Chocolate Lava Cakes Vanilla Ice (Printable Version)

Warm chocolate cakes with molten centers paired with creamy vanilla ice cream and optional fresh garnishes.

# What You Need:

→ Lava Cakes

01 - 4 oz dark chocolate (60–70% cocoa), chopped
02 - ½ cup unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 2 large egg yolks
05 - ½ cup granulated sugar
06 - ¼ cup all-purpose flour
07 - Pinch of salt
08 - Butter and cocoa powder, for dusting ramekins

→ For Serving

09 - 4 scoops high-quality vanilla ice cream
10 - Powdered sugar, optional for dusting
11 - Fresh berries or mint leaves, optional garnish

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Butter four 6 oz ramekins and dust with cocoa powder, tapping out excess.
02 - Melt dark chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl over simmering water, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
03 - In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, egg yolks, and granulated sugar until pale and slightly thickened.
04 - Gently fold the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture until combined.
05 - Sift flour and salt into the mixture and fold until just incorporated, avoiding overmixing.
06 - Divide batter evenly among prepared ramekins.
07 - Place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for 11 to 12 minutes, until edges are set but centers remain soft.
08 - Remove from oven and let stand 1 minute. Run a knife around edges and invert each cake onto dessert plates.
09 - Serve immediately with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Optionally dust with powdered sugar and garnish with berries or mint.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • They look like you spent hours perfecting them, but you've got fifteen minutes of actual work.
  • The contrast between warm chocolate and cold ice cream is genuinely addictive.
  • There's a built-in moment of drama when that center flows out—always gets a reaction.
02 -
  • Timing is everything—those extra thirty seconds in the oven turn your molten center into a solid cake, so set a timer and trust it.
  • Cakes can sit in the fridge unbaked for a day; let them come to room temperature before baking or add an extra minute to the time.
03 -
  • Use a kitchen thermometer on your water bath—you want it barely simmering, not boiling, or the chocolate will seize.
  • Weigh your ingredients if you have a scale; volume measurements can be off, and precision here makes the difference between perfect and overdone.

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