Chocolate Lava Cakes with Espresso (Printable)

Individual chocolate cakes with molten centers, enriched by espresso for an indulgent dessert experience.

# What You Need:

→ Chocolate Mixture

01 - 4 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
02 - ½ cup unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

→ Batter

03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 2 large egg yolks
05 - ½ cup granulated sugar
06 - ¼ cup all-purpose flour
07 - 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
08 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
09 - Pinch of salt

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease four 6 oz ramekins with butter and lightly dust with cocoa powder, tapping out excess.
02 - In a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, melt chocolate and butter together, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, egg yolks, and sugar until pale and thickened, approximately 2-3 minutes.
04 - Stir espresso powder and vanilla extract into the chocolate mixture.
05 - Gently fold the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture using a spatula.
06 - Sift flour and salt over the mixture, folding gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
07 - Divide batter evenly among the prepared ramekins.
08 - Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 11-13 minutes, until edges are set but centers remain soft.
09 - Let cakes rest for 1 minute. Run a knife around the edges to loosen, then invert onto dessert plates. Serve immediately.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • The molten center is dramatic enough to make any Tuesday feel like an occasion.
  • Espresso deepens the chocolate without tasting like coffee, just richer and more grown up.
  • You can make the batter ahead and bake them right before serving, so theres no last minute panic.
  • They bake in under 13 minutes, which means you can decide you want dessert and have it ready before anyone changes their mind.
02 -
  • The first time I made these I left them in for 15 minutes and they turned into regular chocolate cakes, good but not magical, so watch the clock closely.
  • Buttering and dusting the ramekins is not optional, I skipped it once and had to scrape the cakes out in pieces.
  • If the centers aren't molten, you can microwave individual cakes for 10 seconds to soften them back up, though it's not quite the same.
03 -
  • Use ramekins that are all the same size so the cakes bake evenly, mismatched ones will give you some that are overdone and some that are underbaked.
  • If you don't have instant espresso powder, a tablespoon of strong brewed espresso works, just reduce the vanilla slightly to keep the batter from getting too loose.
  • Let the cakes rest for exactly one minute after baking, any longer and they start to stick, any sooner and they fall apart when you flip them.
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