Chilis Lava Cake is a warm, fudgy chocolate cake with a gooey center, finished with vanilla ice cream and a crackly chocolate shell.
Author’s Notes
The Dessert That Started a Full-On Lava Cake Frenzy
This is one of the most hyped desserts I’ve ever made, and it all started when my husband asked for a lava cake like the one from Chili’s for Christmas.
When he wrote his Christmas wish list, buried among about 15 ideas was “Chilis lava cakes, but homemade.” Immediately, I started testing.
By Christmas Eve, I felt the recipe was perfect. We had guests over and everyone loved them, but my oldest said they were the best thing he’d ever eaten.
Once school was back in session, he told his friends, which quickly turned into me making lava cakes for five or six kids a couple weeks later. One friend snapped a photo and texted it to his baseball team, and the next day more kids showed up hoping to try them.
Currently, I’m about six batches deep after perfecting this recipe, and I don’t see it stopping anytime soon. Oh, and according to my husband, these are way better than Chili’s!
Ingredients in Chilis Lava Cakes
| Ingredient Group | Helpful Tip |
|---|---|
| Semi-sweet chocolate | Use good-quality chocolate bars since they make up most of the flavor. |
| Butter | Melt most with the chocolate for a smooth batter, then use the rest to generously grease the muffin tin for easy release. |
| Eggs & egg yolks | Let them come to room temperature so they create a silky, smooth batter. |
| Brown sugar & vanilla | Use fresh, soft light brown sugar and whisk well so it fully dissolves. If the brown sugar is hard or clumpy, swap in white sugar instead. |
| Flour & Salt | Whisk just until combined to keep the cakes tender. Salt balances the chocolate flavor. |
Quick Tip
Lindt chocolate balls are my go-to for the best melty center in these Chilis Lava Cakes. I’ve tested a lot, and haven’t found something that works better.
How To Make Chilis Lava Cakes
- Melt & cool: Melt the chocolate and butter until smooth, then let cool slightly.
- Whisk base: Whisk eggs, yolks, and sugar until smooth and slightly thick.
- Finish batter: Whisk in chocolate, then flour just until combined.
- Prep & fill: Grease and cocoa the pan, fill, add centers, and top with batter.
- Bake & serve: Bake, flip to release, and serve warm!
How To Top Your Lava Cakes
Chili’s has a signature way of topping their lava cakes with vanilla ice cream, chocolate shell, and a caramel drizzle. Here are my favorite ways to finish these Chilis Lava Cakes at home:
- Vanilla bean ice cream for the hot and cold contrast
- Magic shell or chocolate sauce for that crackly finish
- Fresh strawberries or raspberries to cut the richness and make ’em look pretty!
- Whipped cream (instead of ice cream) for a lighter topping
- Salted caramel sauce if you’d want a sweet-salty balance
Chelsea’s Recipe Tip
Tools For This Recipe
Check out my favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
I’ve bought and tried nearly every muffin tin out there, and a good one truly makes all the difference when it comes to clean release. This muffin tin is my forever favorite.
Storage
Chili Lava Cakes are best served fresh and warm. If needed, let them cool completely, then wrap tightly and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in the microwave just until warmed through.
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Best Chocolate Cake Recipe
Chilis Lava Cake
Video
Equipment
- Muffin pan see note 1
Ingredients
- 7 Lindt chocolates see note 2
- 5 ounces chopped semi-sweet chocolate good quality, see note 3
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter divided
- 2 large eggs at room temperature
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup light brown sugar gently packed (SOFT sugar)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Chop chocolate coarsely around the size of chocolate chips.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut butter into 8 tablespoons. Set aside 1 tablespoon and add the remaining 7 tablespoons to a large microwave-safe bowl with the chocolate. Microwave for 45 seconds then stir until smooth, about 1 minute of stirring. Set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl add eggs and egg yolks. Let stand to get to room temperature. Add in brown sugar and whisk vigorously until smooth and slightly thickened about 1 minute. Add in salt, vanilla, and cooled chocolate mixture. Whisk until smooth and combined. Add in flour and whisk until just combined. Do not over mix here, just about 30 seconds.
- Using the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Rub across 7 cavities of the muffin tin. I stick my hand in a plastic sandwich bag and rub the butter to really well coat the muffin tin. You should use all the butter and be sure to get the base of each cavitiy well. Sprinkle lightly with cocoa powder and then shake around to coat all of the muffin tin. Tap the muffin tin upside down over the sink to release any extra cocoa powder.
- Spoon batter into each of the 7 muffin cavities until about 1/3 full. Place an unwrapped Lindt ball into the center of each cavitiy. Top with more batter dividing the rest evenly among the 7 cavities. Smooth the top with the back of a spoon or your finger.
- Bake for 16 to 17 minutes, or until the tops spring back when lightly pressed.
- Remove and let muffin tin stand for only 2 minutes. Then place a tray (larger than the muffin tin) on top of the cakes and flip over. Let stand for about 30 seconds then careflly pull up the muffin tin. The cakes should have all released nicely. Use a metal spatula to remove one cake at a time onto a plate. Immediately top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and then some chocolate shell. Dig in while they're hot and gooey!
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
