It doesn’t get more delicious than the infamous chocolate lava cake. With salted caramel inside, my version guarantees the perfect texture and flavor. Bonus: It’s surprisingly easy to make and ready in an hour!
I first developed this recipe for Caramel Chocolate Lava Cakes when cooking at my underground restaurant, and it became my signature dessert. I am excited for you to try it!
If you’re in the mood for a decadent dessert, this chocolate lava cake is for you. I started making these salted caramel-filled lava cakes when I ran an underground restaurant in Vancouver, Canada. I loved them because I could easily make them ahead of time and have them ready to bake after dinner. My guests loved them because they always turned out perfectly gooey.
Filling the center with caramel is my ‘trick’ to ensure they never overbake. Because the caramel always stays runny, you don’t have to worry much about the timing. Knowing just how long to bake a lava cake can be intimidating, but the caramel acts as a safety net, ensuring that they are always perfectly gooey—even if you accidentally leave them in the oven too long.
Not only that, but salted caramel is the best complement to dark chocolate. The two are meant to be together. You’ll never look back once you try a Caramel Chocolate Lava Cake!
If you prefer a gluten-free option , try my molten chocolate lava cakes made without flour .
Key ingredients
The cake is actually delicious both with and without the chocolate caramel. If you make it with caramel, you will have more than you need for this recipe. Spoon the extra caramel over the cakes after they come out of the oven, or just eat it by the spoonful!
Here’s everything you’ll need to make the chocolate caramel sauce :
- Semi-sweet chocolate: Good quality chocolate will make better tasting lava cakes. I like to use semi-sweet chocolate so it’s not overly sweet.
- Eggs + egg yolks: I use both eggs and egg yolks for a cake that’s more tender and rich.
- Powdered sugar: Also called icing sugar or confectioners’ sugar, it mixes well into the batter. Keep a little extra for dusting.
- Cocoa powder: for dusting the ramekins. Tip: using cocoa powder instead of all-purpose flour to dust the cake pans makes your chocolate cake look extra dark!
- Caramel: Making your own is fun and fairly simple. But you can pick some up from the store, if you’d prefer. If you opt for store-bought, mix it with some melted chocolate to make chocolate caramel.
You’ll also need four 6-ounce (¾ cup) ramekins and a candy thermometer .
A light dusting of powdered sugar is all these lava cakes need to make a photo-worthy presentation.
Filling the center of the cake with caramel ensures that it can’t overcook – the caramel always stays runny.
How to make caramel chocolate lava cake
1. Start by melting the chocolate. It’s best to use good-quality chocolate.Why ⇢Inexpensive chocolate (like most chocolate chips) has very little cocoa butter and can seize and become really thick when heated.
2. The next step is to make the caramel by boiling sugar and water until it turns a beautiful amber color.
3. Add whipping cream to your caramel sauce, then stir in the melted chocolate and butter. Now you have chocolate caramel!
4. Butter your ramkins, then dust them with cocoa powder.Why ⇢Using cocoa powder instead of flour ensures that the cakes are a beautiful dark brown when you serve them.
5. Whisk the eggs and egg yolks.Why ⇢Adding extra egg yolks creates a wonderfully rich-tasting lava cake.
6. Whisk the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, and salt.Why ⇢It’s always best to whisk your dry ingredients to combine them evenly in the batter.
7. Now, melt the chocolate. When it’s slightly cool, add the eggs and then the flour.
8. Pour a little of the thick batter into the ramekins. Add some caramel and a sprinkle of salt, and then fill the ramekins, leaving a ½ inch space from the top so the cake batter doesn’t spill when it rises.
9. Bake the lava cakes, knowing that the chocolate caramel you filled them with will stay deliciously ooey and gooey.
What to serve with caramel chocolate lava cake
I like to serve these chocolate caramel lava cakes with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar, whipped cream, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a few fresh berries on the side.
They’re the perfect dessert for dinner parties, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, or whenever you, or someone you love, are in the mood for a special chocolatey treat.
