Looking for a delicious way to say “yes” to a special occasion treat without having to spend hours in the kitchen or buy some highly processed, store-bought cake? Then try my Chocolate Lava Cakes! With less than 20 minutes of prep time and no decorating to worry about, I love to make these Chocolate Lava Cakes as a quick way to celebrate!
And what about their ingredients? While I won’t pretend they’re healthy (they are treats after all), these little Chocolate Lava Cakes are made with real ingredients. And if you’ve ever read the crazy list of ingredients in most store-bought cakes, you’ll probably agree that simple and real are much better options. 🙂
Perfect in size, these rich, gooey Chocolate Lava Cakes taste SOOO amazing. And since the recipe makes 6-8 little cakes, they’re great for sharing. Finally, if you’re avoiding or allergic to gluten—I’ve tested a gluten free option that’s listed in the notes of the recipe.
So…if you’re celebrating a special occasion or just want to bake something sweet for your sweetheart, definitely give this recipe a try! I promise, you’ll be thanking me!
Cheers!
Bruce
Decadent But Easy Chocolate Lava Cakes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 0 about 6-8 1x
Ingredients
- 8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
- 1 stick butter
- 3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 6 tablespoons maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons whole wheat pastry flour
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 4 eggs
To coat ramekins or muffin tins:
- Butter
- 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
Optional Garnish:
- vanilla ice cream (whipped cream, or powdered sugar)
Instructions
- Melt chocolate and butter (best done using a double-boiler) and mix completely with no lumps. Stir in vanilla extract and maple syrup. Pour chocolate mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer.
- Sift together flour and salt. Mix into the chocolate batter using the whisk attachment. Then whisk in egg one at a time, blending about 15 seconds after each addition.
- Beat the batter on high speed until it lightens in color and becomes thick and creamy (about 4-5 minutes). Chill the mixture for at least 20-30 minutes.
- While the mixture is chilling preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter eight, small, 6-ounce ramekins. If you don’t have ramekins, use a standard 12-cup muffin pan instead.
- Spoon batter into each ramekin until it’s about 2/3 full—a 4-ounce scoop makes this super easy. Bake for about 12-14 minutes—the outside should be cake-like while the center should be wobbly. If you want a firmer, less gooey cake, cook for up to 16 minutes.
- Let cool for 5 minutes. Serve warm in the ramekin or if you prefer loosen the edges of the cake with a knife and turn each ramekin upside down on a dessert plate. When the cake releases from the ramekin, garnish with optional ice cream, whipped cream, or powdered sugar.
Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when possible.
Gluten-Free Option: If you’re avoiding gluten in your diet, simply replace the whole-wheat pastry flour with almond flour and make sure you use gluten-free chocolate.
Ramekins definitely work best for this recipe since transferring each cake to a plate is more challenging when you have a whole tray of cakes baked in muffin tins.
This recipe was adapted from an Alton Brown recipe presented on the Food Network.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dessert/Treats
Kitchen Tips and Resources:
- This 4-ounce scoop is perfect for spooning the batter into the ramekins or muffin pan.
- 6-ounce ramekins or a traditional muffin tin work perfectly for this recipe.
- When choosing chocolate for baking I prefer organic and free trade options such as Equal Exchange or SunSpire. Enjoy Life offers non-GMO, dairy/gluten/nut/soy-free options.
