Individual Chocolate Lava Cakes

Chocolate lava cakes look impossibly impressive but are genuinely simple to make, which is what makes them one of my favorite dinner party desserts. The batter comes together in minutes and can be prepped and refrigerated hours in advance. Then you just slide them in the oven while clearing dinner plates. The key is timing — you pull them at exactly 12 minutes so the center stays molten. Served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream melting against the warm cake, this is pure joy.