lemon lava cake featured
These little 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!
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These little 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 hero image


Lemon Cake Dessert

Who doesn’t love a good lava cake? They are such a fun dessert to eat. It’s so satisfying to take out the 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’m in the mood for 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 easy to over-indulge myself with how delicious these are, the single serving size makes portion control easy.

Why We Love Molton Lemon Lava Cakes

  • Quick and easy to make
  • Delicious springtime or summer dessert
  • Refreshing, light lemon flavor
  • Ready in less than 30 minutes
  • Shortlist of ingredients
  • Personal sized servings make easy portion control
  • Gooey lemon filled custard center
showing the inside of lemon lava cake

Ingredients/Shopping List

  • White chocolate baking chips
  • Unsalted butter
  • All-purpose flour
  • Granulated sugar
  • Lemon curd
  • Lemon zest
  • Vanilla extract
  • Eggs
  • Powdered sugar

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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.

melted white chocolate baking chips and butter

Stir in the flour, sugar, lemon curd and zest, and vanilla until combined.

add flour, sugar, lemon curd and zest, and vanilla into the mixture

Add the eggs and egg yolks until well incorporated.

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.

batter inside the prepared ramekins

Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Pro-tip: The high oven temperature cooks the outside but leaves the centers gooey.

baked batter

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.

putting plate on top to flip the ramekin

Dust with powdered sugar or other garnishes and serve!

Dust with powdered sugar

Variations / Options / Add-ins

  • POWDERED SUGAR: A dusting of powdered sugar is the perfect way to finish off these little lava cakes. It adds just a touch of sweetness. This is an optional garnish!
  • 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!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is lemon curd

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.

How to remove cake from a ramekin?

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.

How to store lemon lava cakes

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!

lemon lava cake on a plate with a fork

Other Easy Lemon Recipes

Lemon Cheesecake Bars | Strawberry Lemonade Cream Cheese Cookies | Lemon Truffles | Lemon Meltaway Cookies | Lemon Blueberry Bread with Lemon Zest Drizzle | Lemon Icebox Cake | Lemon Meringue Cookies | Lemonade Pie | Lemon Eclair Cake | Lemon Ricotta Cake

5 from 4 votes
lemon lava cake featured

Lemon Lava Cake

Serves — 6
These little 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!
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup white chocolate baking chips
  • ½ cup unsalted butter cubed
  • cup all-purpose flour
  • ½ cup +1 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 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.
  • Stir in the flour, sugar, lemon curd, lemon zest and vanilla extract. Stir just until combined.
  • Add the eggs and egg yolks, stir until well incorporated.
  • 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.

Jenn’s Notes

TIPS:
  • 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.
Leftovers:
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.

Video

Nutrition Info

Calories: 590kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 10g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 286mg | Sodium: 153mg | Potassium: 163mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 52g | Vitamin A: 814IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 101mg | Iron: 2mg

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  1. 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.

    1. 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.