Chocolate Lava Cakes For Two

This recipe for two makes the most perfect ooey gooey chocolate molten lava cakes using semi-sweet chocolate. It's a secretly easy-to-make recipe that looks and tastes super impressive!

You know this recipe is good because my private chef friend, EatsByAlbany, shared it with me! She makes this all the time for catered dinner parties and told me that it's always a fan favorite!

What I love about this recipe is that it comes together in under 20 minutes, and you can prep it ahead of time. 

Plus, you can dress it up by adding a dusting of confectioners' sugar, caramel sauce, flaky sea salt, or raspberry coulis. 

You have to try these lava cakes next time you need a dessert to impress! And don't forget to try my other favorite chocolate desserts like dark chocolate gelato or hot fudge stuffed cookies.

What You'll Learn In This Recipe

• How to slowly melt chocolate in the microwave (so it doesn't become grainy).
• Visual cues to know your lava cakes are perfectly baked and still gooey in the center. 
• Tips for preparing the lava cakes ahead of time for a dinner party.

If you want to continue to grow your baking skills, grab my guide with helpful tips to level up.

Ingredients You Need

• Semi-sweet chocolate: I normally use chocolate chips, since that's what I always have on hand. But a high-quality bittersweet chocolate would be even better if you want to splurge!
• Unsalted butter: You can always use salted butter, but taste the batter before adding more salt.
• Eggs: The additional egg yolk adds even more richness.
• Granulated sugar: Not much sugar is needed since the chocolate already adds a lot of sweetness. 
• Vanilla extract: Any vanilla extract will work, but I love Rodelle.
• Fine sea salt: Even desserts need salt to balance the flavor. Don't skip this!
• All-purpose flour: Measure the flour with a scale, or properly measure volumetrically by fluffing up the flour, spooning it into the measuring tablespoon, and leveling off with a knife. 

The full ingredients and measurements are listed below in the recipe card. 

How To Make This Recipe

Step 1: While your oven is preheating, spray two 5 ounce ramekins generously with nonstick cooking spray.

Step 2: Place the chocolate and cubed butter into a heat-safe mixing bowl. Then, microwave on a low heat (50 percent power) for about 1 minute.

Step 3: You'll likely need additional time (30-second bursts) in the microwave for the mixture to fully melt. It's important to go slow with this process, and stir the chocolate in between. This is what keeps the chocolate silky smooth and prevents any grainy texture.

Step 4: In another mixing bowl, whisk together granulated sugar, egg, egg yolk, vanilla extract, and salt. 

Step 5: Then, sift in the flour. While this step can seem time-consuming, it ensures there are no lumps in the lava cakes.

Step 6: Finally, stir in the melted chocolate mixture.

Step 7: Divide the batter evenly into the greased ramekins. I like to place them on top of a light colored sheet pan to make transporting in and out of the oven an easy process.

Step 8: Bake the lava cakes for 12 - 14 minutes until the edges are set and puffed, but the middle is still gooey. Test this by inserting a toothpick into the cake. When inserted into the outside edge, the toothpick should come out clean. If you insert it into the middle, you should see gooey batter on the toothpick.

Expert Tips

• You can easily prep the lava cakes ahead of time. After the batter is in the ramekins, cover with plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator. When you're ready to bake, follow the directions in the notes section of the recipe card.
• Once the lava cakes come out of the oven, I usually like to let them sit for 3 - 5 minutes so the gooey center has time to slightly firm up. It will still be gooey, just not soupy!