How to Reheat Chocolate Lava Cake + Best Recipe!

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I love easy, delicious desserts that make your eyes roll back in your head. If that’s you, then you’ll definitely want to stick around for the best chocolate lava cake recipe made with real butter, semisweet chocolate, and bittersweet chocolate. But first thing’s first. How do you reheat lava cake? I’m sharing everything you should know to reheat these scrumptious delicacies without losing its gooey center. Other mouthwatering chocolate recipes are old fashioned chocolate fudge, chocolate cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies, and German chocolate cake.

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My family loves chocolate desserts as much as any chocaholic. Chocolate lava cakes are baked in round ramekins or custard cups, and they have firm outer edges (brownie-like edges) but are gooey in the middle. That way, when you cut into them, the liquid chocolate inside spills out just like lava from a volcano. They’re really fun to eat.

Almost any time we have a special occasion, or have gone a while without eating chocolate, it’s inevitable that at least one of my children will humbly come and ask me to make chocolate lava cake. It’s a very rich dessert, which is why a small serving is enough to satisfy even the most serious chocolate lover.

After I answer some questions about the best way to reheat chocolate lava cake, I’m sharing the best recipe I’ve used to make these treats. I want to encourage you to try it! You won’t be disappointed.

How to Reheat Lava Cake and Molten Chocolate Cakes

The best way to reheat lava cake, or molten chocolate cakes, uses techniques that retain its gooey center but doesn’t overcook the cakes. With just a few tips and tricks, you can have your cake and eat it, too!

The reheating methods I’m sharing are the microwave method, stovetop method, and oven method.

Microwave Method for Reheating Lava Cake

If you want to reheat lava cake in just a few seconds, there’s nothing quicker than a microwave. And if you’re not opposed to using a microwave, it generally only takes 30 seconds or less to get the job done.

Simply put your cold lava cake in the center of the microwave on a microwave-safe plate if it’s not still in the ramekin. Then remove any lid or plastic wrap, and heat it on high power for roughly 20 to 30 seconds.

You’ll want to keep a close watch on your lava cake through the microwave window though, since some microwaves run hotter than others. As soon as you see the center of the cake puff up, that’s your queue to stop the microwave.

Be careful in removing your molten cakes and use hot pads. And even though you only heated it for a short time, let it cool slightly before serving since the extra ooey center will be piping hot.

Stovetop Method for Reheating Lava Cake

To reheat lava cake on a stove, I recommend using a small pot and adding enough water to go halfway up the ramekin. You should also set your ramekin on a wire trivet or a canning ring so that it’s not in direct contact with the heat at the bottom of the pot, which could cause your ramekin to crack.

Simply set your cold ramekin on the trivet or canning ring, remove any lid or plastic wrap, add the water (careful not to splash your leftover lava cake), and turn the heat to medium or medium-high. Watch your water closely since stove burners put out different BTUs.

When the water starts to simmer, turn the heat down to low and put a lid on your pot to trap the heat inside. You will have a perfect lava cake within a few minutes. Once you see that your leftover lava cake has a molten middle, take it off the stove and let it cool a few minutes. Be extra careful removing the ramekin from your pot.

Oven Method for Reheating Lava Cake

If you want to reheat lava cake in a conventional oven, I recommend using a deep baking sheet or casserole dish and adding enough water so that it goes halfway up the ramekin. Then bake your molten lava cakes at 350°F (180°C) until the center liquefies.

Ovens vary and the baking time will vary depending on if you’re reheating a single serving or multiple leftover lava cakes. Check your cakes after 5 minutes by testing to see if the middle is soft. Continue cooking as necessary, and carefully remove the baking sheet when your decadent chocolate lava cake is perfectly warmed through.

Why You’ll Love This Chocolate Lava Cake Recipe

Fast – If you need a quick dessert fix, there’s not many desserts that can be made in under 20 minutes. But this chocolate lava cake recipe can be started and finished by then!

Fancy but simple – If you want a fancy-ish dessert to impress your family or friends, lava cake is the way to go. It looks cool, it’s fun to eat, it’s delicious, and it hits the spot every time. All you need is a few simple ingredients.

Good make-ahead dessert – Even though it’s simple and fast to make this dessert right after lunch or supper, it’s also an easy dessert to make ahead. Then, when you need dessert in a hurry, it’s even easier to reheat it!

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Ingredients

This simple recipe will make 8 servings of chocolate lava cake.

Unsalted butter – Use real butter. You’ll need 2 sticks (16 tablespoons). You can’t beat the flavor of real butter and it’s also a healthy, traditional fat to use in your kitchen.

