Creamy and Delicious Chocolate Lava Cake in The Air Fryer

This Tortino Dal Cuore Caldo is also known as a Warm Heart Cake or Molten Lava Chocolate Cake. It results in individual-sized chocolate cakes that have a soft and creamy center. These make a wonderful, decadent dessert for a dinner party as you can plate them elegantly on fine china with a dollop of whipped cream and a drizzle of raspberry coulis for a tart berry flavor.

While they look fancy, they are incredibly easy to make. To begin, you melt dark chocolate before mixing it with butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Then, the batter gets poured into molds, such as ramekins, before being cooked in an air fryer. The results are rich mini chocolate cakes with oozing chocolate centres.

What are Molten Lava Cakes?

Tortino dal cuore caldo, which means warm heart cake, are chocolate cakes that are baked in ramekins until they are set but the centers are still soft. These are essentially molten lava cakes, which are often sold in very nice restaurants.

This version of tortino dal cuore caldo is made with high-quality dark chocolate, which imparts a rich chocolate flavor to the dessert. A small amount of flour along with eggs, brown sugar, butter, salt, and vanilla ensures that the cake sets while still being gooey in the middle.

Pro Tips

• Buttering and sugaring the ramekins will ensure that the cakes will unmold from the ramekins easily.
• To melt the dark chocolate, you can either melt it in a bowl set over a pot of simmering water or in the microwave. To melt it in the microwave, place the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave it for 20 second intervals, stirring in between, until the chocolate is completely melted.
• This recipe only makes three portions but is easy to scale up if you plan to serve more people.
• If you find the cakes are sticking when you try to remove them from the ramekins, you can run a knife around the edges to try to loosen them.
• For a sweeter flavor, you can replace the dark chocolate with semi-sweet chocolate if preferred.

What to Serve with Molten Lava Cakes?

Torino dal cuore caldo can be served as they are with a dusting of powdered sugar or served with other garnishes like whipped cream, raspberry coulis, fresh berries, or custard sauce.

Can I Use Different Chocolate?

Yes, if you don’t love the taste of dark chocolate, you could replace it with semi-sweet chocolate for a rich chocolate flavor that has more sweetness.

What Temperature Should Molten Lava Cakes Be Served at?

The tortino dal cuore should be served while still warm. This way, you can enjoy the gooey centre whereas it will solidify if you allow the cakes to cool.

Can I Serve Molten Lava Cakes With Ice Cream?

Absolutely! Serving these cakes with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream will take them over the top. The ice cream is delicious as it melted into the gooey chocolate filling of the cakes.

Is It Safe to Use Ramekins in The Air Fryer?

Yes, you can use ramekins in an air fryer as long as they are oven-safe. Most ramekins made of ceramic, glass, or metal are designed to handle high heat, so they should work perfectly in the air fryer. Just ensure they fit in the air fryer basket without touching the sides or each other, allowing proper air circulation for even cooking.

How to Store Molten Lava Cakes

Since these tortino dal cuore caldo should be served warm, it isn’t ideal to store them to enjoy for later. Instead, just bake the number of cakes you think you will need to ensure that you and those you are serving them to can enjoy them at their best.

How to Make Molten Lava Cakes in The Air Fryer

Melt the dark chocolate.

Stir in the butter followed by the sugar, eggs, and vanilla.

Butter three ramekins and sprinkle them with sugar.

Place two ladles of the chocolate mixture into each ramekin.

Cook them in the air fryer at 180 C (356 F) for 9 minutes.

Unmold them and serve them dusted with icing sugar.