Chocolate Lava Cake

Chocolate Lava Cake

⏱ 20 minutes 👥 2 serves

Precise timing, narrow margin for error. Underbake by 30 seconds and the centre stays molten. Overbake and it's just cake. It's the exposure latitude of slide film — no forgiveness, only accuracy.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 200°C. Generously butter two 180ml ramekins, then dust with cocoa powder, tapping out any excess. This prevents sticking and adds a dark, matte coating.
  2. Place chocolate and butter in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water (don't let the bowl touch the water). Stir occasionally until completely melted and smooth. Remove from heat and let cool for 2 minutes.
  3. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, egg yolks, and sugar until thick and pale — about 2 minutes. The mixture should fall in ribbons when you lift the whisk.
  4. Pour the melted chocolate into the egg mixture and gently fold together until combined. Sift in the flour and cocoa powder, then fold until just incorporated. Don't overmix — a few small lumps are fine.
  5. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared ramekins. Place on a baking tray and bake for 12 minutes exactly. The edges should be set and slightly pulling away from the sides, but the centre should still jiggle slightly when gently shaken.
  6. Remove from the oven and let stand for 1 minute. Run a thin knife around the edge of each ramekin to loosen.
  7. Invert each ramekin onto a serving plate and gently lift off the ramekin. The cake should slide out cleanly. Serve immediately — the centre will be molten and will flow when you cut into it. Serve with a drizzle of double cream if desired.

Nutrition (per serve)

580 Calories
12g Protein
42g Carbs
42g Fat

The Story

Lava cake is a timing exercise. Twelve minutes at 200°C. Not eleven, not thirteen. The edge sets, the centre stays liquid. It's controlled undercooking — you're deliberately stopping the process before completion. In the darkroom, it's like pulling a print from the developer early to preserve highlights. You're managing the chemistry in real time.

The butter and cocoa coating on the ramekin is functional — it prevents sticking and creates a non-reflective surface. When you invert the cake, it should release cleanly. The outer shell is firm enough to hold structure, but when you cut through, the interior flows out like developed emulsion. Dark, glossy, molten chocolate. It's dramatic, immediate, irreversible. Once you cut it, the moment is over.

You serve it hot, straight from the oven. If you wait, the centre sets and you lose the effect. The cream is optional, but it adds contrast — cool against hot, white against dark. The richness is extreme. You don't need a large portion. This is concentrated flavour, high-contrast composition, no room for error. It's why it works.