Hot Cakes Capitol Hill

Overall experience was okay. I ordered the dark chocolate hot cake with peanut butter, toasted peanuts, and vanilla ice cream. It felt overpriced for the portion size, and the cake was served in a paper cup, which was disappointing for an $18 dessert. I expected better presentation for the price. It’s not a must-try, but it could be enjoyable if you’re craving something sweet.

Yesterday was our first time at Hot Cakes and we loved it. Even my husband, who usually isn’t a big fan of chocolate cookies, absolutely loved his. I ordered two lava cakes: the Decadent and the Peanut Butter and both were amazing. Rich, gooey, and full of flavor. I’ll definitely come back whenever I’m in Seattle… or maybe you guys should open one in Portland!

I love their hot cakes. The fact that I love the most is that it’s the perfect portion of dessert- not too large or not too small. I love their chocolate decadence hot cake. Price is a bit higher with $15-18 per hot cake but it’s absolutely worth it on a cozy & rainy day.

Great desserts, a bit pricy but really hits the spot for a late night sweet treat. Very creative flavors including monthly/seasonal specials. Spicy mocha I give 3/5 (wasn’t that spicy/unique) but the Jaipur Chai molten cake w ice cream was a 5/5 and the main reason we came. Crème brûlée 4/5

Hot Cakes is pure dessert joy. The Capitol Hill location has such a fun, upbeat vibe — the kind of place where everyone looks happy because they know what’s coming. The Melted Snowball is ridiculous in the best way, and the toffee pudding is rich, warm, and completely worth rearranging your plans for. Ice cream melting into cake, sauce everywhere, zero regrets. Full disclosure: my son is the saucier and makes the sauces and caramels… but I’d say the same thing even if he didn’t. Everything is consistently delicious, the staff is great, and the energy feels exactly right for Capitol Hill. Come hungry, leave happy, and don’t overthink it — just go.

This place is great if you are craving a sweet treat but I will say for what you get and the price you pay it is extremely expensive. It’s almost 20 dollars for a cake and ice cream including taxes and while it’s a rich dessert, it is nonetheless small for what you pay. In terms of taste it is great and very flavorful which is nice.

Best hot chocolate in the city! The molten cakes are never disappointing and totally worth the 15-minute wait. We’ve tried almost all of the molten cake options—you really can't go wrong here.

We went around 9pm on Sunday and the atmosphere was vibrant. Exceptional deserts; we tried Almond croissant bread pudding and Smoked chocolate smores and both were a 5/5. Sharing one by two people was a good idea just because of the richness of the deserts.

This is a common date spot for my partner and I whenever we're in Cap Hill or just wanna treat ourselves. The staff here are always nice and get our orders out quickly. Dark Decadence 4/5 This is our to-go molten cake. Darkness of the chocolate balances out the sweetness of it. The ice cream also gives a good break in flavor from the molten cake itself. I'm a big fan of the cocoa nib toffee added to the ice cream as a topping. The inside is very gooey and is on the sweeter end for me. Peppermint Shake 5/5 A very creamy shake with quality whip cream. The side of it is definitely enough for two people to share. The peppermint shake had some bits of peppermint in it which I liked, although I know some people prefer their milkshakes smooth. Milkshake felt like the right amount of sweetness. Overall, everything usually goes well but I will admit that it is a bit pricy for what you're paying, which is why I'm knocking it down a star.

This place had one of the most unique molten chocolate cakes I've ever had! Jaipur chai molten cake which worked really well! Pros: lots of options, high quality ingredients, not too sweet Cons: expensive Value: 3/5 Ambiance:4/5 Taste: 5/5 Service: 4/5

Came here for dessert and found this a great spot! Pros: + Super cute + Open Late at night + Perfect for a date night + The molten lava cakes are delicious + Plenty of take home dessert options Cons: - Can run $15-20 for 1-2 people (which is a little pricey - Difficult to park IG: AndTheNextAdventureBegins

SO yummy! You will have no idea that these cakes are gluten free, lots of gluten free options. You must try the lava cakes- they are the perfect dessert for cold Seattle. Very cozy cute inside seating. They have fun chocolate drinks and coffees too.

This is a super cute place we went to on New Years, because it was one of the only places open for dessert- and I'm glad it was! The lava cakes were delicious. They were so good I couldn't even tell that they were gluten free. Each one comes with a side of yummy ice cream. Our favorite was the gooey brownie- it was fudgy and rich- but not too rich that we couldn't eat the whole thing. The dark decadent was good too but a little too sweet. Each one was $15- pricey but worth a try at least once. They also have a lot of other options, such as dessert cocktails and cookies.

