Lemon Lava Cake Recipe - w/ White Chocolate (2024)

by Jennifer Debth

187 Comments

4.93 from 63 votes

An ultra tender cake with slightly crisp edges and a perfectly white chocolate lemon-y molten lava gooey center, this Lemon Lava Cake issurprisinglysimple to make and is in other words:heaven. 😉

O.M.G. Omg. Omg. Omg. If you’re ever going to make a recipe from this here food blog, it should most definitely be this Lemon Lava Cake Recipe. . .

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Or these Thai Peanut Noodles or Healthy Egg Muffin Cups or. . .

Ok. There are a lot of recipes that I think you should make, but I’m seriously, seriously, SERIOUSLY loving this Lemon Lava Cake right now.

Watch the video below and you’ll see why.

It’s ooey. It’s gooey. It’s decadent without being too heavy. It’s lemony, chocolatey, sweet, melty perfection and I can’t stop drooling about it.

And guesswhat else? It’s actually easy to make! 😱😍

Lemon Lava Cake Recipe - w/ White Chocolate (2)

Lemon Lava Cake Recipe - w/ White Chocolate (3)I’ve been wanting to make a lava cake since like Valentine’s Day, but as you can see, life got in the way, and I’m just getting around to make one the very last day of June. 😉

Originally, I wanted to make a milk chocolate one, but helloooo it’s summer, and summer = all the lemon things. And lemonis meant to be paired with sweet, creamy white chocolate, so here you go: a White Chocolate Lemon Lava Cake.

I also was going to make these in individual ramekins, but really

  1. Who actually has ramekins?
  2. Who actually has the same size ramekins as everyone else?! So. Many. Ramekin. Choices.

Lemon Lava Cake Recipe - w/ White Chocolate (4)So to solve the problem of going out and buying ramekins, or trying to figure out how many ounces your ramekins are, I decided to make this Lemon Lava Cake in a jumbo muffin pan(the cavities each hold about 6 oz of water)!

Before I actually made homemade lava cake, I assumed, because it looked so fancy and decadent, that it would be really hard to make.

Boy oh boy was I wrong. It’s actually surprisingly simple to make!

Here’s what you’re gonna do:

Melt white chocolate and butter together until smooth and creamy.

Whisk in powdered sugar, whole eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest.

Lemon Lava Cake Recipe - w/ White Chocolate (5)Once that’s smooth, you’ll gently stir in flour and salt.Don’t overmix… that’s the only “rule” in this recipe. 🙂

Then you’ll pour the batter into your prepared (buttered) muffin tin and bake ’em for about 15 minutes.

THAT’S IT! Seriously. How easy was that?!

Now. Here’s the hardest part. Once the Lemon Lava Cake has baked and cooled for a few minutes, you need to run a knife along the outside of the cakes and then flip them overby placing a cookie sheet on top of the muffin tin and flipping it 180 degrees. Before you bake these, you’ll ultra butter the tin, so they should come out pretty darn easy.

Then you’ll top them with a little powdered sugar, because, um, why not, and then top them with fruit and maybe a little whipped cream… or better yet…ICE CREAM. OMG.

The result is an ultra buttery, tender perfectly lemon cake with slightly crisp edges, and the most decadent, ooey, gooey, melty white chocolate-y center.

Lemon Lava Cake Recipe - w/ White Chocolate (6)I never say this, but you guys, this Lemon Lava Cake Recipe is TO DIE FOR. 😉

– Jennifer

What lava cake flavor should I make next?! I’m obsessed. Show Me the Yummy!

4.93 from 63 votes

An ultra tender cake with slightly crisp edges and a perfectly white chocolate lemon-y molten lava gooey center, this Lemon Lava Cake is surprisingly easy and so decadent!

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 6 cakes

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Equipment for this recipe

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Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

  • 8 ounces white chocolate
  • 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar sifted
  • 3 large eggs
  • 3 large egg yolks
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • zest of 2 lemons
  • 1/2 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Recipe Video

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and butter the cavities of a 6 cavity jumbo muffin tin.*

  • In a large microwave safe bowl, melt white chocolate and butter together. It should only take 60 seconds in the microwave.

  • Once melted, whisk in sugar, eggs, yolks, vanilla, lemon, and lemon zest until the ingredients are fully combined.

  • Using a spatula, gently stir in flour and salt. Don't overmix.

  • Pour the batter into the prepared muffin tin.

  • Bake for 15-17 minutes (mine were perfect at 15).

  • Let cool in pan for 5 minutes.

  • Run a knife along the sides of the cakes.

  • Place a baking sheet on top of the muffin pan and flip them. The cakes should pop out.

  • Top with more powdered sugar, whipped cream, fruit, ice cream, etc and serve immediately!

  • Take 5 seconds to rate this recipe below. We greatly appreciate it!

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STORING

Room Temp:1-2 Days

Refrigerator:2-3 Days

Freezer:3-4 Months

Reheat:Microwave to reheat

*Storage times may vary based on temperature and conditions

Notes

*I found that using butter instead of cooking spray helped prevent sticking, but you need to reeeeally butter the cavities to keep the cakes from sticking.

