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    Home Β» Recipes Β» Cake & Pie

    Mini Chocolate Strawberry Lava Cakes

    Published: Jan 19, 2016 Β· Modified: Jul 6, 2020 by Alyssa Β· This post may contain affiliate links.

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    These mini chocolate strawberry lava cakes feature a rich molten chocolate and strawberry center and are EASY to make. This small-batch recipe yields just four mini lava cakes (and uses a muffin tin).

    A lava cake on a dessert plate with a spoonful of cake removed to show the molten strawberry filling. The dish is garnished with a fresh strawberry.

    These mini chocolate strawberry lava cakes come as a semi-sharp contrast from the healthier eats that have been gracing the blog lately. That I know.

    But I'm a whole-hearted believer in everything in moderation, and I think a chocolate dessert after days of kale, lean protein, whole grains, and remembering to take my vitamins is well deserved. Plus it's a mini dessert, which helps in the sweets justification.

    Chocolate covered strawberries hold such significance in my memories, besides just being delicious. Right after college I flung myself into CPA exam preparation. A week after graduation I put on my special study sweatpants and parked myself on the couch for a few months (and then any time not at work after that).

    There are four sections (meaning four exams) throughout the thing, and with my highly-developed capability for worrying, you can imagine my nerves on and before exam days. Oooof.

    So nervous, that my rock star dad drove me the half-hour to the exam center so I could try and calm myself before the big event. After all was said and done I would joyously skip to the car, and without fail he'd have a few chocolate covered strawberries sitting on the passenger seat for us to devour in celebration.

    A whole lava cake inverted on a dessert plate, dusted with powdered sugar, and garnished with a fresh strawberry.

    Needless to say the flavor combination of chocolate + strawberry is still one of my favorites, long after those exams were over (and let me tell you, a big YES to that). Nowadays I like to enjoy chocolate covered strawberries for other types of celebratory occasions, like Valentine's Day, date night, or just whenever.

    These chocolate strawberry lava cakes are richly flavored and individually-sized, which works out nicely with the whole portion control thing. Plus would you believe they're surprisingly simple to make?

    Lava cakes are one of those desserts that I always assumed were designated as dinner-out treats only. So fancy! I totally can't figure out that molten center at home without cursing at least three times and making a colossal mess, right? Wrong.

    What you'll need

    In addition to being surprisingly easy to make, the ingredients isn't anything fancy, either. To make these lava cakes, you'll need:

    • Unsalted butter
    • Semi-sweet chocolate chips
    • All-purpose flour
    • Confectioners' sugar
    • Instant expresso powder
    • One whole egg plus one egg yolk
    • Vanilla extract
    • Strawberry preserves/jam

    Lava cake batter in the muffin tin covering preserves before baking

    Recipe instructions

    Start by melting together the butter and chocolate chips in a small pan on the stovetop. Then whisk together the flour, confectioners' sugar, and espresso powder in a bowl. Add the egg, the egg yolk, and the vanilla and whisk to combine.

    Stir in the melted butter and chocolate mixture, and there you go! Somehow while baking, the molten center forms while the exterior bakes into a cake. Lava cake magic.

    Grease four muffin tin cups (in a two-by-two pattern) with butter, then sprinkle a little bit of granulated sugar in each cup to coat the bottom and sides. This helps the lava cakes release. Evenly distribute the lava cake batter into each of the prepared cups.

    This version features something extra special in the form of strawberry preserves, which join with the molten chocolate goodness to make a truly decadent strawberry lava cake. Top each cup of lava cake batter with one tablespoon of strawberry preserves, then use a spoon or spatula to cover up the preserves with the batter.

    A big spoonful taken out of a lava cake, showing the strawberry filling oozing out.

    All that's left is to bake! Around 11-12 minutes will do it. Look for the outer edges of each lava cake to look drier while the cake appears to puff up. The very center may still look a bit sunken in, but that's because of the preserves.

    Let the strawberry lava cakes sit in the pan for five minutes once they come out of the oven, then loosen the edges and carefully invert the pan over a plate. Dust with confectioners' sugar or serve with a scoop of ice cream (yum), and enjoy while warm.

