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Red Velvet Lava Cake

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Indulge in this easy and delicious red velvet lava cake recipe in under 30 minutes. These warm, molten cakes feature a rich chocolate center that flows out as you cut into them. Serve with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream for added tastiness.

Picking up a piece of red velvet lava cake with a golden spoon

Ingredient Notes

You’ll only need a handful of ingredients to whip up these red velvet lava cakes. They use really simple ingredients, with most of them being pantry stables.

  • Chocolate: Since chocolate is one of the main features, use a high-quality brand you like. I found that semi-sweet chocolate was the best for this recipe.
  • Butter: Use unsalted butter; this will add much of the richness to the molten cakes.
  • Eggs: Use the best high-quality fresh eggs you can source. The reason why the center of a lava cake is molten is that the center is slightly undercooked and hasn’t set.
  • Red Food Coloring: This will give your lava cakes that rich red color. It only takes a few drops for most food colorings, so use it sparingly.
  • Sugar: Use your typically granulated sugar. This will add a delicious sweetness to your lava cakes while keeping the main flavor focused on chocolate.
  • Flour: Use all-purpose flour, which is sometimes called plain flour.
  • Salt: A pinch of salt will enhance the other flavors of the lava cake.
Red Velvet Lava Cake Ingredients in bowls

How to get lava cake out of the ramekins

I’ve made around 20 red velvet lava cakes using this exact recipe, and I have yet to have one lava cake get stuck. Follow these tips so it doesn’t happen with your batch.

Pre-Baking

Thoroughly butter the ramekins: You want to make sure that you cover the whole surface of the ramekin slightly with butter. 

Sieve a small amount of flour: Add the ramekin has been butter, use a fine sieve and add a small amount of flour. With one hand, gently shake the fine sieve and with the other, rotate the ramekin to allow the flour to evenly distribute.

Dump out the flour that hasn’t stuck: Gently tap the back of the ramekin once or twice to dump out any excess flour.

After-Baking

Leave to rest for at least 1 minute: After the lava cakes have finished baking, leave them to rest on the side for at least one minute. They will naturally release from the side of the ramekins.

Releasing the edges: Use a very small thin pairing knife and gently go another the edges of the lava cakes.

Flip the lava cakes: Place an inverted dessert plate over the top and flip gently. After gently remove the ramekin away from the dessert plate. If the lava cake doesn’t release, simply go around the edges once more with the small paring knife.

Red Velvet Lava Cake with ice cream and chocolate sauce

Cooking Temperature Tests

To make these red velvet lava cakes the most molten cakes ever, I tested this recipe at 5 different cooking times and temperatures. The best time to have set edges and a molten center was 13 to 14 minutes at 210c.

  • 450f (230c) – 8 minutes: undercooked and burnt on top
  • 410f (210c) – 10 minutes: undercooked
  • 410f (210c) – 12 minutes: undercooked
  • 410f (210c) – 13 minutes: Set edges with a molten center
  • 410f (210c) – 14 minutes: Set edges with a molten center

Step by Step Instructions

1) Preheat the oven to 410f (210c). Butter and lightly flour four 6-ounce ramekins. Tap out the excess flour and set the ramekins on a baking tray and to the side.

2) Place the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl.

Chocolate and butter in a large bowl

3) Melt over a double boiler over low heat while stirring or in the microwave in 30 seconds segments while mixing in between. Next, mix in the red food coloring.

Melted chocolate and butter with red food coloring

4) In a large bowl, beat together eggs, egg yolks and sugar until thickened and pale.

Sugar and eggs in a bowl

5) Add the melted chocolate to the whipped eggs and gently fold them together.

Melted chocolate and egg mixture in a bowl

6) Gently fold in the flour and a pinch of salt

Red velvet lava cake batter in a bowl

7) Divide the batter into the prepared ramekins.

Red velvet lava cake batter in ramekins on a baking tray

8) Bake for 13-14 minutes or until the sides are firm, but the center is jiggly.

Baked red velvet lava cakes in ramekins

9) Let the lava cakes cool in the ramekins for 1 minute, then gently go around the edges with a small paring knife. Cover with an inverted dessert plate and carefully turn each one over and unmold. Serve immediately.

Red Velvet Lava Cake

Storage Notes

My favorite way to store these lava cakes is to place them back into their ramekins and wrap them in cling film. This way, you can easily reheat them.

Another way is to cling-film the lava cakes out of the ramekins and place them in an airtight container.

Once baked, these red velvet lava cakes will last for up to 3 days, covered and in the refrigerator.

How to reheat red velvet lava cakes

  1. Preheat the oven to 350f (180c).
  2. Gently add the lava cakes into ramekins, place them on a baking tray, and bake for 8 minutes.
Red Velvet Lava Cake with ice cream and chocolate sauce

More Recipes You May Like

Picking up a piece of red velvet lava cake with a golden spoon

Red Velvet Lava Cake

Jack Slobodian
Indulge in this easy and delicious red velvet lava cake recipe in under 30 minutes. These warm, molten cakes feature a rich chocolate center that flows out as you cut into them. Serve with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream for added tastiness.
No ratings yet
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 14 minutes
Total Time 24 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American, French
Servings 4 lava cakes
Calories 588 kcal

Equipment

  • Ramekins

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 stick Unsalted butter
  • 6 ounces Semi-sweet chocolate
  • 1 teaspoon Red food coloring
  • 2 large Eggs
  • 2 large Egg yolks
  • ¼ cup Granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup All-purpose flour
  • 1 pinch Salt

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 410f (210c). Butter and lightly flour four 6-ounce ramekins. Tap out the excess flour and set the ramekins on a baking tray and to the side.
  • Place the chocolate and butter in a large heatproof bowl.
  • Melt over a double boiler over low heat while stirring or in the microwave in 30 seconds segments while mixing in between. Next, mix in the red food coloring.
  • In a large bowl, beat together eggs, egg yolks and sugar until thickened and pale.
  • Add the melted chocolate to the whipped eggs and gently fold them together.
  • Gently fold in the flour and a pinch of salt
  • Divide the batter into the prepared ramekins.
  • Bake for 13-14 minutes or until the sides are firm, but the center is jiggly.
  • Let the lava cakes cool in the ramekins for 1 minute, then gently go around the edges with a small paring knife. Cover with an inverted dessert plate and carefully turn each one over and unmold. Serve immediately.

Notes

  • Make sure to thoroughly butter the ramekins before adding the batter to avoid the lava cakes from sticking.
  • These red velvet lava cakes will last for up to 3 days, covered and in the refrigerator.
  • Leftovers can be reheated in a preheated 350f (180c) oven for 8 minutes.

Nutrition

Calories: 588kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 8gFat: 44gSaturated Fat: 25gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 13gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 248mgSodium: 57mgPotassium: 300mgFiber: 4gSugar: 28gVitamin A: 985IUCalcium: 59mgIron: 4mg
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