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Have you tried the Carnival Cruise Line Warm Chocolate Melting Cake? Now you don’t have to hit the high seas to indulge in this decadent chocolate melting cake at home.
Featured with this recipe
- Ingredients in Carnival Chocolate Melting Cake
- How We Got Carnival Cruise Line’s Recipe
- Reader Reviews of this Recipe
- Baking Tips for Chocolate Melting Cake
- Frequently Asked Questions about Carnival Chocolate Melting Cake
- More Decadent Chocolate Cake Recipes
- Get Away Today
- How To Make Carnival Chocolate Melting Cake
- Carnival Cruise Line Warm Chocolate Melting Cake Recipe
Carnival’s famous melting chocolate cake is the most popular dessert on a Carnival Cruise. The rich, chocolate cake has a warm, pudding-like chocolate center that is to die for! If you don’t believe us, see all the rave reviews from our readers in the comments below.
On a cruise, this decadent dessert is served in individual greased ramekins that are the perfect size for one serving. This chocolate cake recipe tastes just like the original recipe (because it IS the original recipe!) but you can make it in the comfort of your own home. Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, a dusting of powdered sugar or whipped topping.
Ingredients in Carnival Chocolate Melting Cake
This is one of the easiest chocolate desserts to make, and yet it looks and tastes super fancy! It resembles a lava cake, with delicious melted chocolate, a fudgy chocolate mixture in the center. Here’s what you need:
- Dark chocolate chips – use any chocolate chips you like, but I find the dark or semi-sweet chocolate really enhances the luxurious flavor.
- Butter – melted butter, about cube and a half.
- Eggs -four large or five medium eggs. Make sure the egg mix is at room temperature before adding the next ingredients.
- Sugar – about ¾ cup white, granulated sugar
- Vanilla extract – not a lot: just ⅛ teaspoon
- Flour – a quarter cup
- Optional toppings: ice cream, whipped cream, powdered sugar, strawberries, caramel sauce, raspberries, other fresh berries, nuts.
How We Got Carnival Cruise Line’s Recipe
Our sister, Elise, just got back from a cruise to the Caribbean with her family. As soon as she stepped on land she called me and said, “We need to figure out the recipe for the Melting Cake they served on the ship. It was to die for!” Literally, moments later I was on the phone with GET AWAY TODAY telling them about my sister’s cruise and they said “We have the recipe for that cake! A couple of our cruise specialists got the recipe from their last cruise!” I am not even kidding, that same day I went and got the ingredients to make it. Let me tell you – it was fabulous! We are sharing this ACTUAL recipe with you! You can enjoy this delicious cake anytime!
Reader Reviews of this Recipe
“Holy cannoli, this is delicious. I’m hesitant to admit that I’ve made it three times this week… but you all deserve to know. I didn’t have ramekins so I put the batter in muffin tins and reduced the time to 10 minutes. I thought it’d make for better portion sizes but my husband and I ended up eating three at a time anyways. Thank you for this life changing recipe, but darn you for making me come face to face with my lack of self control. Five stars for sure.”
BEKAH
“Chocolate lovers! Hear me and make this recipe. You will not be sorry.”
JAYNE
“It is the best thing I ever had ever! It is so good I had it every night on my cruise recently. I highly recommend it! Sinfully delicious! Yum!”
CHARLENE
Baking Tips for Chocolate Melting Cake
- Do not overbake! It is supposed to be spongy and cake-y on top but gooey and melty in the middle.
- After 14 minutes, be sure to keep checking it. You don’t want it to be cake-y all the way through, nor do you want it to be too runny.
- Use your good judgement for doneness because oven temps and elevations are different for everyone. If you are worried about it, keep doing the “toothpick test” every minute or so.
- If you put the toothpick all the way down to the bottom and the bottom half of the toothpick DOESN’T come out clean, you did it right.
Frequently Asked Questions about Carnival Chocolate Melting Cake
Yes! You can substitute gluten free all-purpose flour in this recipe. The rule of thumb I use is substitute the flour 1:1 and add one teaspoon of xanthan gum.
We wouldn’t recommend it. They are much better when they are warm out of the oven.
Lava cake is a thick fudgy batter spooned into ramekins and baked so the center still remains liquidy. Molten cake is made with a more traditional batter that is poured into a greased pan and baked until the center is just barely set.
