Classic Carnival’s Melting Chocolate Cake Recipe

February 12, 2025 Randy Young

One of the foods I look forward to on every Carnival cruise is their famous melting chocolate cake at dinner. If you haven’t had one, you’re missing out. It’s on the menu every night in the main dining room, so there are plenty of opportunities to try it.

The melting chocolate cake is a rich, souffle-like dessert topped with a sprinkling of powdered sugar and a side of vanilla ice cream. A lot of people call it a chocolate lava cake, but that’s not technically true. Most lava cakes stand on their own (without a dish), and the fudgy inside pours out as you cut into it. The melting chocolate cake is different; it’s served in a ramekin and the inside consistency is closer to a pudding than hot fudge sauce. Either way, it’s delicious.

Carnival’s Melting Chocolate Cake is also incredibly easy to make at home. It takes just five ingredients, and there are no advanced techniques here. It may take some practice, though; you want to get the timing just right to get the perfect gooey center. It’ll still be delicious if you overbake it, but the center won’t be that ideal texture. Don’t be too hard on yourself, though; there are inconsistencies between batches, even on the Carnival ship. One night it might be very fluid, and the next, very solid.

Tip: When you’re on the cruise, ask your waiter for a side of peanut butter with it. It’s amazing. You can also change up the ice cream. Sometimes I like it with strawberry ice cream for a little more fruity flavor.

Classic Recipe, Not the Cheaper One Currently Used

Have you been sailing Carnival for awhile and thought that the cake doesn’t taste the same? It’s not in your head. This is the classic recipe I received while while attending a “cooking demonstration” on the Carnival Pride in 2008. Since then, I’ve seen slightly different recipes floating around. Most recently, the recipe they’ve been handing out on ships uses milk chocolate and more sugar (most likely a cost cutting measure by Carnival). This recipe gives the classic melting chocolate cake taste I remember.

melting chocolate cake made at home — My Version of Carnival’s Melting Chocolate Cake. I didn’t have powdered sugar or ice cream on hand unfortunately.

Some Helpful Notes About This Recipe

Measurements

The portions of this recipe are in weight, not fluid ounces. When possible, use a baking scale to make these. If you don’t have a baking scale, I’ve put the approximate standard measurements to help. But seriously, a baking scale is an excellent tool in your kitchen. This OXO 5-lb Food Scale scale is the one I use, and I love it.

Sale

OXO Good Grips 5-lb Food Scale with Pull-Out Display,Black

5-pound-capacity Food Scale measures in 1/8-ounce and 1-gram increments

Eggs

For best results, use eggs that are room temperature.

Chocolate

Since chocolate is an integral part of this recipe, you’ll want a good quality, dark baking chocolate. Skip the chocolate chips or candy bars, and go for the good stuff. You can usually find these in the baking section at the grocery store, not the candy sections. I’ve used both of the bars below successfully. Depending on your taste, you can use a more bitter or sweeter version.

Sale

GHIRARDELLI Premium 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar, 4 Ounce (Pack of 12)

Twelve (12) 4 oz Ghirardelli Premium 60% Cacao Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bars
Ghirardelli baking bar contains high quality ingredients to create a smooth, rich bittersweet chocolate flavor with melt-in-your-mouth indulgence
Perfect in any chocolate recipe, including chocolate cakes, fudge and brownies

Baker’s Premium Bittersweet Chocolate Baking Bar (4 oz Bar)

One 4 oz. bar of Baker’s Premium Bittersweet Baking Chocolate
Bakers know Baker’s for premium quality
A dark chocolate that balances bitter and sweet for intense chocolate flavor
66% cacao bittersweet chocolate

Butter

Any standard stick of unsalted butter will work well here.

Sugar

For the recipe, you’ll use standard granulated sugar. For the best presentation, you’ll also want to have some powdered or confectioners’ sugar on hand to dust on top of the cakes right before serving.

Ramekins

You can bake these in almost any dish, but a good ceramic ramekin will help it cook properly from the outside and leave that perfect velvety center. Also, since you serve the cake in the baking container, ramekins adds to the presentation. These Bellemain 4oz Porcelain Ramekins are the ones I used.

4 oz Ramekins

PREMIUM GLAZED PORCELAIN | OVEN SAFE TO 500F: Our creme brulee ramekins move easily from oven to table without breaking a sweat. (Do not use porcelain bowls directly on the stovetop or open fire.)

Ice Cream

It’s not technically an ingredient, but I highly recommend serving ice cream on the side. It helps cut some of the bitterness from the dark chocolate. Of course, vanilla always works well, but I prefer a scoop of strawberry ice cream.

Try Making Carnival’s Melting Chocolate Cake for Yourself

Carnival’s Melting Chocolate Cake Recipe

Randy Young

Enjoy the famous Carnival Cruise dessert at home. It takes less than 15 minutes and comes out tasting just like the real thing.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 14

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

6 oz dark chocolate
6 oz unsalted butter 3/4 cup or 12 tablespoons
4 eggs
3 oz sugar roughly 1/3 a cup
2 oz flour a little less than 1/3 a cup

Instructions

Preheat oven to 390 degrees.
Melt the chocolate and the butter. You can either do this in a small saucepan or in the microwave. If using the microwave, reduce power to 50% and check every 30 or so seconds.
In a separate bowl, mix eggs and sugar and whisk for a few minutes. You want to have it nice and light with lots of air on it.
Add the flour to the egg and sugar mixture and gently stir
Add the egg mix to the melted chocolate mix and stir gently to incorporate (don't over-mix, you don't want to knock the air out of it).
Pour the mix into the 4 greased molds, dishes or ramekins
Bake for 14 minutes. Try not to open the oven while baking.

Notes

For best results, use eggs at room temperature. Also, make sure your chocolate mixture is warm enough to stir easily.

If you have a problem with the bottom of your cake getting too cooked (and not “melting”), try putting the ramekins in a pan that has water on the bottom. This will help accommodate for oven’s with uneven temperatures.

Keyword carnival cruise, chocolate melting cake, lava cake