Lava cake is definitely not new, but I’ve seen this dessert become especially popular across the Balkans in recent years. I even saw a pre-packaged version being sold in the Balkan aisle of my grocery store. There’s no need for a pre-packaged version of this cake, it’s so easy to make and I even make mine a day or 2 ahead. Yes, that’s right, I make these in advance and then just pop them in the oven right before serving. These make the easiest but impressive dessert when you’re short on time but want something decadent and delicious. I know you’ll love this Lava Kolač!

This is a recipe I’ve had many years, but you’ll notice I have adapted it into a sort of Balkanized version with the addition of a few ingrediants. While the recipe I initially was given was ok, adding a few more delicious Balkan ingredients truly take it to the next level. In my huble opinon of course.

As I mentioned earlier, this is a wonderful make-ahead dessert. All you have to do is pour your cake batter into ramekins or oven-safe glass containers you’ll be baking them in. Then, cover and place in the fridge until ready to bake. If baking directly from the refrigerator, you’ll need to bake them for an additional 3 minutes. The times I provide below work with my oven, but as we all know, everyone’s oven is different. Test the very first one with your oven so you’ll know how long to bake yours going forward.

Because I have chocolate chips readily available in the USA, I like to use semi-sweet chips because they’re so easy and readily available. However, if you don’t have access to chocolate chips, use chocolate bars instead. When I use chocolate bars I like to use half milk chocolate and half dark chocolate to achieve that “semi-sweet” flavor and amount of sweetness.

I hope you give this a try very soon! It’s the perfect dessert to enjoy after a nice summer BBQ.

For more dessert ideas, don’t forget to check out the Dessert section!

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Lava Kolač/Lava Cake

Recipe by The Balkan HostessCourse: Dessert

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

A decadent, easy, make-ahead dessert that’s the perfect ending to a delicious meal.

Ingredients

1/2 stick (56 g) butter
1 cup (180 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips OR chopped chocolate (1/2 milk 1/2 dark)
2 large eggs + 2 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon (2 g) ground Turkish coffee, optional
1 tablespoon vanilla sugar (1 kesica)
1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract
1/4 cup (30 g) all purpose flour
Also
Baking spray or melted butter for greasing ramekins
Powdered sugar
Berries/fruit, optional

Directions

In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the butter and the chocolate together until completely melted. Heat for 30 seconds at a time, stir, and repeat until melted.
Once melted, whisk in the eggs, egg yolks, vanilla sugar, vanilla extract, and coffee. Whisk well to incorporate all of the ingrediants. Set aside.
Spray your ramekins with baking spray or use melted butter to brush each ramekin generouly. Then fill each ramekin 2/3 of the way, shaking slightly to even out/flatten the surface.
If baking right away, preheat your oven to 350 F/175 C, place ramekins on a baking sheet and bake uncovered for 10 minutes.

If baking later, cover each ramekin with either a lid or plastic wrap and refridgerate.
Later, when ready to serve, remove the ramekins from the refridgerator, preheat oven, and bake for 13 minutes. No need to wait for them to come to room temperature!
Remove the ramekins from the oven. The outer edges should look firm and baked, and the middle should jiggle and look underbaked. Place your plate on top of the ramekin and then using a dish towel carefully flip the ramekin and plate over, being careful not to burn yourself. The cake should release easily.
Dust the cake with powdered sugar, garnish with fruit if you’d like, and serve hot.