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Gooey Nutella Chocolate Lava Cakes

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
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Gooey Nutella Chocolate Lava Cakes

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These gooey Nutella chocolate lava cakes are the perfect chocolate dessert recipe for Valentine’s day at home. I hate going to a crowded restaurant on Valentine’s day, but I still want to enjoy a nice meal! It’s become a tradition to make a special dinner at home no dinner is complete without dessert! Nutella chocolate lava cakes are the perfect make-ahead chocolate dessert for a special evening!

nutella chocolate lava cake

How to Make Nutella Chocolate Lava Cakes

I love how easy it is to make Nutella chocolate lava cakes. It’s a fancy-looking dessert that only requires a small handful of ingredients!

Tools Needed

Ingredients You’ll Need

  • Bittersweet chocolate. Bittersweet chocolate makes these Nutella chocolate lava cakes super-rich without being too sweet. I don’t recommend using chocolate chips here.
  • Butter. Opt for high-quality unsalted butter.
  • Cocoa powder. Dutch-processed cocoa powder is the best and gives these cakes extra chocolate flavor. 
  • Flour. A couple of tablespoons of flour help stabilize the batter. 
  • Eggs. Make sure your eggs are room temp!
  • Sugar. Whipping the eggs and sugar creates the bulk of the batter in these almost flour-less chocolate cakes. 
  • Nutella. Make sure to chill your Nutella for at least 30 min before scooping. 

Can Nutella Chocolate Lava Cake be made ahead of time?

Yes! You can chill the cakes for up to 5 hours before baking. Alternately, you can bake them 1 day in advance and reheat in the microwave or oven before serving. That being said, these cakes are best served fresh from the oven while the center is still warm and molten.

nutella chocolate lava cake

Tips for making Nutella chocolate lava cakes

Follow these tips and you’ll have perfect cakes every time!

  1. Use the right chocolate. Do not use chocolate chips here! Chocolate chips contain stabilizers which makes them difficult to melt. Buy a couple of high-quality bittersweet chocolate bars and chop them up for best results.
  2. Use room temperature eggs. Room temperature eggs whip better!
  3. Whip your eggs and sugar. To create a voluminous batter, you really need to whip the eggs and sugar until the mixture is thick, very fluffy, and doubled in size. 
  4. Don’t let your melted chocolate get too hot. Keep a watchful eye when melting the chocolate and butter. You don’t want to get it too hot so that the chocolate scorches. Be sure to let it cool slightly before adding it to the egg mixture. 
  5. Chill the Nutella. It’s easier to scoop and press into the batter this way!

What to serve with Nutella Chocolate Lava Cakes

Toppings are important here! You want to balance out the rich chocolate. 

  • Strawberries or raspberries. Some fresh fruit pairs so well with these luscious chocolate cakes!
  • Whipped Cream. You can’t go wrong with whipped cream. Go the extra mile and whip your own with a little powdered sugar and vanilla bean!
  • Ice cream. Who doesn’t love a warm chocolate cake with ice cream? A scoop of high-quality vanilla bean ice cream goes a long way here!
  • Salted caramel. Do you really want to take these Nutella chocolate lava cakes to the next level? Drizzle them with salted caramel sauce for an extra decadent variation.

Other Valentine’s Day Recipes

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Dessert

Gooey Nutella Chocolate Lava Cake

This Nutella chocolate lava cake has the perfect rich texture with a molten Nutella center. Serve warm topped with ice cream or whipped cream for the perfect chocolate dessert!
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Makes: 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 8 oz bittersweet chocolate chopped
  • 1 stick 4 oz unsalted butter, diced
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons dutch-processed cocoa powder
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 4 tablespoons chilled Nutella
  • Powdered sugar for dusting

Instructions

  • Chill your jar of Nutella for 45 minutes prior to making this recipe so that it's easy to scoop. 
  • Grease four 10-oz oven safe ramekins with butter and dust with cocoa powder and place on a small baking sheet.
  • In a medium saucepan over very low heat, gently melt the chocolate and diced butter together, stirring occasionally, until chocolate and butter are completely melted. Set aside for a couple of minutes to cool slightly. Then stir in the salt, flour and cocoa powder.
  • In a medium bowl with a hand mixer, or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the eggs on high. Slowly stream in the sugar and whip on high until the eggs are light and fluffy. Fold the in the chocolate mixture until no streaks remain. Divide evenly between the ramekins. Gently press one tablespoon of chilled Nutella into the center of each cake. Chill for at least 30 minutes, up to 5 hours. 
  • Preheat an oven to 350 F. Bake for 35-40 minutes until the tops have cracked slightly. Remove from the oven and cool slightly. Serve dusted with powdered sugar and a scoop of ice cream if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cakeCalories: 520kcalCarbohydrates: 95gProtein: 5gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 120mgSodium: 270mgSugar: 67g

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  1. 5 stars
    I tried this twice now in the same week. It is so easy to follow and it turned put sooo great. My first attempt i used a double boiler and chocolate chips because that was all i had. It turned out a bit sweeter than how i usually prefer my cakes but i think it is still doable by lessening the sugar in the recipe.

    On my second attempt, i followed this recipe to the t and OMG i am in love! I will try to make smaller ones as this recipe is too big for one serving. Its perfect for sharing with friends and loved ones.

    I added coffee almond crunch ice cream on top and that was divine. Thank you for sharing this recipe.