READ NEXT: 33+ Dessert Ideas
More Decadent Chocolate Cake Recipes
Get Away Today
As I mentioned earlier, I was on the phone with GET AWAY TODAY trying to book a last-minute vacation for my family and they told me this month (October) is National Cruise Month! That is why Get Away Today was so gracious to share this Carnival Cruise recipe with us. If you are looking for a fun place to go on vacation or if you are even just thinking about going on vacation, click HERE to see the deals that they can get you!
By the way, can I just say I LOVED working with them on booking our vacation for next month? They definitely make you feel like a VIP no matter what your budget is! You can call them personally and they will answer any and all of your questions and give you EXPERT advice. They will help you find the perfect vacation for you and your budget. It makes me feel more special saying that I have a “travel agent” rather than saying “I found a deal online”. They can find better deals than what you can find on other travel sites and you can actually talk to a real person to structure your vacation. Call them. Tell them Favorite Family Recipes sent ya! And tell them how much you love this chocolate cake!
We also use GET AWAY TODAY for booking Disney Vacations…
and trips to Universal Studios!
How To Make Carnival Chocolate Melting Cake
Carnival Cruise Line Warm Chocolate Melting Cake
Video
Equipment
- Whisk
- 7 ounce Ramekins
- Sauce pan
Ingredients
- ¾ cup dark chocolate chips
- ¾ cup butter
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- ¾ cup sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup flour
- powdered sugar, for dusting
- ice cream, for serving
- whipping cream, for serving
Instructions
- Heat oven to 375 degrees F. Melt chocolate chips and butter in a small saucepan. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
- In a separate bowl, whisk eggs and sugar together.
- Add vanilla and flour. Whisk until flour is well mixed in.
- Once the chocolate has cooled, combine it with the egg mixture.
- Fill 4 (7-ounce) ramekins about three-fourths full with chocolate batter. Bake for 14 minutes.
- Check to make sure the edges of the ramekin are cooked and the top of the cakes appear to be cooked as well.
- Once cooled, sprinkle the cakes lightly with powdered sugar.
- Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
Notes
- You’ll need 4 (7-ounce) ramekins to make these, not a regular cake pan.
- Watch these babies closely. Do not overbake! The cake is supposed to be spongy and cakey on top but gooey and melty in the middle, the consistency of pudding, not too runny. If you put the toothpick all the way down to the bottom and the bottom half of the toothpick doesn’t come out clean, you did it right.
Chocolate lover’s! Hear me and make this recipe. You will not be sorry.
It’s been a while since I made a melting cake but I am sooo ready to use this recipe this weekend!
So delicious! Thanks for the recipe
It is the best thing I ever had ever! It is so good I had it every night on my cruise recently. I highly recommend it! Sinfully delicious! Yum🤩🤩🤩
Haha, people book cruises just for this cake!
I liked it, but a bit too eggy for me. Is there a way I can reduce the egg flavour?
I don’t know if you would get the same result if you used an egg substitute. If you search “eggless lava cake” online, you can find vegan recipes for a similar melting cake without eggs.
I finally went on a carnival cruise and ordered the carnival melting chocolate cake and feel in love with them never tasted something so good going to try to make them here hit you know the saying never going to taste like someone else does I hope so cause it going to he a while before I can save enough money to go again on another cruise thanks for posting the recipe.
Let us know what you think of them! We think they taste the same. Just close your eyes and pretend you are in the Caribbean 🙂
I was working in a Carnival cruiseline for almost 10 yrs. I got married and i decided to stop to be with my child. I love to bake and i’ved been trying to find the recipe of this melting cake which i saved in my hard drive but couldn’t found. I am so happy when i saw this recipe. Im so excited to try. Thank you for posting this recipe
I am so excited to hear how you think it compares! Please come back and let us know!
Hi!!! I would love to know if it tasted the same as on the ship when you made it at home!?!? I’ve made some other carnival melting cakes that tasted great-but did not resemble carnivals melting cake! Please tell me 😍😍😍
It tasted BETTER than it did on the ship! I live in TN. I have an electric stove. I also couldn’t find 7oz ramekins so I used 9oz, and this recipe filled four nearly perfect. I sent my husband and son to the store for chocolate chips, they bought Nestle Toll house dark chocolate. I made certain the eggs were room temperature and followed the directions EXACTLY. 15 minutes later we had a perfect version to share with the kids (who didn’t get to go on the cruise). My husband says they were better❤️
Can you use almond flour instead of regular flour, and instead of sugar Swerve??
