Chocolate Lava Cake

Individual chocolate cakes bake with tender edges and warm, flowing centers, then go straight from ramekins to dessert plates.

37 min

4 cakes

A warm chocolate lava cake dusted with confectioners' sugar sits beside fresh raspberries.

Ingredients

6 oz bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cubed

4 large eggs, at room temperature

2 large egg yolks, at room temperature

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp fine salt

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 tbsp unsalted butter, softened, for ramekins

1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder, for ramekins

1 tsp confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Equipment

Four 6-ounce ramekins · Rimmed baking sheet · Heatproof bowl · Saucepan for water bath · Hand mixer · Fine-mesh sieve · Thin paring knife

Watch the center

Ovens and ramekins vary, so use the gently jiggling center as the doneness cue instead of waiting for the tops to look fully baked.

Serve right away

Unmold while warm and bring the plates to the table promptly so the centers remain fluid.

Prepare and melt

01. Heat the oven to 425 F. Butter the ramekins, dust with cocoa, and tap out loose powder so the cakes release cleanly.

02. Melt chopped chocolate with cubed butter over gently simmering water, stirring until glossy; let it cool until warm.

Whip and fold

03. Beat eggs, yolks, and sugar until pale and thick; a ribbon should linger briefly when the beaters lift.

04. Mix vanilla and salt into the chocolate, fold it into the eggs, then sift and fold in flour until no dry streaks remain.

Fill and bake

05. Divide batter evenly among the ramekins and space them on a rimmed sheet for even heat circulation.

06. Bake at 425 F for 10 to 12 minutes; remove when the sides look set and the centers still jiggle gently.

Unmold and serve

07. Rest the cakes for 2 minutes, then loosen their edges with a thin knife while keeping the centers intact.

08. Invert each ramekin onto a plate with an oven mitt. Dust with confectioners' sugar and serve immediately with raspberries, or use ice cream instead of fruit.