We decided to try this place for a evening dessert outing. I love that they're open late. The ambience was cute and welcoming and the staff were very friendly. It was a Monday night around 8 PM and this place was packed. But in a good way could still find a table, but lots of energy in the room. We had tea and two hotcakes with ice cream, one was a classic dark chocolate decadence, and the other was a juniper chai. Both were delicious, warm gooey and wonderful and I'd like to try the peanut butter one next time. These little cakes don't come cheap, but I thought it was worth it for a fun night out every once in a while. The cakes are good quality, and the ice cream is as well from a local creamery.

Classic chocolate is the way to go. Next time I may ask for a little more well done as I prefer a little bit of lava and more cake :)

This was a perfect spot to round out the night with dessert and a drink. It was so cozy inside with the decor and the warm temperature which I appreciated in a cold and windy night. There is a large selection of desserts (the molten cakes are very rich) and drinks. There were even some savory items on the menu.

Chill place, good for a relaxing dessert. I got a whole collection of stuff and surprisingly my fav was the salted blonde. I'm not a fan of salted sweets generally as the fad goes, but this one worked well. I love overly sweet things so I'm not looking to diminish that, but it cuts across the flavors well. The rest...eh...OK. Lava cake was like brownie mix (don't get me wrong, I'll eat a full bowl of brownie mix, but the center wasn't hot and the price was high for what it is). Presentation was 100% insta worthy though. The smores cookie was just weird. I couldn't taste any of the standard smores flavorings but it had something odd like nutmeg or cinnamon or apricots or ginger...just an odd nuttlyish fruity flavor. I really liked the big merangue thing (forget the name), but I'm still giving 3 stars for the broad mix of quality plus the cold standoffish behavior of the cashier when I asked simple questions after mentioning it was my first time. Store was empty, I don't need the specialty coffee shop angst for a lava cake.

decadent and rich but great sweet treat. The gooey brownie was my fav, can get it with dairy ice cream if you want

This molten lava cake tasted sooooo so good. Especially paired with the ice cream, this was an iconic dish. I will say, the price is pretty expensive for what you get but I can kind of see where it comes from with the quality + presentation.

Omg. I've never heard of a Lava Cake shop so when we drove past this on our Seattle trip, we kept note and came back the next day! We shared the Molten Decadence, and if we weren't sharing I think we would've been a little more confused by the price. It's pretty expensive for one order, but it's seriously so rich. I'd recommend this one for true chocolate lovers. The lava cake was more "lava" than cake. It was almost like under the top layer it's just straight chocolate sauce. Either way, we enjoyed this dessert and it satisfied our lava cake craving.

As a lava cake lover, I wanted to like this place. Unfortunately, it misses the mark in many ways. The signature hot cake comes in ~6 flavor options each paired with vanilla ice cream. There's a vegan version which is cool. I got the dark decadence, which turned out to be small cake no more than 3" in diameter. The cake to lava ratio is way off, with thin layer of gummy cake (making the paper cup it comes in a big issue) surrounding an ocean of lava. The ice cream it comes with is generic and a bit watery. The cake's saving grace is its flavor, which is rich and satisfying. Unfortunately at the laughable price of $15.95 before tax/tip, this place is missing the mark in presentation and product. Otherwise, service was quick and friendly enough, and the Capitol Hill location is a typical pseudo-industrial space. If you end up here, I'd unfortunately advise again their signature item.

Shared an order of their s'mores + dark decadence hot cakes and they were both solid! I'm not much of a dessert person so the dark decadence was a bit more my type but yeah. It was a good bite w the ice cream on the side! I've tried their other desserts e.g. bread pudding and cookies and they've all been pretty good, as well. I mean, it's a dessert joint in cap hill so yeah. You're definitely paying a lil extra $ for a place that specializes in desserts, it is what it is, ya smell meeeee

Every time we get to capital hill this is a MUST! The traditional lava cake is AMAZING! So decadent and delicious!

Everything here is SO GOOD. Only complaint is parking is hard to find but it's a couple blocks from the light rail, if that's an option for you. Love that they have a pretty diverse menu and their tea selection is also great!

We visited Seattle for an anniversary for a weekend. After dinner, we made a stop at hot cakes it was a great way to end the night. Both the lava cake and cookie with ice cream were delicious. It was a little pricey but what isn't these days, for the two desert, a beer and sparking water was about $55. During our visit, we saw someone wheeled out for an overdose and had a unhoused person talking nonsense loudly in the establishment that kind of made the ambiance and vibe a little weird lol, not knocking the the business for it, the staff handled it gracefully without disturbance.

