I spent quite a while searching Pinterest for a really slam bang birthday dessert. Most of the images on Pinterest look appealing, so it is hard to know what will really be a hit in terms of flavor, texture and the wow factor! After debating between various great looking recipes, I settled on The Pioneer Woman’s molten chocolate lava cakes for my husband’s birthday dessert. And I haven’t stopped making it. I’ve been baking this dessert consistently for about 3 years now for birthdays, holidays and regular old game nights. They only take about 15 minutes to make, and it turns out every single time. You can make the batter ahead and refrigerate it in custard cups until you’re ready to bake!

These lava cakes are rich, gooey in the center, pretty on a plate and loved by people of every age from 1 year olds to 100 year olds! I love recommending these because they come together really quickly and have ingredients I almost always have on hand. I have learned to keep baking chocolate in stock!

Check out the recipe:

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I always begin by getting out all the ingredients I’ll need so everything is at my fingertips.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and spray your custard cups thoroughly. It is crucial that they are well sprayed so that the cakes come out easily in one piece.

Then I combine the stick of butter and chocolate in a microwave safe bowl and heat for about 1 minute until melted. Whisk it up until smooth. Then add in your powdered sugar and whisk that! Now it’s time for the eggs. Add 2 whole eggs, and the yolks of 3 more eggs. I like to use up the whites of those 3 extra eggs the next morning for breakfast!

Once the eggs are combined, add in the vanilla. And finally the half a cup of flour! Finally, divide the batter between 4 custard cups, careful to keep it clean around the top of your cups. Bake until the sides are firm and the centers are still soft. No need to do the toothpick test as the centers should be loose! I invert them onto each serving plate fairly quickly and they peel off the sides and if they were well greased they will fall to the center on their own within 30 seconds to about 2 minutes. I always serve with ice cream or whipped cream. I think they’re made even better served with strawberries or raspberries for color and bright flavor too!

These lava cakes are a great dish to bring along with you when you’re in charge of dessert for a dinner party. With glass custard cups that have lids, you can transfer them easily and you just bake them at the hosts home. If you bake from refrigeration you will need to add an extra minute or two since they start so cold. Do let me know if you give these a go, they are so delicious and I’m proud to have a dessert recipe I can share so confidently!