Aug 18, 2025

Molten Chocolate Cake

This chocolate lava cake recipe, created by legendary chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, is ready in under an hour. One bite of the molten chocolate cake's irresistible gooey center of warm dark chocolate will surely leave you wanting more.

Details

  • ⏲️ Prep time: 35 minutes
  • 🍳 Cook time: 9-12 minutes
  • 🍽️ Servings: 4 cakes

Ingredients

  • 1 stick (4 ounces) unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 6 ounces unsweetened chocolate or a few tablespoons baking cocoa
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 1/4 cup sugar

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Butter and flour ramekins, tap out excess.
  2. Combine butter and chocolate in a double boiler, stir until smooth. Set aside.
  3. Beat eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl with an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on high speed until thickened and pale, 2 to 3 minutes.
  4. Fold the mixture into the chocolate quickly. Don't over stir. Well-combined until no streaks remain.
  5. Spoon batter into prepared ramekins (about 1/2 cup per ramekin). Place baking sheet with ramekins in the preheated oven; bake until tops of cakes are just set and edges spring back when touched but centers still feel soft, about 9 to 12 minutes.
  6. Remove from oven and let cool in ramekins for 1 minute. Working with one ramekin at a time, cover ramekin with an inverted dessert plate. Carefully turn over and let stand 10 seconds before lifting the ramekin to unmold cake. Serve immediately.