Chocolate Lava Cakes Espresso (Printable version)

Rich chocolate cakes with warm, gooey centers, enhanced by a touch of espresso for a truly decadent individual dessert.

# 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

# Directions:

01 - Preheat oven to 425°F. Generously butter four 6 oz ramekins and dust with cocoa powder, tapping out excess.
02 - Set heatproof bowl over simmering water. Melt chocolate and butter together, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly.
03 - In separate bowl, whisk eggs, egg yolks, and sugar until pale and thickened, approximately 2-3 minutes.
04 - Stir espresso powder and vanilla extract into the cooled chocolate mixture until fully dissolved.
05 - Gently fold chocolate mixture into egg mixture until uniform in color.
06 - Sift flour and salt into batter. Fold gently until just combined—avoid overmixing to maintain tender texture.
07 - Divide batter evenly among prepared ramekins, filling each about three-quarters full.
08 - Place ramekins on baking sheet. Bake 11-13 minutes until edges are firm but centers remain soft and jiggly.
09 - Let rest 1 minute. Run knife around edges to release, then invert onto dessert plates. Serve immediately while centers are flowing.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The molten center is like having your own personal chocolate fondue without any extra equipment
  • Espresso powder enhances chocolate without making these taste like coffee
  • They come together in under 30 minutes but look like something from a fancy restaurant
02 -
  • Overbaking by even 2 minutes turns these into regular brownies. Set a timer and trust it.
  • The batter can sit refrigerated for up to 6 hours. Add 1 minute to baking time if baking cold.
  • Inverting onto warm plates keeps the center flowing longer than cold plates will.
03 -
  • Room temperature eggs incorporate better and prevent the chocolate from seizing when you mix them.
  • Cocoa powder works better than flour for dusting the ramekins. Flour leaves a white film.
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