Chocolate Lava Cake for Two Recipe (2025)

By Yossy Arefi

Updated Feb. 29, 2024

Chocolate Lava Cake for Two Recipe (1)

Total Time
25 minutes
Rating
5(5,148)
Notes
Read community notes

Chocolate lava cakes gained popularity in the late 1990s thanks to the chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, and they have stuck around on dessert menus for good reason: They are rich chocolate cake and velvety sauce all in one, and they are surprisingly easy to make in under an hour. If you like to plan ahead, you can prepare the batter a day in advance, refrigerate it, then pop the cake into the oven when you are ready for dessert. This recipe, made in a 10-ounce baking dish, is meant for sharing, but you can also make it in two 6-ounce ramekins. Just cut the baking time to 7 to 9 minutes. Also, be sure to use chopped chocolate bars or chocolate fèves rather than chocolate chips here. Chips are made with stabilizers that inhibit melting and will negatively affect the texture of your dessert.

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Ingredients

Yield:2 servings

  • 3ounces/85 grams bittersweet chocolate, 70 to 74 percent cacao (not chips), chopped (about ½ cup)
  • 3tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into cubes, plus more for the ramekin
  • 3tablespoons granulated sugar, plus more for the ramekin
  • 1large egg
  • 1large egg yolk
  • ½teaspoon vanilla extract
  • teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • Confectioners’ sugar, to serve (optional)

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)

533 calories; 35 grams fat; 20 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 11 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 54 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 44 grams sugars; 7 grams protein; 165 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Chocolate Lava Cake for Two Recipe (2)

Preparation

Make the recipe with us

  1. Step

    1

    Heat oven to 425 degrees and butter a 10-ounce ramekin. Dust the buttered ramekin with granulated sugar.

  2. Combine the chocolate and 3 tablespoons butter in a heat-safe bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Cook, stirring occasionally, until melted and smooth. (Alternatively, combine in a bowl and microwave in 30-second blasts, stirring in between, until melted and smooth, about 1 minute.) Remove from the heat and set aside.

  3. Step

    3

    In a medium bowl, combine the 3 tablespoons sugar, egg, egg yolk, vanilla and salt. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is thick, foamy and pale, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the flour until smooth.

  4. Step

    4

    Using a spatula, add the chocolate to the egg mixture and stir gently until combined.

  5. Step

    5

    Pour the mixture into the ramekin. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes or until the edges are set and puffed, but the center is still soft when lightly pressed. (You can also cover and refrigerate the batter up to a day in advance. Add an additional minute or 2 to baking time if you are baking the cake directly from the refrigerator.)

  6. Step

    6

    Use an offset spatula or small knife to loosen the edges of the cake from the ramekin. Place a plate over the ramekin and carefully invert the warm cake. Use an oven mitt or clean kitchen towel to remove the ramekin, dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar and serve with ice cream or whipped cream.

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5,148

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Private Notes

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Cooking Notes

naomi dagen bloom

Am 85, no ramekins either...helpful alternative!

Ali

So good! Am 25, don’t own ramekins. Muffin tins worked fine. Made 4.

Fif

Have made this for 4 people this year. Singlehandedly soothed roommate relationship during dark period of quarantine; staved off a breakup at least 2.5 weeks. True rating is 4.99/5 to account for the time it falsely raised hopes of intense seriousness and perhaps love in a casual relationship.

Shawn N.

60. Had ramekins. No joy. Gave them to Goodwill. Missed ramekins (creme brûlée!) so bought more. Found the box that never made it to Goodwill. Felt bad for having a ridiculous number of ramekins. No joy. Made this recipe. The joy is back

Mary ann

Pat, It's illegal,I'm most states to own a ramekin if you are under the age of 30.

Bella

Am 55. Had ramekins. Had teens too. Teens broke ramekins. Used pyrex cups. Tremendous.

