Chocolate Lava Cakes with Espresso (Printable)

Individual chocolate cakes with molten centers, enriched by espresso for depth. Ready in 27 minutes.

# 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 chocolate mixture into egg mixture until partially combined.
06 - Sift flour and salt together, then gently fold into batter until just combined. Do not overmix.
07 - Divide batter evenly among prepared ramekins, filling approximately three-quarters full.
08 - Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 11-13 minutes, until edges are set but centers remain soft and slightly jiggly.
09 - Let cakes rest for 1 minute. Run a knife around edges to loosen, then invert onto dessert plates. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The molten center is foolproof once you nail the timing, and it never stops feeling like a small victory.
  • Espresso deepens the chocolate without tasting like coffee, just richer and more grown up.
  • You can make the batter ahead and bake right before serving, so you look effortlessly impressive.
  • Each person gets their own perfect little cake, no slicing or sharing required.
02 -
  • Do not overbake, even one extra minute can turn molten into merely moist, set a timer and trust it.
  • Butter and cocoa dust the ramekins thoroughly or you'll have a beautiful cake stuck inside and a sad empty plate.
  • If you refrigerate the batter ahead, let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes before baking or the centers won't flow properly.
03 -
  • Use a kitchen scale if you have one, especially for the flour, because even a little too much can kill the molten center.
  • Check your oven temperature with an oven thermometer, these cakes are sensitive and a 10 degree difference can change everything.
  • Invert the cakes confidently and quickly, hesitation usually leads to a crack or a collapse, just go for it.
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