For our recipe for this week, I wanted to try to make something that would be a great dessert to have for February birthdays or for Valentine’s Day. I wanted to make something that felt luxurious, but wasn’t going to break the bank, and so, the chocolate lava cake seemed like the perfect choice!
With the normal recipe requiring eggs, I was a bit hesitant to do this one. But thankfully, I was able to figure out a way to make this recipe without using this currently pricy ingredient. And the other ingredients are ones you should be able to find in your pantry, so this decadent dessert should be super cheap to make.
The eggless result will not be quite the same since the egg is what gives the cake more body and is what helps it grow in the oven, so you could add a teaspoon or so of baking powder to the recipe to act as a substitute leavening agent, but I think the cake is fine without it as well. In either case, the cake will still have the delicious chocolate lava center that is present in the original recipe.
Speaking of which, you could also make chocolate lava cake the cheaty way by putting pieces of chocolate in the center of the cake before fully baking it. But, the point of the chocolate lava cake recipe is that you’re supposed to slightly underbake it to achieve the rich chocolate fudgy filling. Pure melt chocolate will obviously flow better, making a more dramatic lava flow, but I think the taste and texture of this version is not as cohesive since the lava is completely separate from the cake, making it more like chocolate cake with chocolate sauce rather than a mix between cake and pudding.
If you wish to make this ahead of time, you can freeze the batter in the ramekin dishes before baking, for up to a month or so. Just make sure to cover the batter tightly with plastic wrap and when you go to bake it, just let the ramekin warm to room temperature so you don’t crack the ceramic from the temperature change and you might need to add a few more minutes of cooking time, as well. But it should result in the same quality as baking it fresh. Also, you can store already baked chocolate lava cakes in the fridge for up to a week and just microwave them for 30 seconds or so to reheat the chocolate lava inside the cakes, if desired.
But regardless of if you make this recipe ahead or if you decide to make it with or without eggs, this intensely chocolatey dessert will be a simple and inexpensive way to celebrate any occasion, whether it be an individual birthday cake or a sweet treat to make at the end of a date.
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup butter (and some more for greasing the ramekin)
- 6 oz baking chocolate or chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 2 eggs (optional)
- Some Garnish:
- Some powdered sugar
- Some fruits
- A piece of mint
- Some whipped cream
- Some ice cream
Special Equipment:
- Some ramekins or you can use a muffin tin
Step 1: Preheat Oven to 425°F; Prepare Double Boiler to Melt Butter & Chocolate Together (Or Prepare in Microwave)
First, preheat the oven to 425°F. Then, while we wait, we’ll prepare the batter. So, put a pot of water to boil to make a double boiler and take out your ingredients from the fridge to let them warm up to room temperature.
Then, when the water is hot, place a glass or metal bowl on top of the pot and combine the butter and chocolate in the bowl, melting and stirring them together over low heat, until smooth.
You can also do this in the microwave by placing the butter and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwaving it in 30-second intervals, stirring every time, until melted. Then, whisk it together until it’s smooth.
Step 2: Mix Together Cake Batter
Take your chocolate off the boiler, and then, to your chocolate mixture, add in the flour, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt and mix this until smooth. Then, add in the milk to thin out the mix and whisk the mixture until it’s thick, shiny, and smooth.
If you wish to use eggs, in a separate bowl, mix the eggs instead with the sugar and salt until they turn pale before folding the chocolate mixture, along with the rest of the ingredients, into the eggs until well combined.
Step 3: Grease Ramekins & Then Pour the Chocolate Batter into Each Ramekin; Bake for 12-14 Minutes
With room-temperature butter, rub the ramekins to grease them. Then, pour the chocolate batter into each ramekin and smooth the top flat.
Your oven should be done preheating by now, so place your ramekins on a baking sheet and then bake these for 12-14 minutes or until the sides of the cake are firm, but the center is still jiggly. You can check this by gently wiggling the ramekin to check to see if the middle is still wobbly.
Step 4: Let Cakes Cool Before Loosening From Ramekins; Invert on Plate & Remove Ramekin
Then, let the cakes cool in the ramekins for a few minutes before loosening the sides of the cake with a knife if needed, and then inverting it onto a plate. The ramekin will still be pretty hot so I would recommend using an oven mitt as you slowly lift off the ramekin.
Step 5: Add Garnish & Enjoy!
Then, garnish your cake as desired and with that, your Eggless Chocolate Lava Cake is ready to eat.