    Related recipes

    A slightly less popular chocolate and fruit pairing is chocolate orange - and I love it. Orange lava cakes are a fun twist on this recipe, and also use a regular muffin tin.

    Strawberry macaroons are perfectly coconutty and are drizzled and dipped in chocolate for more chocolate and strawberry goodness.

    Recipe notes

    • To make it easier when you invert the cooked lava cakes on to a plate, I suggest using four muffin cups that are in a square: two in one row and the two right below them.
    • Measure flour with the "spoon and level" method. Stir the flour in the bag/container to fluff it up. Spoon flour into your dry measuring cup, making sure not to pack it in. Using a straight-edge (I like to use the straight handle of the spoon), level off the flour in the measuring cup, with the excess falling back into the bag/container. This prevents too much flour from being added to the recipe, which can lead to drier baked goods.
    A lava cake on a dessert plate with a spoonful of cake removed to show the molten strawberry filling. The dish is garnished with a fresh strawberry.

    Mini Chocolate Strawberry Lava Cakes

    These mini chocolate strawberry lava cakes feature a rich molten chocolate and strawberry center and are EASY to make. This small-batch recipe yields just four mini lava cakes (and uses a muffin tin).
    4.67 from 3 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 27 minutes
    Cook Time: 14 minutes
    Total Time: 41 minutes
    Servings: 4 mini cakes
    Calories: 357kcal
    Author: Alyssa

    Ingredients

    • 1 teaspoon granulated sugar for dusting muffin tin cups
    • 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
    • Β½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
    • ΒΌ cup all-purpose flour
    • Β½ cup confectioners' sugar
    • Β½ teaspoon instant espresso powder
    • 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
    • Β½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • ΒΌ cup strawberry preserves or jam
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 400°F. Generously butter four cups of a standard-sized muffin tin (in a two-by-two square arrangement) and sprinkle each with a bit of granulated sugar to coat the bottoms and sides.
    • Add the butter and chocolate chips to a small saucepan and heat over low heat, stirring until the mixture is melted and smooth. Remove saucepan from heat and let it cool for a few minutes.
    • Whisk together flour, confectioners' sugar, espresso powder, whole egg, egg yolk, and vanilla extract in a bowl until evenly mixed and creamy. Whisk in melted and slightly cooled butter/chocolate mixture.
    • Pour mixture evenly between four prepared muffin cups. Add about 1 tablespoon of strawberry preserves to the center of each lava cake. The batter will be fairly thick, so you may need to press the preserves into the center of each with a spoon or a spatula. Using the spoon/spatula, smooth some of the lava cake batter over top of the preserves, which are now under the surface. You shouldn't see much of the preserves, if any at all, once done.
    • Bake for 11-13 minutes, or until the tops have firmed/stiffened up and the edges have browned. You'll notice the outside edges will begin to appear "drier" as they bake, which will continue inward as each lava cake puffs up slightly. The center of each may still appear sunken in a bit due to the preserves.
    • Once done, remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes. Carefully loosen the edges of each lava cake with a knife and invert onto a plate. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar if you like (and/or vanilla ice cream) and serve immediately.

    Notes

    The butter/chocolate mixture is cooled slightly to reduce the risk of the warmth "cooking" little bits of the cold egg/egg yolk when the two are combined. You can get around this by bringing the egg and egg yolk to room temperature before beginning, or you can let the mixture cool for 5-10 minutes.
    Don't stress when it comes to adding the preserves - it's not a precise science. The magic of lava cakes is that the molten center forms where it's supposed to be without much direction from you.
    The nutritional info is estimated for one whole lava cake, though they work well as a dessert to be shared as well.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1lava cake | Calories: 357kcal | Carbohydrates: 40.6g | Protein: 4.5g | Fat: 19.6g | Saturated Fat: 12.1g | Cholesterol: 128mg | Sodium: 34mg | Potassium: 106mg | Fiber: 0.9g | Sugar: 31.6g | Calcium: 40mg | Iron: 1.3mg
    Tried this Recipe?Tag @mysequinedlife - I love to see what you're making!

    Nutritional information is provided as an estimate. As it can vary due to many factors (brands used, quantities, etc.), we cannot guarantee its accuracy.

