Desserts · The home kitchen
Dubai Style Lava Cake
This Dubai Style Lava Cake adaptation highlights the menu’s warm chocolate and cool pistachio combination. A small frozen ganache center creates the flowing middle while the surrounding cake bakes until set. The method is helpful for home cooks because the chocolate center and the cake have separate jobs: one stays creamy and the other provides a tender shell. Pistachio ice cream and a few chopped nuts finish the plate without adding another complicated component. Prepare the ganache ahead, then bake the individual cakes when dessert is nearly ready to be served.
A home-style recipe inspired by our menu. Restaurant preparation, portions and ingredients may differ.
Make it at home
Dubai Style Lava Cake recipe
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Rest / chill
- 60 min
- Total
- 105 min
Ingredients
- 60 g dark chocolate for the centers
- 40 ml heavy cream
- 100 g dark chocolate for the cakes
- 70 g unsalted butter, plus 10 g for ramekins
- 60 g granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 35 g all-purpose flour
- 1/8 tsp fine salt
- 1 tsp cocoa powder for dusting ramekins
- 200 g pistachio ice cream
- 15 g chopped pistachios
Method
Heat the cream until steaming. Pour over 60 g chopped chocolate, wait 1 minute and stir smooth. Chill for 30 minutes, then spoon four equal mounds onto parchment and freeze for 30 minutes until firm enough to handle.
Heat the oven to 190°C / 375°F. Butter four 150 ml ovenproof ramekins with 10 g butter and dust with cocoa. Place on a baking tray.
Melt 100 g chocolate with 70 g butter gently over a pan of barely simmering water. Remove and cool for 5 minutes.
Whisk the eggs and sugar together for 2 minutes until slightly thickened. Fold in the melted chocolate, then the flour and salt just until combined.
Divide half the batter among the ramekins. Place one frozen ganache mound in each, keeping it away from the sides, and cover with the remaining batter.
Bake for 17–20 minutes, until the cake tops and edges are set. Check the cake portion near an edge with a skewer: it should have no wet batter. The separate ganache center will remain soft.
Rest 2 minutes, loosen the edges and carefully turn onto plates, or serve in the ramekins. Add 50 g pistachio ice cream and a sprinkle of pistachios to each.
Make it your own.
- This version uses a separate ganache center so the flowing chocolate does not depend on leaving cake batter raw.
- Ramekin size changes baking time; use four matching 150 ml dishes.
- Freeze the ganache fully before assembly so it stays centered during baking.