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Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts

Lemon Lava Cake Recipe

Amount Per Serving (1 cake)

Calories 565 Calories from Fat 297

% Daily Value*

Fat 33g51%

Saturated Fat 18g113%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 1g

Monounsaturated Fat 4g

Cholesterol 247mg82%

Sodium 179mg8%

Potassium 172mg5%

Carbohydrates 61g20%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 52g58%

Protein 8g16%

Vitamin A 285IU6%

Vitamin C 2.1mg3%

Calcium 102mg10%

Iron 1.3mg7%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

*Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on products used.

Keywords: easy, lemon, sweet

Enjoy this recipe?

Tag @showmetheyummy on Instagram and hashtag it #showmetheyummy

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Author: Jennifer Debth

Lemon Lava Cake Recipe - w/ White Chocolate (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between molten cake and lava cake? ›

While both molten cakes and lava cakes typically contain similar ingredients (such as chocolate, butter, eggs, sugar, and flour), the specific recipes may vary. Lava cakes are always chocolate-based, while molten cakes could be made with other flavors like lemon, caramel, or even fruit.

Why did my lava cake fail? ›

The temperature is far too low to bake a molten lava cake. The cake depends on cooking the outer edge of the batter quickly, before the inside has chance to set, but hot enough so the center is warm and gooey. Lava cakes should be baked at 425°F, for between 8 - 12 minutes, depending on the size of the ramekin.

Why is my lava cake dry? ›

Cold eggs can break the emulsion of the sugar and butter, so the batter loses air cells, resulting in baked cakes that are grainy or flat in texture, dry or dense. Room temperature eggs hack: Add warm (not hot) tap water to a bowl then add eggs (still in their shells) for at least 20 minutes.

Can I add melted chocolate to my cake batter? ›

Adding melted chocolate to the sponge mixture gives it a fudgier texture, but you can leave this out and simply use the cocoa paste for a lighter (and cheaper) cake.

What can I use instead of ramekins for lava cake? ›

If you don't have ramekins, you can use a standard muffin pan. Grease 6 muffin pan cups and dust with cocoa powder to prevent the lava cakes from sticking. Because your lava cakes will be slightly smaller, you'll get 6 lava cakes instead of 4. Bake at 425°F (218°C) for 8–10 minutes.

Is lava cake just undercooked cake? ›

In the 2014 movie "Chef," chef Carl Caper, portrayed by Jon Favreau, argues that chocolate lava cake isn't just "undercooked chocolate cake." The "molten" aspect of the dessert comes from a disc of frozen chocolate ganache that melts in the center of the treat as the cake bakes around it.

Why did my lava cake sink in the middle? ›

If you over mix the cake batter, your molten lava cake is going to collapse or sink in. Reason being when you over mix the batter, you are incorporating too much air bubble into the batter resulting it in losing its structure to hold the cake together.

Does molten lava cake need to be refrigerated? ›

Storage: Leftover cakes (take them out of the ramekins while still warm) can be wrapped tightly and refrigerated for up to 3 days. There will be less of a molten center than when they are freshly baked. Reheat in the microwave for 30 to 45 seconds.

What are the three common causes of failure in cakes? ›

1) You forgot to add baking powder, or you used expired baking powder. 2) Your pan is too big, so the mixture can't rise enough to fill it. Or 3) You over whisked.

How many days does lava cake last? ›

The lava cakes can be stored in the fridge for 3 days and n the freezer for up to 6 months. These little treats are fantastic to have in the freezer when you want that cheeky dessert.

How do you keep lava cakes fresh? ›

Wrap well in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month. You can thaw frozen lava cakes overnight in the fridge and reheat them in the oven at 350°F for about 8 minutes.

How do I make my cake more moist? ›

10 WAYS TO MAKE CAKE MOIST
  1. USE THE CORRECT TEMPERATURE AND BAKING TIME. Consider lowering your oven temperature slightly when baking a cake. ...
  2. USE VEGETABLE OIL. ...
  3. USE BUTTERMILK INSTEAD OF MILK. ...
  4. ADD INSTANT PUDDING MIX. ...
  5. ADD MAYONNAISE. ...
  6. USE SIMPLE SYRUP OR GLAZE. ...
  7. USE CAKE FLOUR. ...
  8. DON'T OVERMIX.

Why is my cake not moist enough? ›

The ratio of wet to dry ingredients determines a cake's moisture level. If there's simply too much flour and not enough butter, a cake will taste dry. On the other hand, if there's too much milk and not enough flour, a cake will taste too wet. Finding the right balance between wet and dry ingredients is key.

Why is my lemon cake dry? ›

If you have too much flour in a recipe and not enough fat, like butter or oil, your cake is going to be dry and hard. For best results, I would encourage you to use a scale when baking, but if you don't have a scale, then just make sure you're using measuring cups correctly.

Why is it called molten lava cake? ›

Now here's why they're called Molten Lava Cakes. They cook beautifully on the outside- kind of a mixture between a brownie and a souffle. But then when you bust that sucker open you get a gooey, flowing, chocolate, lava-like surprise.

What is another name for molten cake? ›

Molten chocolate cake is a French dessert that consists of a chocolate cake with a liquid chocolate core. It is named for that molten center, and it is also known as mi-cuit au chocolat, chocolat coulant ("flowing"), chocolate lava cake, or simply lava cake.

Does Dairy Queen have molten lava cakes? ›

MOLTEN. LAVA CAKE

A rich, moist chocolate cake filled with a gooey fudge center served hot from the oven with a side of DQ vanilla soft serve that is topped with hot fudge.

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