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 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

→ Batter

03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 2 large egg yolks
05 - 1/2 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
07 - 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder
08 - 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
09 - Pinch of salt

# How-To:

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 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 cooled chocolate mixture.
05 - Gently fold the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture using deliberate, careful motions.
06 - Sift flour and salt over the mixture, folding gently until just combined. Avoid overmixing.
07 - Divide batter evenly among the four prepared ramekins.
08 - Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 11-13 minutes until edges are set but centers remain soft.
09 - Let cakes rest for 1 minute. Run a knife around edges to loosen, then invert onto dessert plates. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It looks like you labored for hours, but you will be pulling them from the oven in less than fifteen minutes of actual work.
  • The espresso does not make them taste like coffee, it just makes the chocolate taste more like itself, deeper and almost mysterious.
  • You get to crack open a cake and watch warm chocolate pour out, which feels like magic every single time.
02 -
  • The difference between a gooey center and a fully baked cake is about 60 seconds, so watch them closely and pull them when the edges are set but the middle still looks a little underdone.
  • If you are nervous about timing, make the batter ahead and refrigerate it, then bring it to room temperature and bake just before serving so you can focus on getting it right.
03 -
  • Use room temperature eggs so they blend more smoothly into the chocolate and do not seize the mixture.
  • If a cake does not release cleanly, let it sit for another 30 seconds, the residual heat will help it loosen, and you can always serve it in the ramekin with a spoon if all else fails.
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