Bittersweet chocolate – You will need 4 ounces of good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped up. I like to use Baker’s bittersweet chocolate baking bar, but use what you prefer.

Semisweet chocolate – Use 4 ounces of good quality semisweet chocolate, chopped up. Baker’s semisweet chocolate baking bar has a great flavor and melts beautifully.

Powdered sugar – You’ll need 2 and 1/2 cups of powdered sugar that’s been sifted. I don’t like the packages in most grocery stores because they have a chalky aftertaste. Instead, I get Azure Standard’s powdered sugar.

Eggs – Use 8 eggs in this recipe. If you want a fudgier or more custard-like texture, use 4 whole eggs plus 6 egg yolks.

Vanilla extract – Use good quality vanilla extract. You’ll need 2 teaspoons.

Flour – You’ll need 1 cup of sifted all purpose flour. I’ve made this recipe with freshly milled flour a few times before, but it has a grittier texture than regular all purpose flour. So for this recipe, I recommend using just all purpose flour.

If all you have is freshly milled flour, that’s fine. Just mill your grain on the finest setting you can get and then sift it the best you can to get most of the larger pieces out if you’re sensitive to texture.

Tools You May Need

• 8 Ramekins or custard cups
• Large pot
• Large and medium bowl
• Spatula
• Measuring cups and spoons
• Baking sheet

How to Make Classic Chocolate Lava Cake Recipe

The best classic chocolate lava cake recipe is made with real butter, semisweet chocolate, and bittersweet chocolate. If you need a quick dessert that will hit the chocaholic spot, this is it!

First, preheat your oven to 425°F. Then grease 8 ramekins or custard cups with some of your unsalted butter and set the ramekins on a baking sheet.

Then, add the rest of your two sticks of butter and four ounces each of semisweet chocolate and bittersweet chocolate to a large mixing bowl. The smaller the chunks, the quicker it will melt together.

I used a glass mixing bowl so you can easily see the ingredients, but you can use a stainless steel bowl or microwave-safe bowl. Just don’t use a plastic bowl.

Fill a large pot with an inch of water, turn the heat up to medium-high, and set the bowl of butter and chocolate chunks on top. This creates a double boiler.

Stir continuously until the chocolate and butter are melted.

Once the butter and chocolate have just melted, turn off the heat and carefully remove the bowl to a hot pad or kitchen towel on your counter.

Sift in 2 and 1/2 cups of powdered sugar.

Stir the powdered sugar into the melted butter and chocolate until it forms a very thick batter. Then set it aside to cool.

In a separate medium bowl or larger measuring cup, whisk 8 whole eggs (or 4 whole eggs plus 6 egg yolks) together with 2 teaspoons of good vanilla extract.

Carefully stir the egg mixture into the melted chocolate mixture.

Then add one cup of flour to your egg and melted chocolate mixture. Stir until all the flour is incorporated.

Carefully pour the lava cake batter into the eight greased ramekins. Be sure to leave a good bit of headspace at the top to give room for expansion.

Bake at 425°F for about 13 minutes until you get brownie-like edges with a molten center.

Be sure to let your lava cakes cool down for a couple minutes before serving. They will be very hot!

How to Serve These Molten Chocolate Cakes

You can invert the ramekins individually over dessert plates, and then serve alongside your favorite vanilla ice cream. If, like me, you don’t want to dirty up that many dishes, you can serve these molten chocolate cakes in their individual ramekins with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream on top.

How to Store Molten Chocolate Cakes

To store molten chocolate cakes, wait for them to cool down to room temperature. Then you can wrap the top with plastic wrap or add a tight fitting lid and refrigerate for a later time.

I like to use ramekins with a tight fitting lid to create an airtight container, but use what you have.

Recipe Variations

Flour

Even though I have an electric grain mill, I still prefer to use all purpose flour in this recipe. In my personal experiences with this recipe, freshly ground flour has a bit of a gritty texture no matter which grain I use. It still tastes good, but it’s just not as smooth and might ruin the full molten lava cake experience if you’re sensitive to textures.

Grain-Free Chocolate Lava Cakes

If your family doesn’t handle wheat or gluten very well, you can use cassava flour in place of the regular flour 1:1.

Toppings

While vanilla ice cream and whipped cream are excellent additions to put on top or on the side of your molten lava cakes, you can also choose fresh berries or chopped nuts to top your decadent chocolate lava cake. A sprinkle of powdered sugar will make it look even better.

More Dessert Recipes from the Farm

• How to Make Jello Using Beef Gelatin
• Low Sugar Carrot Pie Recipe
• Simple Strawberry Cobbler Recipe with Freshly Milled Flour
• Easy Blueberry Peach Crisp in a Skillet