The best dessert for two! Molten Chocolate Raspberry Lava Cakes makes just two chocolate cakes. Fresh raspberries fill the inside!

Valentine’s Day is coming. Are you ready? We’re helping you thinking through what to make for your special someone. Consider raspberry lava cakes!

Not only are these cakes easy to make, but it makes just two cakes. Enjoy a chocolate dessert without all of the tempting leftovers.

Raspberry Lava Cakes with fresh raspberries with one bite out

What are lava cakes?

There are several names for lava cakes. You may hear them called molten chocolate cakes, souffles and even flourless chocolate cake.

Lava cakes are a quick cake to make that have a “melted” center when you cut into them that resembles lava. They have just a few basic ingredients (chocolate, butter, sugar, eggs and a touch of flour). Some recipes don’t call for any flour, but ours calls for just a couple tablespoons.

The result is a “gooey” cake that creates its own syrup, perfect for serving warm with ice cream.

Are lava cakes safe to eat?

Just because the center of the cake is melty does not mean that it is unsafe to eat. These cakes bake at 425º Fahrenheit for about 13 minutes which means the eggs will have time to reach the safe temperature of 160º Fahrenheit.

Do you have to have ramekins for lava cakes?

You can easily make lava cakes in a nonstick muffin pan if you don’t have ramekins. Just grease and flour as the recipe states!

How to Make Raspberry Lava Cakes

Start by preheating your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.

Prepare the ramekins.

You’ll need two 4 ounce ramekins for this recipe.

Prepare two ramekin dishes by taking about ½ tablespoon shortening or butter and running along the inside of each bowl (both the bottoms and the sides).

Next, dust each bowl generously with about ½ tablespoon of flour making sure the entire inside is covered with flour. If you’d like, you can also use cocoa powder.

Set aside the ramekins to fill later.

Prepare the raspberries.

In the small bowl, add the raspberries and 1 teaspoon sugar and give a gentle stir. Then set aside.

Make the cakes.

In a small microwave safe bowl, add the chocolate and butter and place in the microwave for 30 second increments until completely melted and smooth. Set aside to cool.
In a large mixing bowl, add the egg, egg yolk, 3 Tablespoons sugar, and vanilla extract. Using a hand mixer (or you can use a stand mixer here with the whisk attachment), mix on high speed for 2-3 minutes or until light, fluffy, and pale yellow. The mixture should ribbon off the whisk.
Next, add in the flour and mix just until combined.
Add in the chocolate mixture and whisk until well combined.

Add about ¼ of the batter to the bottom of each ramekin. Add half of the raspberries to the center of each cake, trying to keep the berries in the center.

Place the remaining batter evenly over the tops of the berries making sure they are covered completely.
Gently tap the bowls against the counter a few times to release any air.

Bake the cakes.

Place on a small baking sheet and bake for 11-13 minutes or until the top of the cakes are done, but they still jiggle when touched.
Remove from the oven when done and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes. Using a towel or pan holder, flip each cake upside down onto a serving plate. Top with powdered sugar, whipped cream, and fresh berries.

You can also leave them in the ramekins while you are serving them.

How to Know When Lava Cakes are Done

The center of a lava cake should not be set which means you cannot do the typical “clean toothpick test” to see if the cake is done. Here are a few hints though:

The center of the cake should be jiggly.
The sides of sides of the cake should be set.
If you stick a toothpick about ½ inch from the edge of the ramekin, it should come out clean.

How do you store a lava cake?

We purposely created this recipe to only make 2 cakes because it is really best to eat lava cakes fresh from the oven. As you refrigerate and then reheat lava cakes, they will continue to cook which will reduce the “lava” inside.

If you do have leftovers, store in the refrigerator.

How long do lava cakes last?

We recommend eating molten chocolate cakes right away. If you’d like, you can make the batter up two days in advance and refrigerate it. That way you can enjoy fresh lava cakes whenever the craving hits!

Can you eat lava cake cold?

Lava cakes are best eaten warm, right after baking. You can eat it cold, but it won’t be as good.

How do you reheat lava cake?

We recommend reheating lava cake on a microwave safe plate until it is warm.

You may also love cherry lava cakes!