Chocolate Lava Cake with Salted Caramel (Always Gooey Inside)
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
It doesn’t get more delicious than the infamous chocolate lava cake. With salted caramel inside, my version guarantees the perfect texture and flavor. Bonus: It’s surprisingly easy to make and ready in an hour!
If you’re in the mood for a decadent dessert, this chocolate lava cake is for you. I started making these salted caramel-filled lava cakes when I ran an underground restaurant in Vancouver, Canada. I loved them because I could easily make them ahead of time and have them ready to bake after dinner. My guests loved them because they always turned out perfectly gooey.
Filling the center with caramel is my ‘trick’ to ensure they never overbake. Because the caramel always stays runny, you don’t have to worry much about the timing. Knowing just how long to bake a lava cake can be intimidating, but the caramel acts as a safety net, ensuring that they are always perfectly gooey—even if you accidentally leave them in the oven too long.
Not only that, but salted caramel is the best complement to dark chocolate. The two are meant to be together. You’ll never look back once you try a Caramel Chocolate Lava Cake!
If you prefer a gluten-free option, try my molten chocolate lava cakes made without flour.
What to serve with caramel chocolate lava cake
I like to serve these chocolate caramel lava cakes with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar, whipped cream, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a few fresh berries on the side.
They’re the perfect dessert for dinner parties, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, or whenever you, or someone you love, are in the mood for a special chocolatey treat.
Caramel Chocolate Lava Cakes
Ingredients
Chocolate Caramel
- 5 ounces semi-sweet chocolate (see notes)
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons water
- ⅓ cup heavy cream (at room temperature)
- 2 tablespoons butter (cut into small pieces)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
Lava Cake
- Butter and cocoa powder (for greasing and dusting ramekins)
- ½ cup butter
- 10 ounces semi-sweet or unsweetened chocolate
- 3 large eggs
- 3 large egg yolks
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup powdered sugar
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- Maldon sea salt
- Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
To make chocolate caramel
- Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or metal bowl over a pot of simmering water.5 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
- Add the sugar and water to a large pot over medium heat (make sure the pot is large, it will bubble up lots). Cook until it is dark amber in color and reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit then remove the pot from the heat.1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons water
- All at once add the whipping cream. Be very careful as it will steam and bubble ferociously. Whisk the mixture until the bubbling stops and the mixture is smooth. Add the melted chocolate and whisk till combined. Stir in butter and salt.⅓ cup heavy cream, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon sea salt
To make the lava cake
- Liberally butter 4 (¾-cup) ramekins. Dust each with cocoa powder and tap upside down to remove excess. Why ⇢ Using cocoa powder instead of flour ensures that the cakes are a beautiful dark brown when you serve them.Butter and cocoa powder
- Melt the butter and chocolate in a double boiler or a metal bowl set over a pot of simmering water.½ cup butter, 10 ounces semi-sweet or unsweetened chocolate
- In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and egg yolks.3 large eggs, 3 large egg yolks
- In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the flour, powdered sugar, cocoa powder, and salt.½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup powdered sugar, ¼ cup cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon sea salt
- When the chocolate has melted (allow it to cool for several minutes if it is hot) add it to the eggs and stir well. Then add the flour mixture and mix until it's smooth.
- Fill each ramekin halfway full with the cake batter. Then, place a small tablespoon of caramel on top and sprinkle it with a little Maldon salt. Cover with cake batter until ½ inch from the top of the ramekin.Maldon sea salt
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake the cakes for 15-18 minutes. Remove from the oven and run a knife along the edges of the cake to loosen. Hold a plate over the top of each ramekin. Using oven mitts, turn the plate and ramekin over together so that the ramekin is inverted on the plate. Carefully remove the ramekin. Repeat with remaining ramekins and dust with icing sugar.Powdered sugar for dusting
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
This was the worst experience with caramel ever. Followed directions exactly, and caramel became solid before I could get it into the batter. Once baked, the cake was delicious, but the caramel was still crunchy! YUCK!
Hi Holly. It sounds like the caramel was overcooked. Did you use a candy thermometer? That is the best way to know when to add the cream. It shouldn’t be cooked much past 350 degrees Fahrenheit or it will harden.
This recipe is great, I had a cheat method and instead of making the caramel put in a small piece of caramel chocolate in between the cake mould…turned amazing
Definitely saving this for a lot more occasions! Thanks
No Baking Powder or rising agent?
Hi Jannet,
Nope … just as is 🙂
Hello, is it possible you could tell me the recipe in grams please?
I would be very grateful thank you.
Hi Margaret,
I have never measured the recipe in grams before so I wouldn’t be able to tell you accurately. I have made it many times before using cups/tea/tablespoons and it works out great every time so there must be some leeway in the recipe.
So excited about this recipe! I just burned the caramel. Is it 350 degrees for sure? What am I doing wrong?
Hi Krista,
Don’t worry, you’re not doing anything wrong!
Caramel can go from an amber colour to burnt in about a half a second. Also, if your thermometer happens to be off even just slightly this can happen too.
At about 320 degrees the caramel will be a light brown colour and move to golden brown as it reaches 350. If you’re finding it is burning (it has happened to me too!) try taking it off the stove just a little earlier. Once the bubbles settle down you can get a good look at the colour and you can always pop it back on the heat for a second or two if you want it a little darker.
I hope this helps!
A chocolate lovers dream! A definite must try!
hi, I’m a bit confused – is this recipe for 4 ramekins or 8??? Thank you!
Hey Donna,
I re-read this post and can see why it is a bit confusing. I had doubled the recipe to make enough for the 8 people that were at the Supper Club that night. The recipe is actually for 4 ramekins. Check to see what size yours are before you fill them though, mine are 3/4 cup and a bit bigger than most I think.
If it turns out your ramekins are smaller than mine, make sure you decrease the cooking time.
I wonder if you could make these with just salted caramel without the chocolate…..
Hey Cindy,
Do you mean without the chocolate in the cake or without the chocolate in the caramel? The caramel can definitely be made without the chocolate, just leave it out and follow the rest of the recipe 🙂
Thank you so much, Cssilla! Perhaps a salad and a lava cake this weekend? 🙂