Caramel Chocolate Lava Cakes
- Pin
Ingredients
Chocolate Caramel
- ▢ 5 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
- ▢ 1 cup sugar
- ▢ 2 tablespoons water
- ▢ ⅓ cup heavy cream (at room temperature)
- ▢ 2 tablespoons butter (cut into small pieces)
- ▢ 1 teaspoon sea salt
Lava Cake
- ▢ Butter and cocoa powder (for greasing and dusting ramekins)
- ▢ ½ cup butter
- ▢ 10 ounces semi-sweet or unsweetened chocolate
- ▢ 3 large eggs
- ▢ 3 large egg yolks
- ▢ ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ▢ ½ cup powdered sugar
- ▢ ¼ cup cocoa powder
- ▢ 1 teaspoon sea salt
- ▢ Maldon sea salt
- ▢ Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
To make chocolate caramel
- Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or metal bowl over a pot of simmering water. 5 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
- Add the sugar and water to a large pot over medium heat (make sure the pot is large, it will bubble up lots). Cook until it is dark amber in color and reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit then remove the pot from the heat. 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons water
- All at once add the whipping cream. Be very careful as it will steam and bubble ferociously. Whisk the mixture until the bubbling stops and the mixture is smooth. Add the melted chocolate and whisk till combined. Stir in butter and salt. ⅓ cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon sea salt
To make the lava cake
- Liberally butter 4 (¾-cup) ramekins. Dusk each with cocoa powder and tap upside down to remove excess. Butter and cocoa powder
- Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a pot of simmering water. ½ cup butter, 10 ounces semi-sweet or unsweetened chocolate
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolks. 3 large eggs, 3 large egg yolks
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the flour, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. ½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup powdered sugar, ¼ cup cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon sea salt
- When the chocolate has melted (allow it to cool for several minutes if it is hot) add it to the eggs and stir well. Then add the flour mixture and mix until it’s smooth.
- Fill each ramekin halfway full with the cake batter. Then, place a small tablespoon of caramel on top and sprinkle it with a little Maldon salt. Cover with cake batter until ½ inch from the top of the ramekin. Maldon sea salt
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the cakes for 15-18 minutes. Remove from the oven and run a knife along the edges of the cake to loosen. Hold a plate over the top of each ramekin. Using oven mitts, turn the plate and ramekin over together so that the ramekin is inverted on the plate. Carefully remove the ramekin. Repeat with remaining ramekins and dust with icing sugar. Powdered sugar for dusting
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here .
Did you make this?
We love to see what you made! Tag @theendlessmeal or hashtag #theendlessmeal !
Serve the Caramel Chocolate Lava Cakes as soon as they come out of the oven, and watch the dark chocolate caramel flow out.
A scoop of vanilla icing and perhaps a drizzle of caramel is a delicious way to serve lava cake.
Decadent dessert recipes
Vegan Salted Caramel Brownies
Flourless Chocolate Molten Lava Cake
Chocolate Soufflé
Profiteroles with Chantilly Cream
Caramel Chocolate Lava Cakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Caramel
- 5 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- ⅓ cup heavy cream , at room temperature
- 2 tablespoons butter , cut into small pieces
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Lava Cake
- Butter and cocoa powder , for greasing and dusting ramekins
- ½ cup butter
- 10 ounces semi-sweet or unsweetened chocolate
- 3 large eggs
- 3 large egg yolks
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Maldon sea salt
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
To make chocolate caramel
- Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or metal bowl over a pot of simmering water. 5 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
- Add the sugar and water to a large pot over medium heat (make sure the pot is large, it will bubble up lots). Cook until it is dark amber in color and reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit then remove the pot from the heat. 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons water
- All at once add the whipping cream. Be very careful as it will steam and bubble ferociously. Whisk the mixture until the bubbling stops and the mixture is smooth. Add the melted chocolate and whisk till combined. Stir in butter and salt. ⅓ cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon sea salt
To make the lava cake
- Liberally butter 4 (¾-cup) ramekins. Dusk each with cocoa powder and tap upside down to remove excess. Butter and cocoa powder
- Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a pot of simmering water. ½ cup butter, 10 ounces semi-sweet or unsweetened chocolate
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolks. 3 large eggs, 3 large egg yolks
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the flour, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt. ½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup powdered sugar, ¼ cup cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon sea salt
- When the chocolate has melted (allow it to cool for several minutes if it is hot) add it to the eggs and stir well. Then add the flour mixture and mix until it’s smooth.
- Fill each ramekin halfway full with the cake batter. Then, place a small tablespoon of caramel on top and sprinkle it with a little Maldon salt. Cover with cake batter until ½ inch from the top of the ramekin. Maldon sea salt
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the cakes for 15-18 minutes. Remove from the oven and run a knife along the edges of the cake to loosen. Hold a plate over the top of each ramekin. Using oven mitts, turn the plate and ramekin over together so that the ramekin is inverted on the plate. Carefully remove the ramekin. Repeat with remaining ramekins and dust with icing sugar. Powdered sugar for dusting
Notes
https://www.theendlessmeal.com/chocolate-lava-cake-with-salted-caramel/
