Indulge in the ultimate chocolatey delight with our Mini Lava Cakes. With a gooey molten center encased in a perfectly baked cake, these treats are a heavenly combination of rich flavors and contrasting textures. Plus, they are a breeze to make using an appe pan on your stovetop.
Easy Chocolate Lava Cake
Our easy mini lava cakes are the ultimate, decadent chocolate lovers dream – it’s the best way to “bake” individual chocolate lava cake in bulk without turning on the oven.
While most chocolate molten lava cakes are baked in a muffin tin or a ramekin dish, I prefer to cook my cakes on the stovetop in an appe pan because they have multiple small molds that make 12 servings at once.
These chocolate lava cakes still contain the same gooey center surrounded by rich chocolate cake as the classic molten chocolate cake recipe, but instead of filling the middle with unbaked cake batter, chilled dark chocolate ganache is spooned into the center instead.
Cut into your cooked cakes and watch the molten chocolate lava ooze out of the middle — why use a muffin pan to prepare chocolate lava cakes for two when you can make 34 mini chocolate lava cakes in the same amount of time?
Why We Love This Mini Lava Cake Recipe
- Quick and easy to make.
- Uses a handful of simple ingredients.
- Warm, gooey chocolate “molten lava” sits inside the cooked cake.
- Deliciously moist, rich, decadent mini desserts.
- Taste and texture is similar to a baked choco lava cake but cooking the batter in small molds is much more efficient.
- Perfect for dinner parties or for serving after supper with a scoop of ice cream.
Easy Lava Cake Ingredients
- Dark chocolate chips: I used Ghirardelli brand but any good quality dark chocolate chips will work.
- Whole milk
- Powdered sugar
- Unsweetened cocoa powder
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Cake flour
- Kosher salt
- Vegetable oil
- Pure vanilla extract
Substitutions and Additions
- Serving Suggestions: Top your individual lava cakes with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dollop of whipped cream, a drizzle of hot fudge or caramel sauce, a dusting of powdered sugar, or some chopped nuts for some crunch.
- Choose Your Chocolate: You can substitute milk chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips for the dark chocolate chips.
- Pick Your Cocoa Powder: You can substitute unsweetened Dutch or dark cocoa powder for plain unsweetened cocoa powder if you prefer.
Recommended Tools
- Mixing bowls
- Sifter
- Whisk
- 1-teaspoon measuring spoon
- Pastry brush
- Appe pan
How to Make LAVA CAKES
- Make The Chocolate Middle: Heat the milk in the microwave for 30 seconds and pour over the chocolate chips. Let it sit for a few seconds, then stir until melted and smooth. Chill in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
- Make The Cake Batter: Sift together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda. Whisk in the cake flour and kosher salt. Add the milk, oil, and vanilla. Mix to combine.
- Create The Cakes: Fill each cake “cup” ⅔ of the way full with batter. Scoop the chilled dark chocolate mixture into the center of the cake batter. Cover the top with cake batter.
- Cook: Cover with the lid and cook for 5-7 minutes. Turn the mini cakes over and cook for 1 more minute.
- Serve: Top with powdered sugar, chocolate syrup, and vanilla ice cream. Serve and enjoy!
Tips For Making Mini Lava Cakes
- Use a pastry brush to coat the Appe pan with vegetable oil — it does not take much oil to coat.
- There will be enough batter for 34 mini cakes; you will need to make multiple batches.
How to Store Lava Cakes
- To Store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat: Reheat for 10-15 seconds in the microwave.
More Ways to Make Molten Lava Cakes
Do you love lava cakes as much as I do but don’t have access to an appe pan? My other easy recipes for Crockpot Chocolate Lava Cake, Lemon Lava Cake, and Melting Chocolate Cake use either a slow cooker or oven to create larger-sized molten cakes. They’re delicious!
More Easy Cake Recipes
Other Easy Dessert Recipes
- S’mores Nachos
- Cherry Yum Yum
- Punch Bowl Cake
- Chocolate Covered Cherry Brownie Bombs
- Starbucks Cake Pops
- Rolo Cookies
- Million Dollar Cake
- Chocolate Covered Graham Crackers
- Flourless Chocolate Torte
- Snickerdoodle Bundt Cake
Easy Lava Cake
Ingredients
- ¾ cup good quality dark chocolate chips I used Ghirardelli
- ¼ cup whole milk
- ¾ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup cake flour
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¾ cup whole milk room temperature
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 tablespoons powdered sugar use a sifter to dust the finished cakes
- Vanilla ice cream optional garnish
- Chocolate syrup optional drizzle garnish
Instructions
- Add the dark chocolate chips to a small heat-safe bowl.
- Heat the milk in a small microwave-safe bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds. Carefully pour the heated cream over the chocolate and let it sit for just a few seconds. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and smooth. Place the melted chocolate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes.
- Sift together the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda in a medium-sized mixing bowl.
- Whisk in the cake flour, and kosher salt.
- Add the whole milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla. Fold the ingredients together until well combined.
- Remove the cooled chocolate and cream mixture from the refrigerator. Use a 1-teaspoon measuring spoon to scoop out the chocolate.
- Use a pastry brush to coat the Appe pan with vegetable oil; it does not take much. Heat over medium-low heat.
- Fill the individual cake “cups” ⅔ of the way full, about 1 tablespoon.
- Scoop ⅔ teaspoon of the chilled dark chocolate mixture and place in the center of the cake batter. Spoon just enough cake batter to cover the top of the chocolate center. Cover with the lid and cook for 5-7 minutes. Carefully use a spoon, or a butter knife, to turn the mini cake over and replace the lid. Cook for 1 more minute. Carefully remove the cakes from the pan and place them on a serving plate. Repeat for the remaining batter and chocolate. Dust with powdered sugar, and drizzle with chocolate syrup and vanilla ice cream.
Jenn’s Notes
- To Store: Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat: Reheat for 10-15 seconds in the microwave.
- Use a pastry brush to coat the Appe pan with vegetable oil — it does not take much oil to coat.
- There will be enough batter for 34 mini cakes; you will need to make multiple batches.
These look delicious! Perfect for that sweet tooth but not too big to feel you over-indulged (is there such a thing?? LOL). I don’t have an appe pan but can I use a mini muffin pan?
Those look really delicious! I would like to try them, but I don’t have a pan and have never seen one. Is there another way to bake them in the oven? Thank you so much!
Can these be frozen after cooled down?
Could I bake these in a mini muffin pan? and if I can what temp. and how long?
Can these be made in a regular 12 muffin pan and baked in the oven? What temperature and how long?
what the heck is an apple pan? I searched & nothing comes up on the internet.
Hi Kathy – here is a link to the appe pan (it looks like you may have been searching for an “apple pan” – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FS336P2/ref=cm_sw_r_as_gl_api_gl_i_JM39M5T0RT9S5SM50M94?linkCode=ml2&tag=princ0b6-20