    Food Safety and Nutrition Disclaimer

    Recipe adapted from the Food Network

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    Comments

    1. Adara says

      January 14, 2021 at 10:11 am

      5 stars
      These look amazing! I have two questions
      Am I able to use 70% dark chocolate instead of the chips and will it still form properly or be too soft?
      Are these able to be reheated in the oven (If I'm gifting them to someone).

      Thank you!

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        January 14, 2021 at 12:01 pm

        Hi Adara, a chopped up chocolate bar or chocolate chunks would absolutely work, too! It will form just the same. I haven't ever baked them and then reheated them in full before so I couldn't speak to your second question - sorry! I'm not sure if the filling would be as molten or if it would have baked into the exterior by then.

        Reply
    2. Red says

      August 10, 2020 at 9:36 pm

      5 stars
      This is a perfect recipe for my Food Science and Technologies class!! I adjusted it slightly to fit the criteria but other then that its absolutely PERFECT!! I'm so glad I chose this recipe. Thank you

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        August 12, 2020 at 10:32 am

        You're very welcome! Best of luck with the class -- so glad you enjoyed it. πŸ™‚

        Reply
    3. Megan - The Emotional Baker says

      January 22, 2016 at 11:06 am

      Every day requires chocolate πŸ˜‰ These look fabulous. I'll have to face my fears and make lava cakes soon!

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        January 23, 2016 at 10:40 am

        I agree with you 100% Megan! πŸ™‚ Thanks!

        Reply
    4. Ashley | The Recipe Rebel says

      January 21, 2016 at 4:43 pm

      Your dad is so sweet! I LOVE chocolate covered strawberries but it's not something we have that often. Strawberry season here is like 3 weeks long and aside from that the fresh strawberries we get are pitiful. THESE I can have year round! πŸ˜‰

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        January 21, 2016 at 10:12 pm

        Haha I was so thankful! I was a mess on those days. And I hear you! We don't always have fresh, perfectly juicy strawberries but we always have preserves. πŸ™‚ Thanks Ashley!

        Reply
    5. Denise | Sweet Peas & Saffron says

      January 21, 2016 at 10:57 am

      My brother just passed his accounting exam in December, and I never realized how intense it was! That's so sweet of your dad to drop you off and bring sweets for a celebration πŸ™‚ These molten cakes look TOO GOOD! I want one for breakfast right now, please?!

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        January 21, 2016 at 10:06 pm

        Thanks Denise! These would be a surefire way to start your day off on a sweet note. πŸ˜‰ And congrats to your brother! I don't think I've ever slept as soundly as I did the nights after taking the exams. Gah, how stressful.

        Reply
    6. Annie says

      January 20, 2016 at 6:11 pm

      Holy smokes!!! These are the prettiest lava cakes ever! The chocolate strawberry combo is just brilliant!

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        January 20, 2016 at 7:57 pm

        Thanks Annie! I'm a little scared I know how easy they are to make at home now haha

        Reply
    7. Ashley@CookNourishBliss says

      January 19, 2016 at 3:37 pm

      Chocolate + strawberry is just the best! These are so so fun! I love the spin on just straight up chocolate lava cakes!!

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        January 20, 2016 at 7:58 pm

        I'm on a huge chocolate/strawberry kick haha thanks Ashley!

        Reply
    8. Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine says

      January 19, 2016 at 12:30 pm

      I think I need to make some lava cakes...right now!

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        January 20, 2016 at 9:27 pm

        It's always time for lava cakes... πŸ˜‰

        Reply
    9. Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel says

      January 19, 2016 at 10:21 am

      How cute are these?! I love that they have molten chocolate AND strawberry! So perfect for Valentine's Day!

      Reply
      • Alyssa says

        January 20, 2016 at 9:31 pm

        Thanks Jess! πŸ™‚

        Reply

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    Hi! I’m Alyssa and welcome to my food blog. Here you can find a variety of food and drink recipes, running the gamut from better-for-you main dishes to holiday fare, and from lighter bites to some serious desserts. All with the occasional cocktail recipe thrown in for good measure, too. ♥ Learn more β†’

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