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salted caramel molten lava cake on white plate with caramel molten center melting out and spoon with bite on it

Salted Caramel Molten Lava Cakes

Katie Penland
These Salted Caramel Molten Lava Cakes are made with dark chocolate and a gooey salted caramel center — the perfect indulgent small-batch dessert.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings 2

Equipment

  • 2 (4–6 oz) ramekins
  • small saucepan
  • 2 Mixing bowls (microwave safe)
  • Whisk
  • rubber spatula
  • Small sieve
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • Baking sheet
  • Small offset spatula or spoon
  • Oven mitts or a kitchen towel
  • Electric hand mixer (optional)
  • Pastry brush (optional)

Ingredients
  

Salted Caramel

  • ½ cup granulated sugar 110g
  • 1 tablespoon corn syrup
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature 28g
  • ¼ cup heavy cream 64g
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ¼ - ½ teaspoon flaky sea salt

Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 28g
  • 3.5 ounces dark chocolate bar, chopped 100g, Lindt or Ghiradelli
  • 1 egg
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour plus extra for coating ramekins
  • 2 teaspoons dutch processed cocoa powder plus extra for coating ramekins

Instructions

Salted Caramel

  • Cook the sugar
    Add the sugar, corn syrup, and a splash of water to a saucepan and stir until it resembles wet sand. Use a pastry brush or wet fingers to wipe down the sides of the pan to remove any sugar crystals. Place over medium heat and cook undisturbed until the sugar turns a light amber color. Continue cooking until it reaches a deep golden brown, then remove from the heat.
  • Warm the cream
    While the sugar cooks, warm the heavy cream in the microwave in 10-second intervals until just warm, not boiling.
  • Finish the caramel
    Whisk in the room-temperature butter into the caramel. Slowly stream in the warm cream while whisking until smooth. The caramel will steam and bubble up rapidly. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and let cool completely to room temperature, about 1 hour. Once cooled, stir in vanilla extract and flaky salt to taste.
  • Freeze the caramel rounds
    Once cooled, the caramel will have thickened. Spoon 2 teaspoons of caramel each into two small rounds on a parchment-lined plate or tray. Freeze for at least 30 minutes while preparing the lava cake batter. Store the remaining caramel in the fridge, or use it to drizzle over finished lava cakes.

Chocolate Molten Lava Cakes

  • Preheat and prep ramekins
    Preheat oven to 450°F. Grease two 4–6 oz ramekins with butter. In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon flour and 1 teaspoon cocoa powder. Add to the ramekins, tapping to coat bottoms and sides fully. Tap out any excess.
  • Melt the chocolate and butter
    In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter. Add the chopped chocolate and microwave in 10-second increments, stirring until fully melted and smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
  • Whisk the egg mixture
    In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, brown sugar, salt, and vanilla. Whisk by hand or with a hand mixer until pale, thick, and fluffy, about 1–2 minutes.
  • Combine
    Stir the cooled chocolate mixture into the egg mixture until fully combined. Sift in flour and cocoa powder, then fold until smooth.
  • Fill, add the caramel, and bake
    Divide the batter between the two prepared ramekins. Press one frozen caramel round into the center of each and smooth the batter over the top to fully cover.
    Place the ramekins on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, until edges are set and tops are slightly cracked. The centers will remain molten, so judge doneness by appearance rather than a toothpick test.
  • Cool briefly and unmold
    Let the cakes cool for 4 minutes, then serve them warm immediately. To unmold, carefully invert onto a plate, gently tap, and lift off the ramekin.

Notes

Serving: These can be unmolded onto plates or served directly in the ramekins. Extra salted caramel can be drizzled over the top. Garnish with powdered sugar, flaky salt, or serve with vanilla ice cream.
Ramekins: This recipe was tested using two 4-ounce ramekins. You can also use standard 6-ounce ramekins (the cakes will be slightly thinner) or a regular muffin tin to make 4 smaller lava cakes. Adjust bake time as needed, starting with a minute or two less.
Caramel tips: Allow the caramel rounds to fully freeze so they don’t completely melt into the batter and instead create a molten center when cut into. Use no more than 2 teaspoons of caramel per cake — too much can prevent the cakes from setting properly.
Doneness: For a molten center, the cakes must be baked just until the edges are set, and the tops are slightly cracked. 10 minutes is the sweet spot for my oven and ramekin size, but timing may vary. If cakes fall apart when unmolding, they are slightly underbaked. If centers are fully set with no molten center, they are overbaked.
Cooling time: Let the cakes cool for 3–4 minutes so the edges can set enough to hold their shape while still keeping the centers molten. Skipping this rest can cause the cakes to fall apart when unmolding.
Keyword caramel lava cake, dessert for two, molten lava cake for two, salted caramel molten lava cake, small batch dessert