Lava cake looks like a restaurant showpiece but is genuinely one of the easiest gluten-free desserts to make at home — there's very little flour involved, so gluten-free baking is barely a factor. The trick is entirely in the timing: bake just until the edges are set and the center is still soft, so it collapses into warm, molten chocolate the moment you cut in.
Ingredients
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 220°C (425°F). Butter four 6-ounce ramekins generously, then dust with cocoa powder, tapping out any excess.
Melt the butter and chocolate together, either in a heatproof bowl over a pot of simmering water or in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until smooth. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, egg yolks, sugar, and salt together until pale and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.
Whisk the melted chocolate mixture and vanilla into the egg mixture until fully combined.
Gently fold in the flour until just incorporated — don't overmix.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared ramekins.
Bake for 11–13 minutes. The top should be set and have lost its glossy, wet look, but a small circle about the size of a coin in the very center should still jiggle slightly when you gently shake the ramekin — that's the molten center.
Let the cakes rest in the ramekins for 1 minute. To unmold safely, place a serving plate upside down on top of each ramekin, then, holding both together firmly with an oven mitt, flip the plate and ramekin over as one motion. Lift the ramekin straight off.
Dust with powdered sugar and serve immediately.
Tips & notes
Storage & freezing
Best served fresh from the oven. If needed, refrigerate baked cakes (removed from the ramekins) for up to 3 days and reheat gently in the microwave in 20–30 second bursts until warmed through — the center will be soft rather than fully molten on reheating.