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★ Why You’ll Love this Recipe ★
These chocolate molten lava cakes harness the delicious power of Nutella combined with melted chocolate for the perfect chocolate-hazelnut flavor!
Just 7 ingredients and surprisingly easy to make!
Perfect for celebrating a special occasion.
This fancy dessert is so easy yet is worthy of celebrating an anniversary, birthday, a good report card, promotion or just because!
This recipe makes four individual cakes so it's great for a family or you can cut the recipe in half for just two. Hello, date night in!
Enjoy these single-serving cakes warm out of the oven with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Add fresh strawberries and/or bananas for the perfect compliment to this Nutella-lover's dream dessert.
★ Ingredients You'll Need ★
You'll need just 7 unique ingredients to pull of this impressive dish!
- Eggs. You'll use whole eggs as well as additional egg yolks for richness. I prefer corn-fed-hen-laid eggs. They have better flavor.
- Chocolate chips. You can use semi-sweet, milk chocolate or a blend of both. Your choice!
- Hazelnut spread. A.k.a. Nutella! I have tried off-brands and they are much sweeter and more powdery tasting so if you can swing it, go for the Nutella brand of hazelnut spread. It's a little pricey but worth it and you don't need much.
- Powdered sugar. Just your standard powdered sugar. I don't sift mine but I try to break up any lumps I see with a fork.
- Vanilla extract. Real vanilla extract rather than imitation is going to give you much better flavor. So again, if you can swing it, splurge for the real deal.
- Flour. All purpose flour. Wheat flour is fine too.
- Butter. To grease the ramekins so they slide out easily on the first try. You can also use cooking spray or Baker's Joy. Just grease generously so the cakes release easily an in one piece without spilling any of the "lava"!
I've seen other recipes with fewer ingredients but I think you sacrifice some flavor and texture. These cakes have a full depth of flavor and that drippy lava-like center with a cakey outer shell.
I wanted this to still be a super easy recipe with very few ingredients but I didn't want to leave out anything that takes away from the flavor.
★ How to Make this Recipe ★
The process is pretty simple but the timing has to be just right, so be sure to use a timer.
Here are the basic steps involved. (Check out the full recipe below for more details)
- Microwave butter, chocolate, and Nutella. Stir to combined.
- Stir in powdered sugar until dissolved.
- Add eggs, vanilla and flour.
- Fill ramekins with batter.
- Bake.
- Turn cakes upside down onto a plate and top with ice cream.
Pretty simple! You can do it!
★ FAQs & Tips ★
You will need a set of ramekins.
You'll want a set of 4 standard sizes ramekins that are oven safe. If you don't have ramekins, you could potentially use a muffin tins but you'd need to make them one as a time or use a cupcake liner in order to easily get them out and flip them onto a plate.
Don't have ramekins. No worries you can find them are most cooking stores or shop ramekins on amazon.
Garnish with strawberries, bananas and/or mint leaves.
Strawberries make a really pretty garnish and are great for that romantic vibe. They also taste wonderful with the Nutella and chocolate. A combination of strawberries and bananas also looks nice and tastes great. Bananas along won't look as pretty but they do taste lovely.
Raspberries is another option that looks and tastes great. Truly any fruit works.
However, if you're fresh out of fresh fruit and happen to have a mint leave, that make a fun garnish too.
Other Topping Ideas
Since these Nutella lava cakes are perfect for celebrating special occasions, have some fun matching the toppings to you occasion!
Celebrating an anniversary? Try ice cream with a drizzle of chocolate syrup and two sparklers!
Celebrating a birthday? Try ice cream and colorful sprinkles!
Celebrating Valentine's Day or another holiday? Try holiday themed sprinkles!
You truly can't go wrong here.
★ More Chocolate Recipes ★
Love easy desserts?
Me too! I have lots more ideas for you.
Chocolate-Nutella Lava Cakes
Equipment
- 4 ramekins
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter plus more to grease ramekins
- ¼ cup semisweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup Nutella hazelnut spread
- 1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
- 2 eggs
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup all purpose flour
Optional Batter Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Dutch cocoa powder for added chocolate flavor
- 2 dashes sea salt
Toppings
- 4 scoops vanilla ice cream
- 4 strawberries
Mighty Mrs. is a #WalmartPartner.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425ºF.
- Prepare baking dishes. Grease 4 ramekins with butter and set on a baking sheet.
- Make cake batter. In a large glass bowl, microwave butter, chocolate chips, and Nutella for 1 minute. Stir with a fork until combined. Stir in powdered sugar until dissolved.Stir in eggs, egg yolks, vanilla.Stir in flour.
- Fill ramekins and bake. Spoon batter into each ramekin, dividing evenly. Bake for 13-14 minutes or until sides are firm but center is still wobbly.Remove pan from from oven. Then, using rubber tongs, carefully move hot ramekins to a cutting board and let cool for 1 minute.
- Plate lava cakes. Slide a butter knife along the outside edge of each of the cakes in the ramekins to loosen.Place a plate, upside down on top of each ramekin, then turn over so that the cake drops from the ramekin onto the plate.
- Serve with ice cream. Top each cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and strawberries then serve immediately!
Notes
- Use tongs to gently shake the ramekin to see if the center is wobbly. The sides should be firm, if they are not, you need to cook longer.
- If cakes are not coming out easily: Loosen the cakes again by sliding a knife around the outside edge of the cakes to separate the cake from the ramekin, gently push the cake away from the edge of the ramekin then place a plate, upside down on top of the ramekin. Gentle flip the cake onto the plate. If it doesn't fall out, loosen it more.
Ryan F says
Could I use a double boiler to heat the butter, chocolate, etc? Thanks!
Angela G. says
Hi Ryan, yes, if you prefer, you can use a double boiler to melt the butter and chocolate.
Dayana says
I try this right now. My first lava cake and is amazing!! One question: Can I use just nutella instead 1/4 of chocolate chip(1/3 cup of nutella)? Or what do you recommend? Thanks!
Angela G. says
Hi Dayana, so glad you liked it! A half and half mixture of Nutella/chocolate works best in my opinion. It would be very sweet and not very rich in flavor if you used all Nutella.
sophia says
Amazing!
Angela G. says
Hi Sophia, so glad you enjoyed the recipe!