Carnival Cruise Line Lava Cake (2024)

A favorite dessert of hungry cruise-goers this Carnival Cruise Line Lava Cake is practically heavenly as you break through the fluffy layer of cake to reach the rich melted chocolate center.

Jump to Recipe

Table of Contents

Carnival Cruise Line Lava Cake Ingredients
Substitutions And Additions
How To Make This Carnival Cruise Line Lava Cake Recipe
How To Serve
Storing This Molten Lava Cake
Frequently Asked Questions
More Dessert Recipes You’ll Love
JUMP TO RECIPE

If you’ve ever been on a Carnival cruise, then you’ve likely indulged in the deliciousness of their Carnival Cruise Line lava cake. This decadent dessert is served warm in a mini-ramekin, and while the outside looks like a typical chocolate cake, the inside is filled with warm, gooey, melting chocolate.

Carnival Cruise Line Lava Cake Ingredients

Indulging in a chocolate lava cake is an experience that is sure to satisfy any sweet tooth craving.

The outer layer of the cake is a delicate chocolate shell, and as you dig deeper, the warm, gooey chocolate lava center oozes out, leaving an explosion of flavor.

You’ll need:

6 ounces of dark chocolate
6 ounces (¾ cup) of butter
4 eggs
3 ounces (2¼ tablespoons) of sugar
2 ounces (½ cup) of flour

Substitutions And Additions

To make sure things turn out just right, you will want to keep the ingredients for your molten cake the exact same as called for in the ingredients. However, you can have a little fun with toppings on your molten cake.

TOPPINGS: To keep it simple, sprinkle a bit of powdered sugar over your finished molten cake.

You could also add nuts, like pecans or peanuts, for a bit of crunch. To make it even more decadent, you could add caramel, Nutella, or chocolate sauce to the top.

My all-time favorite is to top off a molten cake with some fresh berries like strawberries or raspberries.

How To Make This Carnival Cruise Line Lava Cake Recipe

Follow our instructions below exactly to ensure your lava cake has the perfect texture and gooey center.

STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 390°F.

STEP TWO: Melt the chocolate and butter together in the microwave or on the stovetop.

STEP THREE: Mix eggs and sugar together, whisking them for a few minutes, then add in the flour.

STEP FOUR: Add the egg mix to the melted chocolate mix and combine them.

STEP FIVE: Pour the mix into a greased mold.

OUR RECIPE DEVELOPER SAYS

If you don’t have ramekins, you can use muffin tins to make the individual lava cakes.

Use mini-ramekins to make them individual-sized servings, just like they do on the cruise.

STEP SIX: Bake directly in the oven at 390°F for 14 minutes.

PRO TIP:

If you’re baking them in individual ramekins, you can line them up on a baking sheet, placing them in rows a couple of inches apart to bake them all together.

We found that putting a little water on the bottom of the sheet helped to keep the cake moist and the center melted. If adding the water, the baking time should be extended to 18 minutes.

How To Serve

Top this amazing melting chocolate cake with one of the above toppings and add a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. This dessert is perfect for a dinner party or a cozy staycation!

Add a refreshing iced tea, raspberry iced tea, sweet peach iced tea, or our southern strawberry sweet tea on the side to wash it down.

If chocolate is where your sweet tooth leads you, you have got to try our other mouthwatering chocolate desserts, including chocolate pudding pie and chocolate peanut butter lasagna.

If you love this lava cake and the fresh taste of lemon, check out our lemon lava cake.

Storing This Molten Lava Cake

Here’s how you can store lava cakes to enjoy later.

IN THE FRIDGE: You can keep your molten cake in the fridge for up to 3 days. When storing molten cake, it is best if you can store them as batter, uncooked.

This will make for fresh-baked molten cakes. When you’re ready to bake them, simply pop them in the oven and bake as directed above.

REHEATING: If storing molten cakes that you have already baked, you can reheat them in the microwave.

Be sure to only heat them enough to make them warm, you do not want them to cook more. Be aware that the end result will not be quite the same as if baked fresh.

IN THE FREEZER: I don’t recommend freezing your molten cakes, they are best served fresh out of the oven to enjoy the gooey chocolate.

However, if you have extra and would like to freeze them you can do so.

To freeze, bake the molten cakes as directed. When finished, let them cool completely and remove the cakes from the ramekins.

Next, wrap the cakes individually in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer Ziploc bag. They will keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.

REHEATING AFTER FREEZING: When reheating, be sure to let the lava cake thaw completely in the fridge, usually overnight. Then place in the microwave just long enough to heat.

A decadent luxury typically reserved only for those at sea, we’ve got the real deal recipe to make this iconic dessert right at home. Enjoy a rich chocolate treat with a creamy melt-in-your-mouth chocolate interior. Think of it as a mini-vacation as you dive into the creamy center of this Carnival Cruise Line lava cake.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does lava cake have to be served warm?

Lava cake is best served warm so that you can enjoy the melting, oozing lava center of the cake.

What can I use instead of ramekins for lava cakes?

If you don’t have ramekins, you can use a muffin pan. Grease the cups and dust them with cocoa powder to prevent the cakes from sticking. Since the lava cakes will be slightly smaller, you will get six rather than four.

Can I freeze lava cakes?

We don’t recommend freezing lava cakes as they are best served fresh, but if you do have extras, you can freeze, well wrapped, for 2 to 3 months.

More Dessert Recipes You’ll Love

Chocolate Trifle
Chocolate Lava Cake
Homemade Whipped Cream
S’mores Bars
Vanilla Crazy Cake
Nutella Brownies
Chocolate Peanut Butter Crazy Cake
Crazy Cake
Banana Split Cake
Campfire Dessert Pizza
Nutella Mug Cake
Banana Upside Down Cake
Lunch Box Cake
Salted Caramel Sauce
Caramel Sauce
Mini Funnel Cakes
Nutella Cupcakes

Get Recipes on Pinterest

Carnival Cruise Line Lava Cake

5 from 4 votes

A favorite dessert of hungry cruise-goers this Carnival Cruise Line Lava Cake is practically heavenly as you break through the fluffy layer of cake to reach the rich melted chocolate center.

Prep Time 6 minutes minutes

Cook Time 14 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

PrintRecipeReviewRecipe

Ingredients

6 ounces dark chocolate
6 ounces butter
4 eggs
3 ounces sugar
2 ounces flour

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 390°F.
Melt the chocolate and butter together in the microwave or on the stove top.
Mix eggs and sugar together, whisking them for a few minutes, then add in the flour.
Add the egg mix to the melted chocolate mix and combine them.
Pour the mix in a greased mold (mini ramekins).
Place mini ramekins on a baking sheet with a little bit of water. Bake directly in the oven at 390°F for 14 minutes (18 if baking with the water bath).

Video

Notes

For a more cake-like center, bake without water on the baking sheet.
If you don’t have ramekins, you can use muffin tins to make the individual lava cakes.
Use mini-ramekins to make them individual-sized servings, just like they do on the cruise.
If you’re baking them in individual ramekins, you can line them up on a baking sheet, placing them in rows a couple of inches apart to bake them all together. We found that putting a little water on the bottom of the sheet helped to keep the cake moist and the center melted. If adding the water, the baking time should be extended to 18 minutes.

Nutrition

Have You Tried This Recipe?Follow me on Pinterest @spaceshipslb

Get Recipes on Facebook

This recipe was developed, tested, cooked and photographed by the Spaceships Kitchen. From our dinner table to yours, we hope you think it's out of this world!