Dishes · Dessert · Dessert
The lava cake with a face
Lava cake is a small chocolate cake with a runny center. French chef Michel Bras developed the idea in 1981, and a New York kitchen made it famous a few years later, by most accounts by accident.
Cantina Rooftop
Dessert
Dessert
- Skull Lava Cake$12
Our signature: chocolate lava cake with raspberry sauce & ice cream
- Pastel de Tres Leches$12
- Mangonada$11
- Mexican Churros$13
- Mexican Chocolate Cheesecake$13
- Birthday Piñata Sundae$45
Please tell your server about any food allergies.
Why you shouldn't wait
Bras froze a ganache core and baked it inside the batter. The New York version, from 1987, was simply a sponge pulled from the oven too soon. Both end in the same moment: spoon in, center pours out.
That's why timing matters. The cake keeps cooking from its own heat, so a few minutes on the table can mean there's less lava left. Get the ice cream against the hot chocolate and some of the sauce on every bite.
Our menu calls this one its signature: a chocolate lava cake with raspberry sauce and ice cream.
Keep reading
Skull Lava Cake: questions
Who invented lava cake?
Two kitchens get the credit: Michel Bras in France in 1981, and a New York chef in 1987. Their methods were different.
Why is the center of a lava cake runny?
It's taken out of the oven before the middle sets, or baked around a frozen chocolate core that melts.
What's in the Skull Lava Cake at Cantina Rooftop?
Our menu says: Our signature: chocolate lava cake with raspberry sauce & ice cream. Tell your server about any allergies when you order.
How much for the Skull Lava Cake at Cantina Rooftop?
$12 on our menu right now. See it on the full menu.
When can I order the Skull Lava Cake?
It's on our dessert menu. Our hours: Tuesday to Thursday 5pm to 11pm (last reservation 10pm), Friday 5pm to 3am, Saturday 12pm to 3am and Sunday 12pm to 9:30pm. Closed Mondays. We're at 605 W 48th St in Hell's Kitchen. Book a table.