I haven't been here for a couple years but I just recently went back for a little birthday treat and it was so much better than I remember! I ordered the chocolate decadence and it was oh oh so chocolatey and I loved every second of it. I mean, you really can't go wrong with a hot lava cake paired with vanilla ice cream. The toppings are a bonus, but every bite is perfectly balanced, between hot and cold, chocolate and vanilla, sweet and savory - it was all there and checks every box. Would hiiiighly recommend. I'm being sarcastic when I say how unfortunate it is that I work so close ;)

This was a truly fun spot for a unique dessert experiment; glad we had a large group so we were able to taste several different cakes.

A late night out in Capitol Hill had us wandering into Hot Cakes as we followed its sweet, chocolate scent Their menu is filled with sweet treats, such as bread pudding, cookies, icecream and their famous molten lava cakes They also have savory items and drinks, like their grilled cheese and lattes! I was excited to try this spot for awhile now, but I was a bit disappointed after the first bite. The molten lava cakes were incredibly too sweet for my taste, but eating it with the icecream helped balance out the sweetness level. I am also unsure about the hygiene/cleanliness of having the cakes and icecream plated on reused wooden boards. I would advise on bringing either just yourself or a smaller group here, as the interior may look big, but there is not a lot of seating. There was a cozy fireplace in the corner outside where some people could sit at. Unfortunately, during my visit, the staff were not the most friendly and when I asked them for recommendations, we were only met with "just try anything". Overall, this spot was a disappointmet. It was a ~$16 small portion of icecream and overly sweet chocolate cake plated on a worn reused wood platter served by unfriendly staff.

Came here after dinner as my last visit here was a very very long time ago. Just as everywhere you go in Cap Hill, parking was a pain in the butt. Found a spot some few blocks away after driving around for a bit, We got the molten choco cake and a choco chip cookie. And then you will find yourself a table and they'll bake it fresh and bring it to you. Imo, I would love to have the molten chocolate cake a little less sugary and use dark chocolate since it's paired with vanilla ice cream as the pair just made it fairly intolerably sweet. Also I think it could use another minute in the oven because even after being served and taking photos, once we dug in, underneath the top layer is still very underdone. Even the sides around the ramekin is still very soft and not solidified to be considered a molten cake yet. For that, it's pretty small and quite pricey imo. Hence why my last visit was a very very long time ago. Also, you have to bus your own table afterwards.

Very rich, chocolatey dessert. Small portion, but it's rich so you're not planning on eating a lot anyway. Pretty pricy. You have to bus yourself, so all the tables - if you get one - are pretty dirty... Parking is difficult, so I recommend taking the bus or carpooling.

We have been to several locations and tried a variety of the offerings. It's always been constant and tasty. We enjoy the richness and unique flavors that are offered to go with the lava cake. This last visit, unfortunately the tables were not very clean. It looked like either folks were exceptionally messy that day or they weren't regularly attended too. I get it, it's a busy joint, but regular table cleaning is needed with things that are this ooy-gooy. If you want a desert, go for it. Think about sharing a single order, especially the molten cakes with ice cream, it's very rich and although doesn't look like a lot, it really is.

I first went to Hot Cakes about four years ago on my first visit to Seattle, when a local friend took me. I wasn't much of a chocolate person back then, but I remember trying one of their desserts and really liking it. On this trip, my husband, who is a chocolate connoisseur, wanted to give it a try, so we ended up there again. It was a weekend night, so parking took a while to find, but we eventually made it. The menu is simple and easy to choose from. We ordered the dark chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream, and it was decadent, soft, and not overly sweet. A perfect dessert overall.

Super cute place to stop in! Could be fun to go with friends or go solo and treat it like a cafe to get some work done. The hot cakes are delicious, but pretty rich and heavy, so would recommend splitting them with someone. If you want something lighter for one person, I'd recommend their other pastries and drinks! The cookies are awesome

A verrry cool molten cake dessert shop that also serves excellent chai tea lattes and coffee. Got the spumoni which was excellent and my cousin Van and his wife LJ got one of the layered cakes or snickerdoodle varieties. Chill environment that has a lot of seating, though a bit crowded, nice restrooms and prompt/accurate service. Highly recommended!

So good! The molten lava cakes are pricey but delicious, you can share them as they can be a little on the sweet side

One of the best molten cake in the town. If you have a sweet tooth and wanted to eat something like choco lava cake. This is the place for you. They have the amazing service with beautiful ambiance located in seatle.

