Chocolate Fondant — Lava Cake
Crisp edges give way to a warm, flowing chocolate center. This decadent dessert is surprisingly simple to make and guaranteed to impress.
20 min active, minimal dishes
Chocolate Fondant — Lava Cake
Crisp edges give way to a warm, flowing chocolate center. This decadent dessert is surprisingly simple to make and guaranteed to impress.
20 min active, minimal dishes
Key move
Bake in fully heated 6-ounce ramekins at 425°F just until the edges set and the center still jiggles slightly, usually about 11 to 13 minutes depending on your oven and ramekin thickness.
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The Setup
- Ramekins6-ounce
- Mixing BowlsMedium
- SaucepanMedium
The Mise en Place
5 of 8Your prep station before cooking begins
The Dry Mix (0/3)
The Wet Mix (0/4)
Fondants are not molten in the center.
They were overbaked. Reduce baking time by 1-2 minutes next time.
Fondants are too liquid and collapse when inverted.
They were underbaked. Increase baking time by 1-2 minutes next time.
Chef's Notes
Chill ramekins for 15 mins before baking to ensure a molten center.
Serve immediately with fresh raspberries and a dusting of powdered sugar.
Prepare batter up to 24 hours ahead. Store in fridge, bake directly from cold.
The Method
PREHEAT
Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Grease and flour eight ramekins.
Sticking risk: Any bare spots on the ramekin interior will cause the cake to tear upon unmolding.
Oven is preheated and ramekins are prepared.
MELT
In a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of simmering water (or in the microwave), melt the chocolate and butter together, stirring until smooth.
Seizing: Even a drop of water in the chocolate will cause it to seize and become grainy.
Chocolate and butter are completely melted and smooth.
REMOVE
Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Premature egg addition: If the chocolate is too hot, the eggs will scramble upon contact, ruining the cake's texture.
Melted chocolate mixture has cooled slightly.
WHISK
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks (2 whole), and sugar until pale and slightly thickened.
Undermixing: Failing to reach the pale, thickened stage results in a dense, flat cake.
Egg and sugar mixture is pale and slightly thickened.
FOLD
Gently fold the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Stir in the vanilla extract (1 tsp) and salt (⅛ tsp).
Deflation risk: Over-mixing will knock the air out of the eggs, resulting in a dense cake rather than a light, airy crumb.
Chocolate mixture is fully incorporated into the egg mixture, with vanilla and salt added.
SIFT
Sift the flour over the chocolate mixture and gently fold until just combined. Be careful not to overmix.
Overmixing: Excessive folding develops gluten, which will make the cake texture bread-like rather than molten.
Flour is just incorporated, no streaks remaining.
DIVIDE
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared ramekins.
Uneven baking: Varying amounts of batter will cause some cakes to overcook while others remain raw in the center.
Batter is evenly distributed in the prepared ramekins.
BAKE
Time-sensitiveBake for 12-15 minutes, or until the edges are set but the center is still soft. The baking time will vary depending on your oven.
Overbaking: Even one minute too long will turn the molten center into standard cake.
Edges are set, center jiggles slightly when shaken.
LET STAND
Let the fondants stand for 1 minute before inverting onto plates.
Collapsing: Inverting too early or too late can cause the delicate structure to crack or stick to the ramekin.
Fondants have rested for 1 minute.
SERVE
Serve immediately. Dust with cocoa powder or powdered sugar, if desired. A scoop of vanilla ice cream complements the richness of the fondant.
Temperature drop: The cake will lose its molten center if allowed to sit too long before serving
Fondants are served.
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