Chocolate Lava Cake (Gluten Free Adaptable)

this recipe

Happy belated Valentine’s Day, friends!

This chocolate lava cake was supposed to make it to you in time for Valentine’s Day, so that you could treat yourself.

But I came down with a cold, that I am still trying to shake, and wasn’t up for writing about chocolate cake and Valentine’s Day. You see, I much prefer that a post is late than for it to not reflect my best self within my writing.

Besides, do we really need a holiday for a reason to make and eat rich, luscious chocolate lava cakes? I sure hope not. Because this chocolate lava cake should be an anytime-you-need-a-treat-or-wanna-celebrate-anything-in-life kind of cake. Don’t you agree?

This chocolate lava cake is ridiculously good! The outside is a perfectly baked cake, but once you cut into it, it’s got an oooey, gooey molten hot center. Hence the name, chocolate lava cake. The hot chocolate center is reminiscent of hot fudge, while the outside is a perfectly fluffy cake. Serve it with a side of vanilla ice cream and you’ve got that amazing combo of cold creamy ice cream with hot freshly baked chocolate cake.

It’s like a chocolate hot fudge Sunday and fresh baked cake all in one glorious dessert. Oh, and of course, serve it with some fresh raspberries and strawberries for a pretty pop of color and also because strawberries and raspberries are the best with chocolate.

Pro tip: dip a sliced strawberry in the lava chocolate center and you’ve pretty much made a chocolate covered strawberry. Makes me weak at the knees thinking about it.

Chocolate lava cake isn’t just for Valentine’s Day. Although, yes, it is most often searched for in February. Chocolate lava cake is the perfect dessert for really any type of celebration. It would make a great birthday cake for any chocolate lover. Hello, that’s me! Yes, please!

Chocolate lava cake is super easy to make. The prep time only takes 20 minutes, and the baking time takes 7 to 10 minutes. It can be made in advance, and baked just before you’re ready to serve them, making it the perfect dessert to serve at a dinner party.

Well a dinner party of 4 that is, because the recipe makes 4 personal sized cakes. That’s okay though because you could easily double the recipe by clicking the 2x button in the recipe card below.

You’re welcome!

OR if you are only serving two cakes, no problem, you can re-heat them in the microwave a day or two later.

How to make chocolate lava cake:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit –  a hot oven is essential for cooking the outside of the cake quickly while the middle stays slightly under-baked (yes, that is what a chocolate lava cake is, slightly under-baked cake).
2. Melt chocolate and butter together
3. add flavor – stir in sugar, instant coffee, cinnamon, and salt
4. whip eggs – 2 whole eggs and 2 egg yolks need to be whipped up until light and fluffy
5. combine – slowly combine the melted chocolate and butter with the eggs
6. stir in the flour
7. Transfer to greased ramekins
8. bake – bake for 1 to 10 mins
9. cool – cool exactly 5 minutes
10. remove – carefully allow the cakes to release, upside down, onto a plate
11. serve – serve immediately. With a scoop of ice cream, it’s essential IMO.

That’s it! It kind of sounds like a lot but I promise it’s actually quite easy.

And if you happen to over-bake the cakes a little so that they don’t have that lava center, don’t worry, you still end up with a really tasty moist cake. Yes, it’s way cooler when you have that gooey warm center, but it’s not a complete loss if you happen to over-bake it a little.

I know from experience, still a really tasty cake. You can’t loose.

As I said before, if you want to serve these cakes to guests then you can simply prep the cakes up to a day or two in advance, cover them and store in the fridge. Allow them to come to room temperature for a few hours. Then when you’re ready to serve them that’s when you bake them.

It’s desserts like these chocolate lava cakes that can mostly be made ahead of time, with dishes already washed, that makes for a smooth dinner party.

As mentioned in the title of the post these chocolate lava cakes can easily be adapted to be gluten free. You simply swap the all purpose flour with a gluten free all purpose flour blend. Works like a charm.

Valentine’s day, or not, you’re gonna absolutely love these chocolate lava cakes. I mean, who can say no to a warm chocolate cake with an oooey gooey center, with a side of vanilla ice cream?

Even though I was sick with a cold on Valentine’s Day, my thoughtful husband got me a few gifts. One of them was a card that said “Happy Chocolate Day!!!” On the inside it said, “sure, today’s about love, too, but let’s get our priorities straight, people.” It made me laugh!

And yes, he did get me some chocolate to go with the card (and some red wine, and a Red Lobster gift card). He covered all my favorite food groups ha! Good job husband!

Anyways, isn’t that card kind of true? No matter why you are celebrating Valentine’s Day: to give yourself some extra self love, to spend it with some friends, or with your significant other…however you spend it, isn’t chocolate always involved somehow?

That’s what I am here for, to inspire you to make your own little Valentine’s Day treat…and to help you satisfy all those chocolate cravings.

