Chocolate Molten Lava Cake - Impress your loved ones with the easiest and BEST individual molten lava cakes with a chocolate syrup center with ice cream and caramel sauce on top!
This chocolate molten lava cake is inspired by one of my favorite desserts served at Chili's. Since I don’t make it there as often as I’d like, I figured out a way to make a molten lava cake at home!
This rich and chocolaty dessert is as impressive and decadent as it is easy. It’s made with moist chocolate cake with a chocolaty lava center, and because they’re made in muffin tins, everyone can have their own!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
Dress it up or keep it simple. Serve with a simple dusting of powdered sugar, or go all out with all the syrups and a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream!
Perfect for any occasion. An anniversary, a birthday, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, or just because I love you day!
Ready in under an hour. It’s something you can whip up on a whim!
A one-bowl recipe. Minimal cleanup is always a bonus.
Cooking Tips
- The cupcakes are done when you insert a toothpick into the center of one of them and it comes out clean.
- Make sure to grease the muffin tins well so they are easy to release.
- When you scoop out the center of the cake, you can eat it, discard it, or put some of it back overtop the syrup if you can!
- You don’t have to make a molten chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. You can get creative and have fun with it! Try a dusting of powdered sugar and fresh berries. Strawberry sauce would be great, as would hot fudge or chocolate ice cream!
Ingredients for Chocolate Molten Lava Cake Recipe
- All-purpose flour: Measure your flour properly so you’re not using too much. If you don’t have a scale, use the spoon and level method rather than packing it into the measuring cup.
- Sugar: For sweetness. You’ll need it because we’re using unsweetened cocoa powder.
- Unsweetened cacao powder: Natural cocoa powder is what I use to give the cake its chocolate flavor.
- Baking powder and baking soda: Leavening agents that deliver a soft crumb and a high rise!
- Salt: To balance the flavors.
Buttermilk: The acid in buttermilk reacts with the baking soda to give it a fluffy, airy texture. You can swap the buttermilk with kefir if preferred. - Hot coffee: Adding hot coffee to the cake batter will help to enhance the flavor of the chocolate and allow it to bloom. Hot water works too.
- You’ll also need: Vegetable oil, eggs, and vanilla extract.
- For garnish: Caramel syrup, chocolate syrup, vanilla ice cream, and cocoa powder.
How to Make Molten Lava Cake
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together until combined.
Step 2: Pour in the buttermilk and vegetable oil. Then, add the eggs and vanilla extract. Use a hand mixer or the paddle attachment to mix the cake batter until combined.
Step 3: Add the HOT coffee and mix on low speed until everything is combined.
Step 4: Divide the batter into the prepared jumbo muffin tin, filling each mold with about ¾ cup of the cake mixture.
Step 5: Bake in a preheated 350F oven for 30-35 minutes. Remove the individual lava cakes from the oven and let them cool for about 10 minutes before carefully removing them from the tin.
How to Assemble the Cakes
Step 1: Cut the “muffin” tops off the cakes. Flip them over onto a plate and use a small spoon to scoop out about ½ of the center of the cake.
Step 2: Pour the chocolate syrup into the hole and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. Drizzle with chocolate syrup and caramel syrup overtop and sprinkle with extra cocoa powder. Enjoy with a cup of creamy cashew milk, a cup of tea, or a caramel blondie coffee!
Cooking FAQs
No, but it’s just as good! The classic recipe is made by baking the cakes in high heat so that the outside bakes before the inside, leaving the middle gooey and runny.
My version bakes the cake at a regular temperature, and we scoop the inside out and add our own chocolaty center!
You can use single ramekins instead. They work too!
There are certain parts of it that can be made in advance. You can make the cake batter, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and keep it in the fridge for a couple of days until you’re ready to do some baking.
You can also bake the cakes, let them cool, and store them in an airtight container in the fridge overnight. Then, when you’re ready to serve them the next day, scoop them, fill them, and add your toppings.
It's best served warm, often accompanied by vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, or fresh berries.
More Chocolate Desserts You’ll Love:
- Dubai Pistachio Chocolate Bar
- Cheesecake Chocolate Brownies
- Chocolate Spartak Cake
- Chocolate Ice Cream Cake
- Chocolate Marshmallow Cookies
- Chocolate Dirt Pudding Recipe
When YOU make this Molten Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream recipe please tag us @munchkintimeblog on Instagram, we would LOVE to see your creation!
If you tried this chocolate molten lava cake recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a * star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Thank YOU for YOUR Comment, Share & Recipe Review!
Chocolate Molten Lava Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
Ingredients for Individual Lava Cakes
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 cups sugar
- ¾ cup Cocoa Powder Unsweetened
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 cup buttermilk/kefir
- ½ cup avocado oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
- 1 cup HOT coffee if you don't want to use coffee you can use 1 cup of hot water
Ingredients YOU will need for Garnish
- Caramel Syrup
- Chocolate Syrup
- vanilla ice cream
Instructions
How to make Chocolate Cakes
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease jumbo size muffin pan with butter or baking spray.
- In a mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, Cocoa Powder, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt. Whisk until combined.
- Add buttermilk, oil, eggs and vanilla extract, mix using the hand mixer until everything is combined.
- Now, add 1 cup of HOT coffee and mix on low speed until everything is combined.
- Pour about ¾ cup of the chocolate cake batter into each jumbo size muffin pan. Bake for about 30 - 35 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake. Remove, let it cool for about 10 minutes, after carefully remove from the pan using a spatula.
How to Assemble Molten Lava Cake
- Take a knife and cut off the tops of the chocolate cakes. Flip the cake top side down on a plate. Using a small spoon, spoon out about ½ of the center of the cake (YOU are welcome to eat this part of the cake, or set aside).
- Pour into the center Chocolate Syrup, add vanilla ice cream scoop, then drizzle of Caramel & Chocolate Syrup over the top. Enjoy!
Notes
- These cakes are best served hot right out of the oven. Have your plates ready and serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream for an extra treat!
- The best flavor comes from using high-quality ingredients.
Nutrition
Quote of the DAY
My family love this recipe!
Finally! A molten lava cake recipe that is easy to follow with ingredients that are easy to find. Thank you so much for sharing this! The photos almost satisfied my sweet tooth!
You are welcome, Erika! I am glad you like this recipe and hopefully those step by step photos will help you bake this yummy goodness!
OMG! This is drool-worthy. Made me crave for a chocolate cake right now. Will go out today to grab some ingredients. I would love to try making this molten lava cake.
Thank you, Sheila! I am so happy to hear that you like this recipe! I know you will love this molten lava cake!