Chocolate Lava Cakes Espresso (Printable Version)

Decadent individual chocolate cakes with molten centers, enriched by a hint of espresso for depth and complexity. An indulgent treat.

# What You Need:

→ Chocolate Mixture

01 - 4 oz bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
02 - ½ cup unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing

→ Batter

03 - 2 large eggs
04 - 2 large egg yolks
05 - ½ cup granulated sugar
06 - ¼ cup all-purpose flour
07 - 1 tsp instant espresso powder
08 - 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
09 - Pinch of salt

# How-To Steps:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Grease four 6 oz ramekins with butter and lightly dust with cocoa powder, tapping out excess.
02 - Set heatproof bowl over pan of simmering water. Melt chocolate and butter together, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
03 - In separate bowl, whisk eggs, egg yolks, and sugar until pale and thickened, about 2-3 minutes.
04 - Stir espresso powder and vanilla extract into chocolate mixture.
05 - Gently fold chocolate mixture into egg mixture until incorporated.
06 - Sift flour and salt into batter, folding gently until just combined. Do not overmix.
07 - Divide batter evenly among prepared ramekins.
08 - Place ramekins on baking sheet and bake for 11-13 minutes, until edges are set but centers remain soft.
09 - Let cakes rest for 1 minute. Run knife around edges to loosen, then invert onto dessert plates. Serve immediately.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The espresso does something mysterious to the chocolate, making it taste more chocolatey without tasting like coffee
  • They look and taste like restaurant dessert but take about twenty minutes from start to finish
  • The batter waits patiently in the fridge until you are ready to bake, making dinner parties infinitely easier
02 -
  • Overbaking by even 30 seconds turns these into regular chocolate cakes, so set a timer and trust it completely
  • The jiggly center is not underbaked—it is the entire point of the recipe
  • Letting them rest the full minute before flipping prevents them from sticking or breaking apart
03 -
  • Use a kitchen scale to measure the chocolate and flour since precision matters more here than in most recipes
  • Warm your serving plates in the oven for a few minutes so the lava stays molten longer
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