Air fryer lave cakes are my favorite. I just love to taste their creamy molten chocolate. And the air fryer does wonders to make them. They are incredibly delicious when prepared correctly. And today I will tell you how I make these with creamy and sweet lava center.
This outstanding dessert treat requires only a few ingredients. It is a perfect air fryer dessert recipe because it’s easy and quick to prepare and gets ready within 15 minutes. The cake batter is light and fluffy, with a deep flavor of chocolate goodness in every bite.
The air fryer’s ability to produce even heat and a crispy exterior results in a lava cake with a warm, gooey center and a tender, slightly crisp outer layer.
You’ll adore this simple dessert dish since it’s easy to make and will amaze your loved ones. Serve on dessert plates in front of a roaring fire after a romantic supper.
How to Make Molten Lava Cake in Air Fryer?
Ingredients
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup of chocolate chips
2 Eggs
1 tsp of powdered sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon of salt
1 tablespoon of cocoa powder
Step-By-Step Cooking Guide
Step-1: Take two small or medium size ramekins and coat them with butter. You can coat the butter with an oil brush.
Step-2: Sprinkle cocoa powder on the butter-coated ramekins. Make sure to sprinkle cocoa powder on the bottom and sides of the ramekins.
Step-3: Now it’s time to prepare the chocolate batter. To prepare the batter, add chocolate chips, butter, and sugar in a glass bowl.
Step-4: You can either microwave the mixture so the butter and chocolate chips can melt and mix with each other or you can melt them by placing the glass bowl in a pot filled with hot water on the stovetop.
Step-5: Whisk two eggs in a bowl, add to the chocolate batter, and mix well.
Step-6: Add all-purpose flour to the chocolate batter mixture and mix well until flour is completely incorporated.
Preheat the air fryer to 380 F for 2 minutes.
Transfer the mixture to two ramekins and put them in the air fryer. Set the temperature to 360 F and bake for 7 minutes.
Once done, take the ramekins out and let them sit for 3-4 minutes.
Then use a knife to securely separate the cake from the ramekin. Then invert the ramekin to a plate and there you go, sweet and delicious lava cake is ready.
Other Air Fryer Desserts
Air Fryer Berry Fruit Puff Pastries
Air Fryer Oreo Stuffed Beignets
Tips & Notes
Use tongs, gloves, or dish towel to pick ramekins once they are done as they are immensely hot after you take them out from the air fryer.
Keep in mind to coat or grease the ramekins with butter as it will help to separate the cake from the ramekins when it’s cooked.
Avoid using an electric beater or electric mixer since doing so will deflate the dough and prevent the molten lava cakes from puffing up.
Substitutions and Variations
Chocolate – You can also use a semi-sweet chocolate bar instead of chocolate chips. Simply cut the chocolate into small pieces so it can melt easily.
Sugar – Powdered sugar is the only best option for molten lava cakes. It gets mixed nicely and infuses into the cake batter. So, avoid using granulated sugar.
Flour – You can replace all-purpose flour with self-rising flour. Don’t use baking powder in case you opt to use self-rising flour.
What Air Fryer To Use
You can use any air fryer to make molten lava cake in the air fryer. But for this recipe, I have used a Philips air fryer. It really does the job and the result you can see in the images I have added for this recipe.
Other best alternatives that I prefer are Cosori max xl air fryer and
Both these are also equally effective and their performance and popularity are phenomenal.
Topping ideas for lava cake
Vanilla ice cream or Whipped Cream: A dollop of freshly whipped cream is a classic choice.
While the contrast of warm cake with a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream is heavenly. You can experiment with each of them but I like vanilla ice cream a more perfect match.
Berries: Fresh berries, such as raspberries, strawberries, or blueberries, provide a tart and fruity contrast to the lava chocolate cake.
Caramel Sauce: Drizzling warm caramel sauce over the cake is another delicious option for a sweet and buttery touch.
Crushed Nuts: Chopped nuts like almonds, pecans, or hazelnuts add a delightful crunch and nutty flavor. Toasting the nuts beforehand can enhance their flavor.
What is the ideal cooking time and temperature for making lava cakes in an air fryer?
7-10 minutes works best for lava cakes in the air fryer. For this recipe, I have preheated my Philips air fryer to 380 F for 2 minutes followed by 7 minutes of cooking time at 360 F. However different air fryers heat up differently, there can be slight variations in precise cooking time. That’s why I have used a more modest cooking time of 7-10 minutes at 360 F.
Also, if you want to make the molten lava thicker, you can increase the cooking time by 1-2 minutes.
Can I use silicone or metal ramekins for air fryer lava cakes, and which is better?
Ideally, it’s better to use oven-safe ramekins. But you can use silicone ramekins as well. In my experience, ceramic ramekins are best for baking lava cakes.
Avoid using glass bowls directly in the air fryer as they heat up quickly and sweet recipes with sugar content will start to burn more quickly.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
- 2 Eggs
- 1 tsp powdered sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
Instructions
- Prepare two small or medium-sized ramekins by coating them with butter and dusting them with cocoa powder.
- Combine chocolate chips, butter, and sugar in a glass bowl. This mixture can be melted in the microwave or by putting the bowl in a pot of boiling water on the stovetop.
- Whisk two eggs and add them to the chocolate mixture, stirring well.
- Incorporate all-purpose flour into the batter until it's thoroughly mixed.
- Preheat the air fryer to 380°F (193°C) for 2 minutes.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared ramekins and place them in the air fryer.
- Set the air fryer temperature to 360°F (182°C) and bake the cakes for 7 minutes.
- After baking, let the cakes rest for 3-4 minutes.
- Use a knife to gently separate the cake from the ramekin, then invert the ramekin onto a plate.