Which is why there is a long list of chocolate desserts listed below. Happy chocolate day friends!

You’re about to enter chocolate heaven in 3…..2…..1…..

More chocolate desserts that are perfect for Valentine’s Day:

• 3 edible cookie dough flavors
• red wine brownies with wine buttercream frosting
• vanilla cashew butter cups 
• almond joy black bean brownies
• chickpea snickerdoodle blondies
• fudgy olive oil brownies
• quinoa crunch chocolate bark with cherries
• Mexican chocolate cake balls (no bake)
• homemade vegan chocolate turtles
• favorite black bean brownies

Hey friends, if you made this recipe, the biggest way to say “thank you” is by leaving a comment down below along with a star rating. I really enjoy hearing from you and it helps my recipes to be found easier by others – thank you!  Sending all my love, XOXO! 

Chocolate Lava Cake (Gluten Free Adaptable)

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 3 reviews

• Author: Emily
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 individual cakes 1x
• Category: dessert, chocolate, baking, easy, 30 minutes
• Method: mix, bake
• Cuisine: gluten free

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Description

Chocolate lava cake is served warm with a gooey chocolate center. Serve the cakes with vanilla ice cream for the ultimate indulgent dessert that is perfect for Valentine’s Day or any other celebration.

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Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

• baking spray
• 6 ounces (1 cup) dark chocolate, chopped (or use chocolate chips)
• 5 ounces butter, cubed
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• optional: 1 teaspoon instant coffee
• 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 whole eggs, room temp
• 2 egg yolks, room temp
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour (see notes)

Serving options

• fresh raspberries
• fresh strawberries, sliced, or cut in half
• fresh mint leaves
• a few scoops of vanilla ice cream

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Instructions

1. Prepare: Preheat your oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease four 6 – 8 ounce oven safe ramekins generously with the baking spray. Place the greased ramekins onto a baking sheet, set aside.
2. Melt the chocolate and butter: Add the chocolate and butter to a medium sized microwave safe bowl. Heat on high for 30 second increments, stirring in between each one, until everything is melted. Alternately you can melt the chocolate over a double boiler. Once everything is melted sir in the coconut sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, salt, and instant coffee until well combined. If the sugar doesn’t seem like it’s mixing well give it another 30 seconds in the microwave. Set aside.
3. Whip the eggs: Crack the eggs into the bowl of a stand mixer (or in a medium sized mixing bowl to use a hand mixer with). Whip on high for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the eggs become fluffy and turn a pale yellow.
4. Combine: While using a spatula to stir the eggs with one hand gradually pour the chocolate into the eggs. It’s important to do this slowly while mixing to bring the cold eggs gradually up to a warm temperature so that the eggs don’t scramble.
5. Add the flour: Once the chocolate has been added gently fold in the flour just until well mixed, don’t over mix.
6. Transfer: I like to use a spring loaded ice cream scoop to transfer the batter to the greased ramekins. Divide the batter evenly between each ramekin (about 2 ice cream scoops per ramekin).
7. Bake: Place the cakes on the center rack of the oven. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes – depending on your oven. You will know they are done when the cakes look baked and dry on the outside, but the center is slightly jiggly. Be sure not to over bake otherwise they won’t be lava cakes. However, they will still be delicious chocolate cakes, just without a gooey center.
8. Cool: Cool the cakes for exactly 5 minutes.
9. Remove the cakes: If you notice that the top of the edges of the cake are still stuck to the sides of the ramekin carefully use a butter knife to help release the edges from the side of the ramekin – don’t stick the knife all the way down the ramekin because the bottoms are much more delicate. Carefully use an oven mitt or towel to pick up the still hot ramekins. Place your serving plate upside down over top of the cake, carefully use both hands to flip the cake and the plate right side up – the cake should gradually release from the ramekin on it’s own. Repeat this with the remaining cakes.
10. Finish: Add a few scoops of ice cream to the sides of the cakes, if desired. Along with the raspberries, strawberries or fresh mint leaves.
11. Serve: Serve immediately while the cakes are warm. If baked perfectly once you cut into the cakes the center will be gooey and warm while the outside will be a perfectly baked cake texture. So good!

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Notes

Gluten free: To keep this recipe gluten free use an all purpose gluten free flour blend. I had success with Bob’s Red Mill’s 1 to 1 baking flour.

Make ahead: You can make these cakes in advance, fill the ramekins, cover them, and store them in the fridge for up to 1 day. Allow them to come to room temp for at least 2 hours before baking.

Reheat: If you don’t plan to serve all 4 cakes at the same time you can re-heat them. Allow the cakes to cool completely, cover and store on the counter or up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave on a low power level for 30 second increments until the cake is warm. Remove the cake onto a plate. We did not have success with the cake still being gooey in the center with this, it turned into a fully baked cake, but still a delicious baked cake. However, if you practice with the power level of your microwave and timing you could nail it. Let me know in the comments if it works out for you.

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