Molten Chocolate Cakes (for Two)
I know what you’re probably thinking…another chocolate lava cake recipe – do we really need another one? It is an undeniable fact: molten chocolate cakes have been everywhere for decades. You will find hundreds, if not thousands, of version appearing across the blogosphere, tucked into cookbooks and on many a restaurant menu from fast food to fine dining.
The dessert’s origin is famously attributed to two French chefs in the 1980’s: Michel Bras’ Coulant au Chocolat – a technically demanding, carefully planned execution inspired by hot chocolate – and Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Chocolate Valrhona Cake, a simpler preparation born from a happy accident that became a signature dish. By all accounts, both versions became instant successes. The molten cake spread like wildfire, increasing in popularity across the United States and Europe throughout the ’90s. It became so ubiquitous that it eventually earned a reputation for being cliché or passé, perhaps even a little eye-roll-worthy. So why, exactly, am I adding yet another version to the mix?
First, because being popular has not made the molten chocolate cake any less delicious. These cakes became a sensation not only because of their intensely chocolate, swoon-worthy flavor but because they offer a true dining experience – a touch of theatricality at the end of a meal. A whole warm cake delivered to the table feels elegant, sophisticated and romantic – and that is before you break it open to see the molten chocolate flow. That magic doesn’t disappear simply because the dessert became widely available.
Second, I genuinely believe this is the best molten chocolate cake I’ve ever had. I first experienced it at a local restaurant over 20 years ago. It arrived with a quenelle of gelato, caramel sauce, spun sugar and fresh berries – and I was instantly in love. My boyfriend at the time managed to get a copy of the chef’s recipe and I have been making this version (or a very close cousin of it) ever since.
In all the intervening years, I have never encountered another molten cake that quite replicates the texture of this one – inside or out. The outer shell is not a typical cake or sponge; it is dense, velvety and smooth with no defined crumb. It provides just enough structure to contain the molten center. And that center is not runny in the usual sense – it flows and oozes slowly like lava with a thick, luscious, ganache-like consistency. I still order molten chocolate cakes when I see them on menus, but none of them compete. I would much rather wait and have this one at home.
Which brings me to the third and final reason: molten chocolate cakes are astonishingly easy to make. They require only pantry staples – chocolate, butter, sugar, eggs, flour, and maybe a splash of flavoring. The batter comes together in a matter of minutes using only a single bowl. Because they are individual cakes, they bake very quickly: about 6 minutes in a convection oven or around 10 minutes in a standard oven. And, the batter can be made up to several days ahead of time so you don’t need to juggle romantic dinner and romantic dessert at the same time.
So, with Valentine’s Day right around the corner, I say yes – we do need another molten chocolate cake recipe. We need a simple yet elegant dessert that feels special, plates beautifully, and that makes your sweetheart feel cherished on Valentine’s Day, date night, or any night you have 15 minutes to spare.
Molten Chocolate Cakes (for Two)
Equipment
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Thoroughly butter and flour your ramekins (I like to use a mixture of flour and cocoa powder, this avoids any white residue on the exterior of the cake)
- In a medium bowl combine the butter, chocolate and espresso powder. Using a microwave (or placing the bowl over a pot of simmering water) heat just until the chocolate melts, stirring until well combined and smooth.56 g (4 tbsp) butter, 56 g (2 oz) bittersweet chocolate, 1/8 tsp (â…› tsp) espresso powder
- Whisk in the remaining ingredients into the chocolate butter mixture in the following order: sugar, salt, vanilla, egg, egg yolk and flour. Make sure each ingredient is fully incorporated before moving on to the next, the final batter will be thick and glossy.16 g (1 ⅓ tbsp) sugar, 1/4 tsp (¼ tsp) salt, 1/2 tsp (½ tsp) vanilla, 1 large egg, 1 large egg yolk, 15 g (2 tbsp) cake flour
- Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared ramekins (about 105g of batter per ramekin)
- Bake in the preheated oven for 10-12 minutes (6-8 minutes on convection bake). The very edges of the cake will be dry and slightly puffed, the center will remain glossy and wet looking – do not be tempted to bake the cake any longer or it will lose the molten center. Remove the cakes from the oven, run a very thin flexible spatula around the outside edge of each to ensure the cake is not stuck to the sides.
- Turn each cake upside down onto an individual plate, remove the ramekin and serve immediately with a dusting of powdered sugar, a dollop of whipped cream, a quenelle of mousse, a scoop of ice cream, some berry coulis, a drizzle of caramel or, for the chocolate purists out there, simple and unadorned.
Private Notes
Nutrition
Tried this recipe?
Let us know how it was!More recipes you might enjoy:
About The Author