Beverly

Ha ha, reading the notes on this about ramekins is probably almost as good as eating the cake (which I haven't tried yet)! Y'all are funny!

NancyKelley

Am 65, realized the dish I was using for our dog’s water was in actuality a ramekin!

Veej

I have saved small cans - chilis actually - that I cut both ends from. Gives me a perfect 2&1/2" form. I set them on parchment to cook and can slide knife around edges to release.

Ali

I reduced baking time by two minutes! Also, I bought some ramekins this weekend. Used them twice already. Everything I eat will be in individual serving sizes from here on out.

Marta Frijole

Am 63. Own ramekins. Bought them on the sly many years ago (I was young then; am older now). I keep them off-scene, hidden away. Why? Husband (67) believes they take up an obscene amount precious storage space. (He did buy crumpet rings, however, at the start of the pandemic).I will make lava cake. I will demonstrate the redeeming qualities of ramekins. I will fantasize about replacing crumpet rings with ramekins in the coveted drawer.

MRR

I have ramekins and kept them, I guess they “sparked joy”.

Nicole

They are perfectly safe to eat. A little bit of science: only 1 in 20,000 eggs possibly carry salmonella; salmonella is destroyed at 160*F; cakes are set at 200-210*F; and the internal temp of the lava cake reaches that magic number of 160*F. Also, if you are basing this concern on being told not to eat raw cookie dough because of eggs, the truth is people were getting sick from the flour in the cookie dough, not the eggs. So you can have your cake and eat it too!

Karen

The article above the recipe says you can use 2 - y ounce ramekins and cut the baking time to 7-9 minutes. My first attempt was also over cooked. 7 minutes was a flop. On the third attempt, I turned the temp down to 400, baked 9 minutes - perfection!

Peter

When you grow up you can get some ramekins. :)

mar

It’s embarrassing how many times I have made this since making it the first time 2 months ago. It’s so good and easy!

Richard Seelig

Simple and elegant. Only correction is to cut the baking time by one minute (or even a bit more)

jen

I made this 12 of these for my husbands' birthday party. I used semi-sweet chocolate chips. They were delicious! It's possible that they would have been better with the recommended chocolate but I didn't receive any complaints! Also, I cooked all of them at the same time on 2 cookie sheets. In the middle of cooking, I switched the sheets. Great recipe!

Kellie

Wasn’t sure I would spring for the ramekins but am now convinced they are utterly necessary.

Michael L

I used guittard baking chocolate for this but the end result did not “flow” out of the cake. What did I do wrong?

Michael L

Update: I recreated this recipe with chocolate that is free from lecithin, and that did the trick.So did cooking at the right temperature and whipping the eggs, but who’s keeping score?

Melissa

So good, so easy, we save it for special occasions or we'd eat this everyday!

SK19118

Yes this was so wonderful!!!! Made as described in 2 ramekin-sized dinnerware bowls that are probably not ramekins (age 48)…. Kept an eye on during baking as cook time was shorter due to smaller size of dish.

Jim

Luckily we still had 6 oz ramekins. So easy and fast to make. 8 minutes in our oven was just right. No substituted ingredients or method changes like one sees so often here and they turned out perfect. Next time will serve with ice cream. Whipped cream deflated quickly from the heat. Thanks NYT for an uncomplicated fast and easy special dessert.

Kathi in VA

I am 58, so I have various ramekins, but decided to try the muffin tin option. Doubled the recipe for the four of us tonight. Four muffin tins held 70 grams each. That left me with a little over 200 grams that I put into a 16 oz. Corning ware French white ramekin for “later.” Cooked the muffin tin batch for 8 minutes and probably should have done 7… they had about a tablespoon of lava. Still delicious.

Kathi in VA

Follow up… Everyone decided there was no point saving the other one for another day, so into the oven it went, 12 minutes, more lava this time but 11 would have worked. We all decided this recipe is a keepe!!

Marc

I would give 10 stars if I could we’ve made for Valentine’s Day the last several years and it is so good and easy.

