This is the dessert you make when you want to feel like you're dining at La Scala after the opera. Decadent, dramatic, utterly indulgent—a chocolate lava cake with a molten centre that oozes across the plate like velvet. It's the kind of dessert that makes people gasp when you crack it open, and it pairs beautifully with espresso or a digestif.
The Italians understand excess. They understand that sometimes, after a beautiful meal, you want something rich and unapologetic. This cake delivers. Dark chocolate and butter create that glossy, molten centre. The exterior sets to a delicate crumb while the inside stays liquid gold. It's a technical marvel that tastes like pure pleasure.
The secret is timing. Underbake slightly, and you get that perfect molten core. Overbake, and you have a very good chocolate cake but miss the lava drama. Serve it immediately, dusted with cocoa, with a quenelle of cream on the side. This is aperitivo hour's glamorous finale—bold, beautiful, unforgettable.
Ingredients
- 100g dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped
- 100g butter, cubed
- 2 whole eggs
- 2 egg yolks
- 60g caster sugar
- 30g plain flour
- Cocoa powder for dusting
- Thickened cream, to serve
Method
- Preheat your oven to 200°C. Generously butter two ramekins (about 200ml each) and dust with cocoa powder, tapping out any excess. This prevents sticking and gives a beautiful cocoa crust.
- Melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl over simmering water, stirring until smooth and glossy. Remove from heat and let cool slightly—you don't want to scramble the eggs.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, and sugar until pale and thick—about 3 minutes with an electric mixer. The mixture should ribbon off the beaters.
- Pour the melted chocolate into the egg mixture and fold gently until just combined. Sift in the flour and fold until no streaks remain. Don't overmix—you want to keep the batter aerated.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared ramekins. They should be about three-quarters full. Place on a baking tray for easy handling.
- Bake for 12-14 minutes. The edges should be set and slightly pulling away from the sides, but the centre should still jiggle when gently shaken. This is the molten magic moment.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for 1 minute. Run a knife around the edge of each ramekin, then carefully invert onto serving plates. Lift off the ramekins gently—the cakes should release with a soft thud. Dust with cocoa powder and serve immediately with a dollop of cream. Cut into the centre and watch the molten chocolate flow. This is Italian drama on a plate.
Nutritional Information
Per serve (approximate)