The Secret to the Molten Centre
It's not undercooked batter — it's physics. The thick walls of the cake set in the oven while the centre, insulated from the heat, stays liquid. The timing is everything: 12 minutes at 200°C in well-buttered ramekins produces the perfect flow. One minute more and you'll have a brownie (still delicious, but not what we're after).
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 200°C. Generously butter four 150ml ramekins, then dust with cocoa powder, tapping out any excess. This creates the non-stick layer that allows the cake to release cleanly.
Melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water (or in a microwave in 30-second bursts). Stir until smooth. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, and sugar until pale and slightly thick, about 2 minutes.
Fold the melted chocolate into the egg mixture using a spatula. Add the flour and fold until just combined — don't overmix.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared ramekins. At this point you can cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
If baking from room temperature: 12 minutes. If baking from cold: 14 minutes. The edges should be set and the top just losing its shine. The centre will still wobble when you shake the ramekin — that's correct.
Remove from the oven. Run a knife around the edge of each ramekin, place a plate on top, and flip. Tap the bottom gently and lift the ramekin away.
Sprinkle with a pinch of flaky sea salt and serve immediately with a scoop of cold vanilla ice cream.
Make-Ahead Notes
The filled ramekins keep in the fridge for 24 hours. This makes them ideal for dinner parties — prepare everything in advance and just slide them into the oven when you sit down for your main course.
On chocolate: Use the best dark chocolate you can find. The flavour is the whole point here, and cheap chocolate produces a flat, overly sweet result. I favour 70% for a balance of bitterness and sweetness, but 65–75% all work well.