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🧁 Ingredients (Serves 4)
- ½ cup (115g) unsalted butter (plus extra for greasing)
- 4 oz (115g) semi-sweet or dark chocolate, chopped
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- ⅛ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp (15g) all-purpose flour
- ½ tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Optional Add-ins:
- A pinch of espresso powder (enhances chocolate flavor)
- Splash of orange liqueur or raspberry extract for a twist
👩🍳 Instructions
1. Prep the Ramekins
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C).
- Grease 4 ramekins (6 oz each) generously with butter.
- Lightly dust with cocoa powder or flour and tap out the excess.
2. Melt Butter & Chocolate
- In a heatproof bowl, melt the butter and chocolate together over a double boiler or in the microwave (30-second bursts).
- Stir until smooth and let cool slightly.
3. Make the Batter
- In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and salt until pale and thick (1–2 minutes).
- Stir in the melted chocolate mixture and vanilla extract.
- Gently fold in the flour until just combined.
4. Bake
- Divide batter evenly among the 4 ramekins.
- Place ramekins on a baking tray.
- Bake for 12–14 minutes, until edges are firm but centers are still soft.
(Top may puff and crack slightly — that’s okay!)
5. Serve
- Let cakes sit for 1 minute, then run a knife around the edges.
- Carefully invert onto plates and remove ramekins.
- Dust with powdered sugar, top with berries, whipped cream, or serve with vanilla ice cream.
✅ Tips
- Do not overbake — molten centers rely on a shorter bake time.
- Batter can be made ahead and refrigerated (bring to room temp before baking).
- You can freeze unbaked cakes and bake straight from frozen, adding 1–2 minutes to bake time.
🍰 Flavor Variations
- Peanut Butter Lava: Add 1 tsp peanut butter in the center of each ramekin before baking.
- Salted Caramel Lava: Insert a soft caramel or spoonful of caramel sauce in the center.
- Espresso Lava: Add ½ tsp espresso powder to the batter.
