 g flour (1.4 oz)
- Optional: some roasted chopped hazelnuts or almonds
Instructions :
- Start by preheating the oven to 250°C (480°F) with fan assisted.
- Grease the molds and dust them with unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Melt the chocolates with the milk, heavy cream, salt, and butter over a double boiler on low heat.
- Beat the eggs and sugar together until the mixture becomes pale and slightly thickened, then add the flour. Mix well.
- Combine the two mixtures and add toasted chopped hazelnuts if desired (I used roasted diced almond).
- Pour into moulds.
- Bake on the middle rack for 4 to 5 minutes, depending on the size of the molds.
- The chocolate molten cakes should be firm on the outside to be able to unmold them.
- Enjoy immediately, dusted with powdered sugar. You can accompany this chocolate molten lava cakes with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.
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