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If you were to ask me what I’d choose to eat for dessert, I will always say some sort of chocolate.
Whenever we go out to eat, I always look at the dessert menu first.
I need to know what to save room in my stomach for, you know?!
If there’s anything chocolate on the menu — and there usually is — I usually always choose that.
My favorite is a super decadent chocolate cake but I will also take any type of chocolate dessert.
I feel like molten lava cake is a very popular one to have on menus but I’ve always dreamed about making it at home myself.
Insert salted caramel molten lava cakes.
Absolutely, 100% drool-worthy.
What is a molten lava cake?
A molten lava cake is kind of like emulating a volcano.
Hot, gooey chocolate liquid is in the center of the half-baked cake and when you slice it in half, it all oozes out into a river of chocolate goodness.
Mine doesn’t stay liquid in the center
You’ve cooked it too long!
You need to cook it JUST until the center is slightly jiggly and then immediately pull it out of the oven otherwise it’ll keep baking.
Mine fell apart when I inverted it
That’s probably because it was not structurally cooked enough.
The sides may have looked cooked but it couldn’t structurally hold itself when you inverted it.
I don’t like dark chocolate.
You can make this with semisweet chocolate chips, if you prefer or milk chocolate.
What can I serve this with?
A giant scoop of ice cream on top, DUH!
Do I have to use the salted caramel?
No, you certainly don’t have to but that’s a third of the goodness, isn’t it?!
Can I make this ahead of time?
You can make the batter ahead of time but no, this cake needs to be made and eaten immediately.
So I can’t freeze it.
Correct.
Salted Caramel Molten Lava Cakes for Two
Equipment
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (128 g) dark chocolate chunks
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter
- 2 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 large egg
- 1 tablespoon milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoons salted caramel sauce, divided
- Vanilla ice cream for topping
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 °F (204 °C)
- Place a heat-proof glass bowl over a pot of simmering water or use a double-boiler.
- Melt chocolate and butter together then remove from heat.3/4 cup (128 g) dark chocolate chunks, 2 tablespoons (28 g) unsalted butter
- In a small bowl, whisk together sugar, flour, and baking powder.2 teaspoon granulated sugar, 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- Add egg, milk, and vanilla extract to the chocolate mixture. Whisk to incorporate.1 large egg, 1 tablespoon milk, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Add the dry mixture to the wet mixture then whisk until fully incorporated.
- Divide batter amongst 2 well-greased 6-ounce ramekins.
- Add 1 teaspoon of salted caramel into the center of the batter in each ramekin.2 teaspoons salted caramel sauce
- Bake for 13-15 minutes or until the edges of the cake are set and the center is only slightly jiggly.
- Invert the ramekin onto a plate, top with ice cream, and serve.Vanilla ice cream for topping
Nutrition
Photography by Erin Alvarez
Simply spectacular! I was in need of a desert recipe that would make a very small batch and yours was perfect. I actually halved the egg so I could make one ramekin with regular flour and the other one with Pillsbury Gluten Free flour. They turned out so well!!
What salted caramel sauce do you use? Do you have a preference on brand? I have none and I may see about making my own as well. Thank you for sharing your recipes, I am grateful.
i have a recipe for salted caramel sauce! https://www.tablefortwoblog.com/homemade-salted-caramel-sauce/
@Julie Chiou, I was hoping you would share a recipe for the salted caramel sauce. Thanks! I love the format you use for your recipes. How you ask and answer the questions I would be asking. Thanks!
If I make the batter ahead of time, do I store it in the fridge? And when I’m ready to bake, do I hear it up before dividing it into the two ramekins?
this batter isn’t made to be prepared ahead of time
Hi Julie, I just found your site & I am very impressed!!! I want the corn fritters, Asian Salad & Molten Lava cake NOW☺. Thanks for sharing such great recipes. They are for people who are not 5 STAR chefs! I can make all of these & be a STAR!!! Thanks a lot.
So glad you found me and have found some great recipes to try!
Is this supposed to a chopped dark chocolate bar? Or dark chocolate chips? I tried it out with some of both, and it came out really bad :( idk what I did wrong
Either. I don’t know what you did wrong either…what do you mean by “came out really bad?”
omg Julie I need this right now!!
I hope you make it!