Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes

Andi Healey
Web Manager

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Ingredients

• 100g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), broken into pieces
• 100g unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 50g caster sugar
• 25g plain flour
• Pinch of sea salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

For the Ramekins:

• Butter for greasing
• Cocoa powder for dusting

To Serve:

• Vanilla ice cream or crème fraîche
• Fresh raspberries or strawberries
• Icing sugar for dusting
• Fresh mint leaves (optional)

Method

Preparing the Ramekins:

1. Butter generously: This is crucial. Use soft butter and brush it liberally all over the inside of your Le Creuset ramekins, paying special attention to the edges. Go over it twice - the butter helps the cakes release cleanly.

2. Dust with cocoa: Add a teaspoon of cocoa powder to each ramekin and tap it around to coat the buttered surface completely. Tip out any excess. Pop them in the fridge while you make the batter.

   Making the Batter:

3. Melt the chocolate and butter: Place the chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water (don't let the bowl touch the water). Stir occasionally until melted and smooth. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly - about 5 minutes.
4. Whisk the eggs and sugar: In a separate bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, and caster sugar for 3-4 minutes until pale, thick, and fluffy. An electric whisk makes this easier, but elbow grease and a balloon whisk work too. The mixture should fall in thick ribbons when you lift the whisk.
5. Combine everything: Pour the slightly cooled chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and gently fold together with a spatula. Add the vanilla extract and sea salt.
6. Add the flour: Sift in the flour and fold gently until just combined. Don't overmix - a few flour streaks are fine. The batter should be glossy and pourable, like thick double cream.

Baking:

1. Fill the ramekins: Divide the batter equally between your prepared ramekins, filling them about three-quarters full. Give them a gentle tap on the counter to remove any air bubbles.
2. Chill (optional but recommended): At this point, you can cover them with cling film and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. This is brilliant for Valentine's Day - prep them in the afternoon, then just pop them in the oven after your main course. If baking from chilled, add 1-2 extra minutes to the cooking time.
3. Bake: Place the ramekins on a baking tray and bake in a preheated oven at 200°C (180°C fan) for 12-14 minutes. The edges should be set and slightly pulling away from the sides, but the centres should still wobble when you gently shake the ramekin. This wobble is your friend - it's the molten centre waiting to happen.

4. Rest briefly: Let them sit for 1 minute after removing from the oven. This brief rest helps them hold their shape when you turn them out.

   The Grand Reveal:

5. Loosen the edges: Run a small knife around the edge of each ramekin.
6. Turn out: Place a serving plate upside down on top of each ramekin. With confidence (fake it if you have to), flip the whole thing over. Give the base of the ramekin a firm tap and lift it away. The cake should slide out, glistening and perfect.
7. Serve immediately: Dust with icing sugar, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of crème fraîche, scatter a few raspberries, and get it to the table while it's hot.

To Serve:

1. The moment of truth: hand your Valentine a spoon and watch them crack through the set exterior. That glossy, molten chocolate centre should flow out like lava. If it doesn't, well, you've still got a very delicious chocolate cake - nobody's going to complain.

Chef's Tips

The wobble test: When you gently shake the ramekin, the edges should be firm but the centre should wobble like... well, like molten chocolate. If the whole thing is solid, you've slightly overbaked it (still delicious, just not lava-like).

Chocolate quality matters: Use good chocolate here - at least 70% cocoa. This isn't the time for cooking chocolate. Brands like Lindt, Green & Black's, or Callebaut work beautifully.

Temperature is everything: These need a hot oven to set the outside while keeping the inside molten. Don't be tempted to lower the temperature.

Make ahead magic: The unbaked batter can sit in the fridge for up to 24 hours. This makes them perfect for entertaining - no dessert panic after you've finished your main course.

Size matters: Using different-sized ramekins will affect cooking time. Smaller ramekins (125ml) will need 10-11 minutes; larger ones (200ml) might need 14-15 minutes.

Serving alternatives: Can't be bothered with the flip? Serve them straight in the Le Creuset ramekins - they're beautiful enough to go straight to the table. Just warn your Valentine that the ramekin will be hot.

Flavour variations: Add a pinch of instant espresso powder to intensify the chocolate, or a splash of liqueur (Grand Marnier, Baileys, or Amaretto) to the batter.

Dietary variations:

• Gluten-free: Replace the plain flour with a gluten-free flour blend (use the same amount). The texture will be almost identical
• Dairy-free: Use dairy-free dark chocolate (check the label - most 70%+ chocolate is dairy-free anyway) and dairy-free butter. The result is just as decadent
• Reduced sugar: You can reduce the caster sugar to 35g if you prefer a less sweet, more intensely chocolatey flavour

Wine Pairing

A dessert this rich deserves a wine that can match its intensity. Try a tawny port, a PX sherry, or - if you're feeling extravagant - a sweet Recioto della Valpolicella. The wine's sweetness and complexity won't be overwhelmed by the chocolate.

Serve in Riedel Ouverture dessert wine glasses or port glasses.

Why This Recipe Works for Valentine's Day

Because it's literally called a lava cake, and what's more passionate than molten chocolate? But beyond the name, these are genuinely impressive - restaurant-quality desserts that you can make ahead and bake while clearing the table. The drama of cutting into them and watching that chocolate centre flow out is pure romance.

Plus, there's something rather intimate about dessert that requires immediate attention. No time to check your phone or worry about anything else - just you, your Valentine, and chocolate that waits for no one.

Fair warning: these are rich. Decadently, wonderfully, share-a-spoonful-with-each-other rich. But it's Valentine's Day. If you can't be a little indulgent now, when can you?