I am not familiar with Swerve. Are you looking for GF substitutions?
Low carb diet, but I am going to try the recipe with the flour, just use Swerve instead of the sugar.
I have never had these. Just wondered – are these served right out of the oven, or should you wait until they have cooled off to serve? Thank you!
My son had this for dessert every night when we were on our cruise. I just loved it as well. So glad you posted the recipe, now I can try to make it at home.
Let us know what you think! Oh man, we LOVE this stuff!
Just made this with my daughter and it is delicious. Being English we served it with custard, delicious!!! Thank you for sharing, Mazza and Anni-Mae.
Thank you! I’m so glad you liked it!
We just got back from a cruise on the ship “Carnival Freedom” and my husband took a tour of the ship and asked for the recipe which they gave him in the Galley and the one I have has no mention of vanilla. This cake has the flavor of Coa Coa gravy that my mother in-law used to make and everyone loved it! I will use the recipe I have and see how it turns out. Thanks for sharing I think everyone needs some of this in their life! 🙂
Give it a try and let us know how you think it compares! How fun you just got back from a cruise!!!
We too have been on Carnival many times and absolutely love this dessert. What type of butter are you using, real, margarine, no salt, sweet? Thank you so much for posting the recipe.
Real butter. I like to used the salted sweet cream butter. Hope this helps!
I used Scharffen Berger 62% petite baking squares, semisweet and these were awesome, but they took almost twice the time to bake. I went the 14 min then about 9 more till they were perfect.
I tried this yesterday but a different recipe and it got over cooked. I live in Colorado so there is high altitude. What do you suggest for temp wise? Also my ramekins are four ounce.. And do we have to put the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture that’s in the pan? Can I actually put the chocolate mixture in the egg mixture? And mix it until it’s evenly spread right? I’m so not a baker but I’ve been craving carnival cruise molten lava cake for two years… Please and thank you!!
If you are at a high altitude you might actually have to cook it LONGER… I would keep the temp the same unless your oven typically bakes hot. If your ramekins are smaller you will need to reduce the time. Yes, you can put the chocolate in the egg mixture. 🙂 Hope all this helps!
My ramekins are only 4 ounces. Should I adjust the recipe and/or the cooking time???
If it were me, I would probably decrease the time a little bit (probably not too much). Just keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn’t get over-done.
Do you not bake these in a water bath?
Nope. Just straight in the oven 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!! I went on a New Year’s Carnival cruise for my honeymoon, last year, and our waiter knew to bring this every night…I have, literally, never tasted anything better!! I can’t wait to try it! 🙂
I’m excited for you to try it. I think you’ll love it!
What brand of dark chocolate chips do you use???
I love Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips. 🙂
Can I make one big one? Short on ramekins at the moment and really want to make this!
Try this recipe instead: https://www.favfamilyrecipes.com/slow-cooker-molten-chocolate-and-caramel-cake/
It is a similar cake, but made in a slow cooker. You can leave the rolo candies out and it’s just as good!
Just curious when to add the vanilla? I made this and it turned out delicious but then I realized I had pulled the vanilla out and then never added it because I missed it in the instructions. I’m assuming you add it to the eggs and sugar but I wanted to double check for next time. Great recipe, thank you for sharing!
Yes, you will want to add it with the eggs and sugar
I, too had these on my recent cruise on the Triumph. I found the recipe on Pinterest but it is exactly like this one. I baked them at 375 for 17 minutes. While they looked gooey in the middle they weren’t.
I found another recipe that claims to be authentic but it states to bake at 390 (What? I don’t have that temp on my oven) and the amounts of ingredients are way different. I think I’ll bake at 350 for 15 minutes.
Neither of the recipes tells you how much to fill the Ramekins. I have 8 oz. cups. Should I fill 1/2 or 3/4?
I’ll change my rating if I can get it to turn out right.
You want them to be about 2/3 full– check them often after 14 minutes using the toothpick test.. You do NOT want the toothpick coming out clean. You want about half of portion of the toothpick that was stuck in to be gooey