Individually portioned chocolate fudge cakes so rich, they put all other chocolate desserts to shame. This recipe for chocolate fudge cakes for 2 is a 30-minute small-batch recipe, and is perfect for when you don’t need to feed a crowd. I love serving them for Valentine’s Day.
This small-batch recipe yields 2 undeniably fudgy, melted-chocolate-in-the-middle cakes. One for you and one for your sweetheart or best friend/kid/sibling/parent/any chocolate lover in your life. (Or… 2 for you.)
One reader, Jean, commented: “I followed the recipe exactly as written and they came out perfectly! My husband and I love to go out to eat and we always order dessert. We both agreed these cakes were probably better than anything we have had at a restaurant! We have been married 40 years so that is a lot of desserts. ★★★★★”
You need 2 ramekins, the 6-ounce size like these, which is the size commonly used for most custards, chocolate lava cakes, chocolate soufflé, etc. While the centers are melted chocolate, the outer edges of the cakes taste like a combination of my chocolate cake and homemade brownies recipes. You with me? LET’S DO THIS.
Ingredients You Need & Why
- Semi-Sweet Chocolate: Because this is THE source of chocolate flavor (no cocoa powder here), make sure you use quality chocolate. Using cheap chocolate or chocolate chips will really affect the taste and texture. For all my recipes calling for pure chocolate, I chop up 4-ounce chocolate baking bars, sold in the baking aisle of the grocery store. I like Baker’s and Ghirardelli brands.
- Heavy Cream: Melt some of the chocolate with heavy cream to create the fudge-like base of the cakes. The combo of these 2 ingredients is how both chocolate ganache and chocolate truffles begin. So you can imagine what it does for these little cakes!
- Brown Sugar: Use a touch of brown sugar not only to sweeten the cakes, but also to provide a little extra flavor and richness.
- Vegetable Oil: Oil adds wonderful moisture to the cake crumb.
- Egg: You will not use an entire egg. Rather, you will crack an egg, beat it, and use 2 Tablespoons in this chocolate batter. When testing this recipe, I found using the entire egg made the cakes taste eggy and spongey, which is not what you’re going for here. Mix any leftover egg with more eggs to make some scrambled eggs for breakfast if you do not wish to waste it.
- Vanilla Extract: Flavor enhancer. If you have homemade vanilla extract, definitely use it here!
- Flour: All-purpose flour provides structure for these cakes.
- Baking Powder + Baking Soda: These leaveners lift the cakes up as they bake.
The chocolate flavor in these chocolate fudge cakes is deliciously intense. Don’t expect sickeningly sweet; you’re using semi-sweet chocolate and only 3 Tablespoons of added sugar for the entire 2-cake recipe. All you’ll taste is rich chocolate.
How to Make Just 2 Chocolate Fudge Cakes
Begin with the chocolate bar. Coarsely chop up half the bar (2 ounces), and set aside the remaining 2 ounces… that’s going to become the melty chocolate center of these fudge cakes.
Melt the chopped chocolate with the heavy cream. I usually just use the microwave, in 25-second increments, stirring in between, until the chocolate is melted and smooth.
Whisk in the brown sugar, and then the oil, egg, and vanilla. Then, fold in the dry ingredients: a mix of flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Pour evenly into your 2 ramekins. Press 1-ounce of the remaining chocolate into the center of each filled ramekin. Use a spoon to fully submerge the chocolate.
Bake cakes on a lined baking sheet (in case they overflow, which they probably won’t, but just to be on the safe side).
Optional Toppings
Serve immediately while the cakes are warm. They’re fabulous all on their own in all their warm fudgy chocolate glory, or topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, whipped cream, raspberry dessert sauce, strawberry sauce, or salted caramel.
This giant double chocolate cookie is another small-batch chocolate option for Valentine’s Day. If you want more inspiration, here are all of my favorite Valentine’s Day desserts.
Here’s all that melty chocolate inside! (For a more “lava” center, you’ll love these chocolate molten lava cakes or these peanut butter chocolate lava cakes.)
More Small Batch Recipes
Two Small Chocolate Cakes
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 cakes
- Category: Cake
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
An individually portioned chocolate fudge cake so rich, it puts all other chocolate desserts to shame. This small-batch recipe makes only 2 and is perfect when you don’t need to feed a crowd.
Ingredients
- 2 6-ounce oven-safe ramekins
- one 4-ounce bar (113g) semi-sweet chocolate*
- 1/4 cup (60ml) heavy cream*
- 3 Tablespoons (36g) packed light brown sugar
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) vegetable oil*
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) beaten egg (crack 1 egg, beat it, and use 2 Tbsp)
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 6 Tablespoons (46g) all-purpose flour (spooned & leveled)
- 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
Instructions
- Spray each ramekin lightly with nonstick spray. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C).
- Coarsely chop 2 ounces (57g) of semi-sweet chocolate. Set the other 2 ounces aside. Combine the chopped chocolate and heavy cream in a medium heatproof bowl. Microwave in 20-second increments, stirring after each increment until melted and smooth. Whisk in the brown sugar until no lumps remain. Whisk in the oil, 2 Tablespoons of beaten egg, and vanilla extract until combined. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and baking soda together. Pour the dry mixture into the wet ingredients and fold with a rubber spatula until all of the ingredients are combined and there are no lumps. Pour evenly into the ramekins; they should be just about 3/4 of the way full. Cut the remaining 2 ounces of chocolate in half. Drop each piece of chocolate into the centers of the filled ramekins and use a spoon to fully submerge the chocolate.
- Bake for 15–16 minutes, rotating the pan at the 8-minute mark. The centers will be slightly gooey, with melted chocolate inside. Serve warm.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: I do not suggest making these cakes ahead of time. They are so quick to make, just about 30 minutes from start to finish. If anything, prepare in full, then reheat in the oven before serving. They may not be as gooey.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Two 6-ounce ramekins (another option: 6-ounce oven-safe custard cups)
- Larger Batches: If you would like more than 2 cakes, this recipe may easily be doubled or tripled. If making 6 cakes (tripling the recipe), use 2 full eggs. If making 4 cakes (doubling the recipe), 1 full egg is not enough; you will need to beat 2 eggs and use 4 Tablespoons of egg.
- Chocolate: Quality chocolate is necessary. Chocolate is the main ingredient, so using chocolate chips (which include stabilizers) will affect the taste and texture. For all my recipes calling for baking chocolate, including this one, I use 4-ounce chocolate baking bars, found in the baking aisle. I like Baker’s and Ghirardelli brands.
- Heavy Cream: I strongly recommend using heavy cream for best taste and texture. Half-and-half or whole milk are fine in a pinch.
- Oil: Canola or melted coconut oil can be substituted for the vegetable oil.
- Bake Time: I’m unsure about the bake time for other size ramekins. 6-ounce ramekins are standard for many other recipes, so you’ll get a lot of use out of them, including custards, chocolate lava cakes, chocolate soufflé, lemon pudding cakes, and mousse.
- Adapted from Chewy Fudgy Brownies, Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting, and Cook’s Illustrated.
Keywords: fudge cakes for 2
Yum! Made them for Valentine’s Day dessert. I used 8 oz. ramekins and the whole egg, otherwise followed the recipe. They were perfect! I put a spoonful of ice cream on top. Could have shared one, as we’d had a big dinner. So I have leftovers, yay!
★★★★★