Want a rich, molten-center chocolate lava cake without a long ingredient list or fancy kit? This budget recipe makes four individual chocolate lava cakes for about £2.22 total, which works out at roughly 55p each.
It’s also ideal if you don’t want to switch the oven on. These cakes cook by steaming, so you get that classic contrast, set edges with a soft, gooey middle, using a hob and a lidded pan. Expect about 10 minutes of hands-on time, 15 to 17 minutes steaming, then a short cooling wait so they turn out cleanly.
Photo by Gustavo Peres
What you need to make 4 budget-friendly chocolate lava cakes
This recipe keeps it simple. You’re using real chocolate and butter for flavor, eggs for lift, and just enough flour to stop the cakes collapsing while still staying soft in the center.
Ingredients (makes 4)
- 75 g dark chocolate
- 75 g butter
- 75 g sugar
- 35 g plain flour
- 3 eggs
Dark chocolate gives you the bold taste that makes lava cake feel special, even when it’s made on the cheap. Butter makes the texture rich and smooth. Eggs and sugar, whisked well, trap air and help the cakes rise slightly as they steam. Flour is the “scaffolding”, just enough to hold the outside together.
Equipment you’ll use
You don’t need ramekins if you don’t have them. Small pudding basins work perfectly.
- 4 small pudding basins or ramekins
- Greaseproof paper, tin foil, string, scissors
- Lard or butter for greasing
- Mixing bowl, whisk, spatula
- Saucepan with a lid (wide enough for the basins)
- A trivet, upturned saucer, or heatproof plate (to lift basins off direct heat)
- Kettle or pan to keep boiling water ready
Cost check: how it works out to about 55p each
The rough breakdown that makes this recipe so appealing is:
| Item | Amount | Approx cost |
|---|---|---|
| Dark chocolate | 75 g | £0.18 |
| Butter | 75 g | £0.58 |
| Sugar | 75 g | £0.12 |
| Plain flour | 35 g | £0.02 |
| Eggs | 3 | £0.42 |
| Total | £2.22 |
£2.22 ÷ 4 cakes = £0.555, so about 55p each.
Your shop and brand will change the total, but you can usually keep it low with store-brand chocolate, value butter blocks (or baking spread), and eggs bought in larger packs. If you want a more classic baked version for comparison, see BBC Good Food’s molten cakes method and note how steaming avoids preheating the oven.
Prep the molds so the cakes release cleanly
If lava cake has a common failure, it’s sticking. Steamed puddings love to cling, so give yourself an easy win by prepping the basins well.
Start by cutting small circles of greaseproof paper for the bottoms. Grease each basin generously (base and sides), press the paper circle into the bottom, then lightly grease the paper too. That double layer of grease is the difference between “slides out nicely” and “why is it welded to the dish?”
When you fill the basins, leave a little headspace at the top. The batter will puff slightly as it steams, and you don’t want it pushing into the lid cover.
To cover each basin for steaming, place a greaseproof circle over the top of the batter, then add a larger piece of foil over that. Press the foil down around the rim, then tie it tightly with string so steam stays out and water doesn’t drip in. It doesn’t need to look pretty, it just needs to seal.
Quick pattern for cutting perfect paper circles
You can get tidy circles without measuring anything. Fold a square of greaseproof paper in half, then in half again (so it’s in quarters). Trim the outer edge into a rough curve, like you’re making a paper snowflake. Open it up and you’ll have a circle that’s “good enough”, which is exactly the goal here. As long as it sits flat, it’ll do the job.
Step-by-step: mix, fill, and steam for a molten center
This is where lava cake feels like a magic trick. You mix a batter that looks like chocolate cake, then steam it just long enough for the outside to set while the inside stays soft.
- Melt chocolate and butter: Put the 75 g chocolate and 75 g butter in a heatproof bowl over a pan of simmering or gently boiling water. Stir until it’s glossy and smooth, then take it off the heat to cool slightly. (This is basically a homemade bain-marie. If you want another approach to the molten center idea, Baking Envy’s lava cake guide is a useful reference.)
- Whisk eggs and sugar: Crack in 3 eggs, add 75 g sugar, then whisk for 5 to 7 minutes until paler, thicker, and noticeably more airy. You’re aiming for a mixture that’s roughly doubled in volume.
- Fold in chocolate and butter: Add the melted chocolate mixture a bit at a time, folding gently so you keep some of that air you just whisked in.
- Fold in flour slowly: Add 35 g plain flour in small additions, folding between each. This helps avoid lumps and keeps the batter light.
- Fill the basins: Divide the batter between the 4 prepared basins, level the tops, then add your greaseproof and foil covers and tie them.
Steaming setup (the no-oven part)
Put a trivet, upturned saucer, or heatproof plate in the bottom of a lidded saucepan. This stops the basins sitting directly on the hot metal, which can overcook the bottoms.
Place the basins on top, then add boiling water so it comes about halfway up the sides of the basins. Put the lid on and steam for 15 minutes, stretching to 17 minutes if your pan runs cool or your basins are slightly larger. Keep the water gently boiling the whole time.
When they’re done, lift them out carefully and let them sit for a short cooling period before unmolding. If you try to turn them out instantly, they’re more likely to break.
Two visual doneness tests so you do not overcook it
- The jiggle test: The edges should look set, but the center should still wobble slightly when you gently nudge the basin.
- The early check: Start thinking about doneness at 14 minutes. Hob strength, pan thickness, and basin size all change the timing. One extra minute can take you from molten to cake-like.
Serve it like a treat, plus easy fixes if it goes wrong
Lava cake doesn’t need much dressing up, but a small finish makes it feel like a restaurant dessert.
A dusting of icing sugar looks great and adds sweetness without extra cost. Berries give a sharp contrast to the rich chocolate. A small scoop of ice cream is the classic move, the hot-cold mix is hard to beat.
These are best eaten straight away. You can chill leftovers, but reheating tends to set the center more. If you do reheat, go gentle and stop as soon as it’s warm.
If something goes wrong, it’s usually one of these:
- Stuck to the basin: Next time, grease more generously and don’t skip the paper circle on the bottom.
- Dry middle: Steam for less time, and start checking at 14 minutes.
- Collapsed cake: Whisk the eggs and sugar longer, and fold more gently once the chocolate goes in.
- Lumpy batter: Add the flour in smaller pinches and fold until smooth before adding more.
Simple variations that still keep it cheap
If you want a twist without turning it into an expensive project, keep it subtle. A pinch of salt makes the chocolate taste deeper. A tiny sprinkle of instant coffee granules boosts the cocoa notes without making it taste like coffee. A little orange zest adds a fresh top note. You can also press a small square of chocolate into the center of each basin before steaming for extra melt.
Conclusion
Four gooey chocolate lava cakes for about 55p each is the kind of win that makes you feel like you’ve beaten the system. You only need five basic ingredients, a pan of boiling water, and a bit of patience with the steaming time. Try it once, note your perfect timing, and you’ll have a reliable budget recipe for cozy nights and last-minute guests. When you make them, share your timing and topping ideas, it’s fun seeing how everyone serves theirs.
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