I originally published this recipe in 2015 and have since added new photos and a video tutorial. This small-batch recipe yields 2 undeniably fudge-like, melted-chocolate-in-the-middle cakes. One for you and one for your sweetheart or best friend/kid/sibling/parent/any chocolate lover in your life. Or… 2 for you. 😉 You need 2 ramekins, the 6-ounce size like these, which is the size commonly used for most custards, chocolate lava cakes, chocolate soufflé, etc. (You can get a lot of use out of this size.) While the centers are melted chocolate, the outer edges of the cakes taste like a combination of my chocolate cake and homemade frosted brownies recipes. Amazing, right?
Grab the Following Ingredients (You Don’t Need Much!)
Semi-Sweet Chocolate: This is THE source of chocolate flavor (no cocoa powder here), so make sure you use quality chocolate. Using cheap chocolate or chocolate chips will negatively affect the taste and texture. For all my recipes calling for chopped or melted chocolate, I chop up baking chocolate bars, which are sold in the baking aisle of the grocery store. I like Baker’s, Lindt, and Ghirardelli brands. Heavy Cream: Melt half of the chocolate with heavy cream to create the fudge-like base of the cakes. The combo of these 2 ingredients is how both chocolate ganache and chocolate truffles begin. So you can imagine what it does for these little cakes! Brown Sugar: Use a touch of brown sugar not only to sweeten the cakes, but to also provide a little extra flavor and moisture. Vegetable Oil: Oil adds wonderful moisture to the cake crumb; the cakes would be dry without it. Egg: You will not use an entire egg. Rather, you will crack an egg, beat it, and use 2 Tablespoons in this chocolate batter. When testing this recipe, I found using the entire egg made the cakes taste eggy and spongey, which is not what you’re going for here. Mix any leftover egg with more eggs to make some scrambled eggs for breakfast if you do not wish to waste it. Vanilla Extract: Flavor enhancer. Flour: All-purpose flour provides structure. Baking Powder + Baking Soda: These lift the cakes up as they bake.
The chocolate flavor in these chocolate fudge cakes is deliciously intense. Don’t expect sickeningly sweet; you’re using semi-sweet chocolate and only 3 Tablespoons of added sugar for the entire 2-cake recipe. All you’ll taste is rich chocolate.
How to Make Just 2 Chocolate Fudge Cakes
This is a pretty quick and simple recipe, but since it’s a bit unique, let me share some step photos and brief explanations so you know exactly what to do when it’s your turn to make them. Tonight, perhaps? Chop up half of the bar of chocolate (2 ounces/57g), and set aside 2 squares (1 ounce/28g total) of the remaining half… those two squares (0.5oz/14g each) will become the melty chocolate center of these fudge cakes. Melt the chopped chocolate with the heavy cream, either in the microwave or in a double boiler if you have one: Whisk in the brown sugar, and then the oil, egg, and vanilla. Then, fold in the dry ingredients: a mix of flour, baking powder, and baking soda. The batter is a little thick. I usually mix it all up in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup: Pour/spoon the batter evenly into 2 greased 6-ounce ramekins. Press 1 square (0.5oz/14g) of the remaining chocolate into the center of each filled ramekin. Use a spoon to fully submerge the chocolate: Bake cakes on a lined baking sheet (in case they overflow—they probably won’t, but just to be on the safe side).
Optional Toppings
Serve immediately while the cakes are warm. They’re fabulous on their own in all their warm and fudgy chocolate glory, or topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, raspberry dessert sauce, strawberry sauce, or salted caramel. I like to garnish them with fresh mint and raspberries. By the way, if you love small cakes like this, try my peanut butter chocolate lava cakes. The recipe yields 4, so it’s another small-batch dessert favorite. This 1 giant double chocolate cookie is another small-batch chocolate option and perfect for Valentine’s Day. If you want more inspiration, here are all of my favorite Valentine’s Day desserts. This recipe also joins 30+ others in my collection of Quick Dessert Recipes—ready in 1 hour or less!