Sarah

Had 2 red le creuset ramekins that were smaller than the 10 oz size called for in recipe. Poured batter half and half into each ramekin and baked for 11 minutes. It was so delicious I ate them both. Perfection.

Noshua

Great excuse to buy ramekins if you don’t have any. Used two 6oz ramekins. Used the convection setting on my oven (so 425° became 400°), and 8 min was right on the nose. I will absolutely make this again

Helena

Am 20. Bought a ramekin for this recipe. Zero regrets. I apologize to anyone who lacks this essential kitchenware item. You need this cake in your life.

Sue J

This is easy and delicious! I made it for my husband for valentines. I like that it can be prepared in advance and cooked when you are ready.

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Chocolate Lava Cake for Two Recipe (2025)

FAQs

What can I use instead of ramekins for lava cake? ›

And bonus, if you don't have ramekins, you can use a muffin pan instead! 5 Pantry friendly ingredients. This recipe is made with just chocolate, butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. Quick to make and bake.

Is lava cake just undercooked cake? ›

In the 2014 movie "Chef," chef Carl Caper, portrayed by Jon Favreau, argues that chocolate lava cake isn't just "undercooked chocolate cake." The "molten" aspect of the dessert comes from a disc of frozen chocolate ganache that melts in the center of the treat as the cake bakes around it.

Why did my lava cake fail? ›

Lava cakes are pretty easy to make, but if you're having problems with it collapsing or being dry in the middle, you haven't quite nailed the cooking time.

Can I eat choco lava cake after 2 days? ›

Cover tightly and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Allow to come to room temperature before continuing with step 5. You can freeze the baked lava cakes for up to 3 months.

Can you use a muffin pan instead of ramekins? ›

If you like to make individual side dishes, quiches, and desserts, but don't enjoy unmolding each ramekin separately or dealing with little dishes scooting around the baking pan, try this. Both problems are solved when I use a muffin tin for the mold. Spray tin with nonstick spray.

Can I use coffee cups instead of ramekins? ›

Now, it's well worth making it the stovetop way, but if you're in a hurry, a coffee mug and a microwave will work just as well. Matching coffee mugs actually are a great substitute for ramekins when making any individual portions of dessert, like pudding. The handle gives something for people to hold onto.

Why is lava cake safe to eat? ›

Is the molten center of lava cake safe to eat? Answer: Yes, while the molten center is not fully cooked it still reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Therefore, it is perfectly safe to enjoy.

Why did my lava cake sink in the middle? ›

If you over mix the cake batter, your molten lava cake is going to collapse or sink in. Reason being when you over mix the batter, you are incorporating too much air bubble into the batter resulting it in losing its structure to hold the cake together.

How are Domino's lava cakes? ›

Chocolate Lava Crunch Cakes are baked in our Domino's pizza ovens to give them a slightly crunchy, chocolatey crust. But once you grab a fork and dive into that firm yet moist chocolate crust, you are in for a very special treat.

Does lava cake get you high? ›

The high is very relaxing and euphoric and is great for pain or depression. This high is great for when you get off work or have nothing much to do as it will put you on the couch.

Should you refrigerate lava cake? ›

Absolutely! After making the Chocolate Lava Cake batter and filling the ramekins, cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.

What can I use instead of a cake rack? ›

Here are a few substitutes for cooling racks. Muffin tins and (cardboard) egg trays can both be turned upside down and used to hold fresh-from-the-oven cookie sheets or hot pies or cakes.

What can I use as a cake container? ›

Rummage through your holiday closet to find a department store gift box or even an old Amazon shipping box that will accommodate the circumference of your plate. Gently place your plate cake into the box.

What can I use as a cake heating core? ›

If you bake frequently enough to own cake decorator's flower nails, those are very similar to a heating rod. We use those ourselves in home baking, and they do an excellent job of helping our cakes bake more evenly. If all else fails, use aluminum foil.

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