The Secret to Making a Gooey Dark Chocolate Lava Cake at Home

Despite how intimidating it might feel like, lava cakes are pretty straightforward and have a simple recipe. As to where they came from, there is no proper evidence of where they might have sprung from, but the French assert that France had lava cakes as long as chocolate was circulating in the country.

The American version is maintained by Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of New York, who claims to have invented the lava cake, at his restaurant in New York City, in the 1980s. Whoever might have invented it, one thing is certain, the gooey chocolate lava cake has no compare. So, for all the chocolate lovers out there we have a simple recipe you need to try. 

Dark Chocolate Lava Cake Recipe

(Makes 6 cakes)

Ingredients

• 115 gm unsalted butter
• 170 gm Cadbury Bournville 70% Dark Chocolate, chopped
• 2 eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 50 gm granulated sugar
• ⅛ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp all-purpose flour

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 230°C.
2. Prepare six ramekins (approx 120-150 ml capacity each) and lightly coat the inside of each ramekin with butter, then dust with a small amount of flour. Shake out any excess flour. Arrange the prepared ramekins on a baking sheet.
3. Fill a saucepan with about 1-inch of water and bring it to a simmer. In a heat-safe bowl that fits snugly on top of the saucepan add Cadbury Bournville 70% Dark Chocolate and the butter. Make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water, otherwise it’ll burn.
4. Place the bowl over the simmering water, stirring occasionally until both the chocolate and butter have melted completely. Once melted, whisk until it's smooth and glossy. Remove from heat and set aside to cool slightly.
5. In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 whole eggs, 2 egg yolks, 50 gm granulated sugar, and a pinch of salt. Using an electric mixer, beat this mixture on medium speed for about 3-4 minutes, or until it becomes thick and pale yellow.
6. Gently fold the cooled chocolate mixture into the egg mixture using a rubber spatula. Be careful not to overmix – you want to preserve the air you've incorporated into the eggs.
7. Sift 30 gm of all-purpose flour over the chocolate-egg mixture. Fold it in gently until just combined. The batter should be smooth with no visible streaks of flour.
8. Carefully divide the batter among your prepared ramekins, filling each about 3/4 full. Use a spoon or small ladle to ensure even distribution.
9. Place the baking sheet with filled ramekins into the preheated oven. Bake for 6-8 minutes. Keep a close eye on them – the edges should be set and firm, but the center should still have a slight jiggle when you gently shake the ramekin.
10. Once baked, remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cakes cool in their ramekins for exactly one minute. This brief cooling period helps the cakes set just enough for unmolding.
11. For each cake, place a small dessert plate upside down over the ramekin. Using oven mittens, carefully and quickly invert the ramekin and plate together in one smooth motion.
12. Hold the inverted ramekin in place for about 10 seconds to allow the cake to release. Then, gently lift the ramekin – your lava cake should now be sitting prettily on the plate.
13. For a finishing touch, lightly dust the tops of the cakes with icing sugar.
14. Serve your molten chocolate lava cakes immediately while the centers are still warm and gooey. They taste best fresh.

Common Troubleshooting for Dark Chocolate Lava Cake

What makes lava cake so great is that, it is underbaked. The runny, gooey center is a result of that. You might think does that make it safe to eat? Of course. The middle needs to bake at least 70°C for it to be safe enough to eat, especially if your cake has eggs in it. 

• If your lava cake doesn’t set well, as it should, and collapses when you unmold it, it's possible you did not bake it long around. Bake for 1-2 minutes more and check if it's set after. 
•  In case it's the other way around and there is no lava, it’s possible you overbaked it. For such a case, you have to make peace with the cake you have just made, and start afresh to make a new chocolate lava cake.