These Lemon Lava Cakes are zesty desserts, full of light lemon flavor. The tender mini cakes are filled with a white chocolate and lemon curd molten lava gooey center and ready in under 30 minutes!
Lemon Lava Cake Recipe
Who doesn’t love a good lava cake? They are such a fun dessert to eat. It’s so satisfying to take that first bite and see the gooey custard molten center burst out. I love to make my classic chocolate molten cake, but sometimes I am not in a chocolate mood. So, when I feel like something lighter, these lemon lava cakes are my go-to.
The lemon flavor is light and refreshing, but you still get that gooey lava center that we all love! They are so easy to make and are ready to eat in under 30 minutes. And even though it would be tempting to over-indulge, the single serving size makes portion control easy.
Ingredients Notes
- White chocolate baking chips: You can substitute with equal parts of chopped white chocolate bar if needed.
- Unsalted butter: I love using unsalted butter, which allows you to control the overall saltiness.
- All-purpose flour: a 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose flour could be used for a gluten-free option, but this hasn’t been thoroughly tested.
- Granulated sugar
- Lemon curd: Creates the “lava” effect with its gooey, tart center, offering a burst of lemon flavor; lime curd or a thick citrus jam can be substituted if desired.
- Lemon zest: You will need approximately 2 lemons to get 2 tablespoons of zest.
- Vanilla extract: Almond extract can be used for a nuttier undertone.
- Eggs
- Powdered sugar: Used for dusting the finished cakes.
How to Make Lemon Lava Cakes
This recipe will come together in 6 simple steps that can be done in under 30 minutes. Be careful when removing the cakes from the ramekins, or you’ll have a lava cake eruption!
- Microwave white chocolate baking chips and butter until smooth.
Pro-tip: Good quality white chocolate like Ghirardelli white chocolate chips work best. - Stir in the flour, sugar, lemon curd and zest, and vanilla until combined.
- Add the eggs and egg yolks until well incorporated.
- Divide the batter between the prepared ramekins.
Pro-tip: You can use unsalted butter and flour to dust the ramekins if you prefer. Otherwise any type of non-stick spray would work just fine. - Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Pro-tip: The high oven temperature cooks the outside but leaves the centers gooey. - Allow the cakes to rest for 5 minutes. Then carefully run a knife around the sides to make sure the cakes don’t stick. Flip the ramekin over and remove slowly.
Pro-tip: Place a plate on the top and quickly flip the plate over to release the cake from the ramekin. - Dust with powdered sugar or other garnishes and serve!
Serving Suggestions
- WHIPPED TOPPING: For even more sweetness, you can add whipped topping to your lava cake. It adds a nice creaminess that complements the lemon filling.
- BERRIES: I have seen many people top off their lemon lava cake with a berry compote or mixed fresh berries. Sweet berries like raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries would be a really nice contrast to the tart lemon flavors. They also add a pretty colorful finish!
- CHOCOLATE SYRUP: Personally, I love to top this off with some chocolate drizzle! Lemon and chocolate go so well together (well, let’s be honest…. everything goes well with chocolate!)
- ICE CREAM: If you really want to turn this into a decadent dessert, add a scoop of ice cream on the side!
Storage
Any leftover lemon lava cakes can be stored covered in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. If you like them warm, you could pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds to warm them up a bit before eating. It’s especially delicious served warm when there’s ice cream!
Common Questions
Lemon curd is like a creamy version of a jam. It can be used in recipes or sometimes as a topping or spread. It is made from egg yolks, fresh lemons, sugar, salt, and butter. You can usually purchase a jar of lemon curd (like this one) at your grocery store or make a homemade lemon curd.
Be careful removing your lava cake from the ramekin. If you puncture the cake, it will leak. I have found it works best to spray the ramekins before putting anything in them. When removing the actual cake, use the tip of a knife around the outer edge of the ramekin to make sure the cake isn’t sticking anywhere. Flip the cake over and let it sit in the ramekin for about 5 minutes. Then, slowly lift the ramekin off the lava cake.
Other Easy Lemon Recipes
- Lemon Cheesecake Bars
- Strawberry Lemonade Cream Cheese Cookies
- Lemon Truffles
- Lemon Meltaway Cookies
- Lemon Icebox Cake
- Lemonade Pie
- Lemon Ricotta Cake
- Lemon Drop Cakes
- Lemon Ricotta Cookies
Lemon Lava Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup white chocolate baking chips
- ½ cup unsalted butter cubed
- ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup +1 tbsp granulated sugar
- ⅔ cup lemon curd
- 2 tbsp lemon zest (2 lemons)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 tbsp powdered sugar for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F. Spray 6 – 6-ounce ramekins with nonstick spray. Set them on a baking sheet.
- In a medium-sized heat-safe bowl, microwave the white baking chips and cubed butter for 1 minute. Stir well, and continue microwaving in 15-second intervals and stirring until the mixture is smooth.1 cup white chocolate baking chips, ½ cup unsalted butter
- Stir in the flour, sugar, lemon curd, lemon zest and vanilla extract. Stir just until combined.⅔ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup +1 tbsp granulated sugar, ⅔ cup lemon curd, 2 tbsp lemon zest, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- Add the eggs and egg yolks, stir until well incorporated.4 large eggs, 4 large egg yolks
- Evenly divide the cake batter between the ramekins, and fill the ramekins ⅔ full.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes. The tops should be browned and spring back when touched. (In my oven, it took the full 25 minutes)
- Allow the cakes to rest for 5 minutes.
- Carefully run a knife tip around the ramekins’ sides to ensure the cake is not sticking. Place a saucer on top of the ramekin and flip the ramekin over. Allow the dish to rest for just a minute and slowly remove the ramekin.
- Dust with powdered sugar if desired.2 tbsp powdered sugar for dusting
Jenn’s Notes
- Good quality white chocolate like Ghirardelli white chocolate chips work best.
- You can use unsalted butter and flour to dust the ramekins if you prefer. Otherwise, any type of non-stick spray would work just fine.
- The high oven temperature cooks the outside but leaves the centers gooey.
In the recipes I’ve looked up they all have the ingredient curd. What is curd? Tried looking it up but couldn’t find it.
Lemon curd is like a creamy version of a jam. It can be used in recipes or sometimes as a topping or spread. It is made from egg yolks, fresh lemons, sugar, salt, and butter.