If you’re after an impressive and romantic dessert for two, these Chocolate Covered Strawberry Lava Cakes are the perfect choice! Rich, chocolatey, and packed with bursts of fresh strawberries in every bite, they’re pure indulgence. Best of all, they come together in just 30 minutes – plus, thanks to my top-secret hack (revealed later!), you’re guaranteed a perfectly gooey molten centre every time!
Recipe Overview
- FLAVOUR: These lava cakes have a rich, deep and intense chocolate flavour thanks to melted dark chocolate and cocoa powder. The strawberries bring welcome bursts of fresh fruitiness and pair beautifully with the chocolate.
- TEXTURE: Crisp outer shell, soft and fudgy inside, with a warm, molten chocolate centre.
- MAKES: This recipe makes two individual lava cakes, perfect for date night or a romantic dessert for two.
Ingredients To Make Chocolate Covered Strawberry Lava Cakes
- Salted butter: Gives the lava cakes a rich flavour and soft crumb. Using salted butter balances the sweetness of the cakes.
- Dark chocolate: Contributes to the intense, rich, chocolate flavour in lava cakes. The high cocoa butter content in dark chocolate also keeps the middle gooey while the outside cooks.
- White caster sugar: Sweetens the cakes and creates a tender crumb.
- Eggs: Adds moisture, richness and gives the sponge a fluffy texture. This recipe uses 1 medium egg and 1 extra egg yolk.
- Plain flour: Binds the ingredients together and gives the cakes structure.
- Cocoa powder: Gives the cakes an extra rich and chocolatey flavour. Use 100% cocoa powder for the best flavour.
- Fresh strawberries: Chopped and folded into the cake mixture, and covered in chocolate for a cute decoration for your lava cakes.
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Two Tips for Foolproof Chocolate Lava Cakes
Lava cakes have a reputation for being tricky, usually for two reasons: they stick to the ramekins, or they overbake with no molten centre. But fear not, I have two foolproof hacks to guarantee perfect results every time!
1. Greasing The Ramekins
Most recipes say to ‘grease the ramekins,’ but how you do it makes all the difference. My top tip? Double-coat them to ensure the cakes release effortlessly. First, brush the inside with melted butter, chill for a few minutes, then butter again and dust with cocoa powder. The melted butter ensures even coverage, while the cocoa acts as a second non-stick barrier. No more stuck cakes!
2. The Melted Middle Hack
Credit for this genius trick goes to my mum, she’s been doing it for years! For a guaranteed molten centre, hide a square of dark chocolate in the middle of the mixture before baking. As the cakes cook, the chocolate melts into a rich, gooey pool, ensuring a perfectly melted middle every time.
How To Make Chocolate Covered Strawberries
Chocolate covered strawberries are an effortless yet elegant treat, perfect for special occasions or as a decoration for these chocolate lava cakes. This recipe will make up to 20 chocolate covered strawberries:
- Melt the chocolate – Break up 200g of chocolate into a bowl. Melt in the microwave in short bursts or over a pan of simmering water. Stir frequently until the chocolate is smooth and glossy.
- Dip the strawberries – Hold by the stem, dip in melted chocolate, let excess drip off, and place on parchment paper.
- Add toppings (optional) – Add sprinkles or drizzle more chocolate on top.
- Leave to set – Pop in the fridge to set for 30 mins.
Top Tips:
- Pour the melted chocolate into a small, wide glass to make dunking and coating the strawberries easier.
- Water stops the chocolate from sticking, so dry the strawberries completely,
- Use room-temp strawberries to prevent condensation.
- Add a teaspoon of vegetable oil to the melted chocolate for a glossy finish.
Chocolate Covered Strawberry Lava Cakes
Equipment
- 2 Oven-safe ramekins RECIPE SUCCESS TIP: It’s important to use similar sized ramekins for an accurate baking time. The ones I used were 3.5” wide and just over 2” deep.
Ingredients
- 50 grams Salted butter plus 10g extra for greasing
- 100 grams 70% Dark Chocolate
- 1 medium Egg + 1 extra egg yolk room temp
- 100 grams White caster sugar
- 50 grams Plain flour
- 10 grams Cocoa powder plus extra for dusting
- 50 grams Fresh strawberries chopped
Chocolate covered strawberries: (makes approx. 20)
- 300 grams Fresh strawberries
- 200 grams Milk chocolate chopped
- Optional decorations: sprinkles nuts, white chocolate to drizzle
Instructions
Start by preparing the chocolate covered strawberries:
- Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper. Wash and pat dry the strawberries.300 grams Fresh strawberries
- Break up the milk chocolate into a glass bowl. Melt in the microwave in short bursts, or over a pan of simmering water. Stir frequently until smooth.200 grams Milk chocolate
- Hold the strawberries by the stem and dunk into the melted chocolate, lift and shake gently to allow the excess chocolate to drip off.
- Place on the baking tray and decorate with pink sprinkles or a drizzle of white chocolate. Place in the fridge to set.Optional decorations: sprinkles
Now make the chocolate lava cakes:
- Start by prepping the ramekins* by melting 10g of butter and using a pastry brush to coat the inside of the ramekins. Chill for 10 minutes then grease again with melted butter and generously coat the inside with cocoa powder. Tap out the excess and set aside.*It’s important to use similar sized ramekins for an accurate baking time. The ones I used were 3.5” wide and just over 2” deep.
- Chop up 80g of the dark chocolate and place in a glass bowl along with the butter. Melt in the microwave for 45-60 seconds. Stir until smooth and glossy, then set aside to cool.100 grams 70% Dark Chocolate, 50 grams Salted butter
- In a separate bowl, whisk the whole egg, egg yolk and sugar until thick, foamy and light in colour. Now pour in the melted chocolate mixture and fold to combine.1 medium Egg + 1 extra egg yolk, 100 grams White caster sugar
- Sift in the flour and cocoa powder and fold until the mixture is combined.50 grams Plain flour, 10 grams Cocoa powder
- Fold in the chopped strawberries.50 grams Fresh strawberries
- Fill each ramekin halfway with the mixture. Place a square of dark chocolate (10g each) in the middle. Spoon the remaining mixture into each ramekin and smooth out the top. Place in the fridge to chill for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C (fan) / 200°C (conventional) with a baking tray inside.
- Place the ramekins on the hot baking tray and bake for 16-18 minutes until the top is set and the sponge is pulling away at the sides.
- Leave to cool in the ramekins for a couple of minutes, then run a knife around the edge and turn the cakes upside down onto a plate. The ramekins will be very hot, so use a teatowel or oven gloves.
- Serve immediately, topped with your chocolate-covered strawberries. Enjoy!
