Red Velvet Lava Cake

This red velvet lava cake has a gooey chocolate center, buttery red velvet crumb, and easy make-ahead ganache—perfect for date night or holidays.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Chilling Ganache 3

Total Time 3 30

Servings individual cakes

Calories 582kcal

Author Kathleen

Heat the heavy cream (1/4 cup) just to a simmer.
Pour over the chopped chocolate (2 ounces) and let sit for 2–3 minutes.
Stir until smooth and glossy.
Transfer to a shallow dish and refrigerate 2–3 hours (or overnight) until firm.
Scoop into 4 portions, roll into balls, and freeze while you prepare the cake batter.
Freezing ensures the centers stay molten during baking.

Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
Generously butter four 8-ounce ramekins.
Dust each ramekin thoroughly with granulated sugar (this creates a light crunch and ensures perfect release).

In a bowl, whisk together the cake flour (1 cup), cocoa powder (1 tablespoon), baking soda (1/4 teaspoon), and salt (1/4 teaspoon).
In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter (1/2 cup), sugar (1/2 cup), buttermilk (1/3 cup), red food color (2 teaspoons), vanilla (1 teaspoon), vinegar (1/2 teaspoon), and egg (1) until smooth.
Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir just until combined — overmixing will toughen the crumb.

Spoon 2–3 tablespoons of batter into each ramekin (enough to fully cover the bottom).
Place a frozen ganache ball in the center of each ramekin.
Top with 2–3 more tablespoons of batter, ensuring the ganache is completely covered.

Bake 13–15 minutes, until the edges are set but the centers still look slightly soft and jiggle when gently shaken.
Let the cakes rest for 3 minutes.
Run a thin knife around the edges, invert onto plates, and lift off the ramekins.
Serve warm with powdered sugar, vanilla ice cream, or whipped cream.

Use good chocolate — it truly matters. A 60–70% bar melts beautifully and gives a rich, nuanced molten center. Milk chocolate will be sweeter and looser — still tasty, but less dramatic.
Sugar > flour for coating the ramekins. After extensive testing, butter + sugar gave clean release every single time and added that delicious crisp edge. Cooking spray or flour alone didn’t perform as well.
Trust the jiggle, not the clock. Every oven runs differently. Look for set edges and a slightly wobbly center. If the whole top is firm, the lava center is gone.
Color adjustments are normal. Different cocoa brands darken the batter more or less. You can add extra food color for a true, signature red.
Work quickly when assembling. Frozen ganache melts fast on warm batter. Have everything prepped before placing the ganache in the ramekins.