Hello…chocolate!!
For Valentine’s Day this year, thought I’d post a classic favorite from my kitchen — these adorable little chocolate molten lava cakes! Little did I know when I first tried them years ago (at Chili’s…yes….) that they are so simple to whip up. Just 7 minutes of prep, and 7 minutes in the oven, and voila…a classy and delicious dessert ready to go!!
There are many other recipes out there far more complicated, and far more time-consuming, but I’ve been a fan of this one (from Martha herself) for years. Calls for simple ingredients that I almost always have on hand. But for a twist this year, added in some chili, cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne to give them the Mexican hot chocolate kick. And no surprise…loved it! (But feel free to be a chocolate purist if you’d like. :-))
Wishing you all a Valentine’s Day full of much love! (And much chocolate!!) ♥
Mexican “Hot” Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes
Ingredients
- cocoa powder (for dusting ramekins)
- 1/4 cup (half a stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 ounces semisweet, bittersweet, or dark chocolate
- 1 large egg
- 1 large egg yolk
- 2 Tbsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. chili powder (optional)
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (optional)
- pinch of cayenne
- powdered sugar, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
- Butter two 4-ounce ramekins (or regular-sized muffin tins) and lightly dust the inside of each ramekin with cocoa powder, tilting to coat; tap out any excess and set aside.
- Heat butter and chocolate in heatproof bowl set over (but not touching) simmering water until chocolate is almost completely melted. (*You can also do this carefully in the microwave.*)
- Meanwhile, in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk together eggs, egg yolks, and sugar until light and thick. Slowly add butter mixture to mixer; add flour, cinnamon, chili powder, cayenne and mix until well combined. Divide batter between prepared ramekins. Place ramekins on a baking sheet and transfer to oven. Bake until sides are set and center is soft, 7 to 10 minutes.
- Invert each mold onto a plate and let stand for about 10 seconds. Gently tap the tops of molds and carefully lift to remove. Sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar, if desired. Serve immediately – either solo, or accompanied by ice cream, whipped cream, berries, or whatever else sounds good! :-)
Notes
Did you make this?Let me know how it turned out in the comments below!Ali’s Tip:
Be careful not to over- or under-bake these! The top and sides should definitely feel cooked, and just slightly jiggle if you tap the pan. But resist the urge to leave them in a few extra minutes, as they will just turn into fully-cooked cakes! :)
I have made this recipe several times; my husband loves it ! The chili pepper gives the chocolate a nice boost. Although this is exactly the same recipe, my directions are for 2 cakes (or you could just eat 2 ?). It is perfect for just the two of us. It is very fast, and easy to make; perfect for a last minute dessert craving.
Hey Ali,
I love this recipe, when I saw the photo I was like “I bet this is gunna take hours of slaving away” but when I saw your comment that it only takes 14 minutes I was ecstatic. I’m going to have a practice run tonight. I always do that before the main event, to make sure it’s always perfect. Although I love chili, my boyfriend is not very good with spice, do you think I should substitute it? Or are they not too spicy?
Thank you!
Hi there! We don’t think these are too spicy, but you can always add the chili powder to taste — you could start with 1/4 tsp and go from there (and since it’s just a pinch of cayenne, we think that’s fine). We hope you and your boyfriend enjoy these!
Love this recipe and making for a Mexican dinner party of 12. Can you premake the batter and keep. In the refrigerator for 4-5 hours?
We’re glad to hear that, Susan! We hope we’re not too late with our response, and if we are, we’re sorry. We haven’t tried making the batter a few hours a head of time, but we think that should probably be okay. It might need a bit longer to bake since it will have been in the refrigerator for a while though.
How spicy “hot” are these little lava cakes? Thinking of making these for my spice-loving 19 year-old. However my 11 year-old does like spicy food. Thanks.
QUESTION:
i made them, and they turned out eggy in taste (i used a different recipe with 2 eggs and a 3 TB of flour) but how long are you supposed to mix the eggs for? 8 min? b/c the other recipe said 8 min and i thought it was too long so i didn’t mix it that long, maybe that’s why they turned out tasting more like chocolate omelet? lol
hello ali! i just wanted to let you know i linked your recipe & lava cake photo to this site on the facebook fanpage: facebook.com/mexicanhotchocolate —if there’s a problem please don’t hesitate to contact me! thank you, have a great day!-jenny