This place is so nice & cozy! I went on a Monday afternoon around 2pm so not very crowded at all. I like the seating options & it was very clean. Servers were professional & friendly. I got the decadence molten lava cake it's the first choice on the Menu. It's so RICH so be prepared! I think next time I'll get a second scoop of vanilla icecream bc the chocolate was oh so rich! I would definitely come back & recommend this place is someone wants a unique dessert late night! They serve boozy drinks aswell

Went in on a weekday evening and the restaurant was relatively filled. The interior is super cute and nice. You order up front and bus your table after they bring it out to you. We ordered the smores hotcake. It was pretty good. This dessert is definitely on the heavier side so if you want a light sweet treat this is not for you. Overall good experience. Would come again if I am in the area!

This was good! I love the variety and service here. Lots of options, even for folks without a sweet tooth. I think my lava cake was undercooked. I was told that it would take 10-15 min but it only took 5 and as a result most of my cake wasn't cake at all, more like a thick chocolate sauce. I personally think chocolate lava cake should have some cake and some lava, if you know what I mean. That said, flavor profile was great and I'd be willing to try again!

We go here all the time! This place is the best! If you aren't in the mood for molten lava cake, try the chocolate cake or their cookies and ice cream.

Dessert place that's open until Midnight! Plenty of seating and yummy treats. Indoor and outdoor seating available. Street parking is hard so if you're in the area already do stop by. Otherwise if you're going to cap hill for this, parking is few. My cousin and I got the strawberry molten cake, this rocher, and I got the vegan chocolate banana bread. Honestly I loved the banana bread. If I got a scoop of ice cream with it, that would have been it for me. I found out last night I'm not a molten cake fan. It's a texture thing. The strawberry molten was delicious and if you're a fan of gooey chocolate, that would be your jam! The rocher was sweet per my cousin. Total for everything and a cookie was $30 4/5 due to the parking but the menu is great and hours are perfect for a late night treat! I would come back solely for the banana bread

Very cool and nice desert place. Service is awesome!! Staff friendly and helpful. Gave great recommendations. Recommend: their signature

A great place to grab dessert if you love rich chocolate cakes! The creamy, cold ice cream pairs perfectly with the thick, decadent, gooey chocolate. Service was good but it's a bit hard to find parking!

This place is perfect if you're a fan of brownies or other chocolatey desserts! I've been here twice and have loved it both times! It's usually pretty busy at night but the ambiance is cozy and inviting and they even have outdoor seating with some little fireplaces!

I don't often get molten lava chocolate cake when I go out, but the one I had here was excellent. It was my first time here, so I needed some help with choosing between the six different molten cakes. The girl who was working at the counter was so unfriendly though - she was very impatient and rolled her eyes at my questions (even though there was no one behind me and the shop was empty other than a couple who sat waiting for their order). Once I finally ordered, she got back to her phone and to talking to her colleague, who seemed to be working more diligently. Weird service to receive on my birthday, but the cake was good, and I had some tea to go with it. I'd love to try some of their other offerings at some point, like sticky toffee pudding.

We stopped by here on a Wednesday rainy spring night after dinner at 10pm for desert, and it was packed! Luckily, there is plenty of seating. We ordered the S'mores molten cake. It comes with smoked chocolate, a roasted marshmallow, a graham cracker, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream, in addition to the molten cake. The presentation is interesting, with the scoop of ice cream directly placed in the pit of a wooden board -- it looks like after you're done with the ice cream, you can grab some marbles and play Mancala! The molten cake was super chocolatey, with the interior filled with a vat of hot molten fudge. The cake is so decadent and rich that I found myself needing to eat a lot of the ice cream to balance it out, but there isn't enough ice cream to go with the entire cake. The ice cream scoop itself also is served with chocolate sauce, which exacerbates the chocolatey overload. The toasted marshmallow and graham cracker were a nice touch and made me feel like I was out in the wilderness at the campfire! Overall, the molten cakes are a satisfying desert, but unless you are a chocolate addict I feel like it needs additional ice cream to help counter all the chocolate cake, fudge, and sauce.

good but wayyy overpriced! you're eating just literal chocolate. also ran out of plates/cups and gave it to us in a paper cup for dine in? also $1.5 upcharge for vegan ice cream

After year, I understand why Hot Cakes is always busy! The cakes are decadent as can be. I'm not a huge chocolate lover but I appreciate the variety offered across, dessert, savory, beverages, and more! My Strawberry Molten Lava Cake was more than amazing! I couldn't finish it, but the flavor was top tier.

The staff was nice and there was plenty of seating, but that's about where the good part of our experience at Hot Cakes ends. I'm not sure who ever thought it would be reasonable to charge $16 for the tiniest scoop of vanilla ice cream and a similarly tiny "molten cake"--which is really 95% warmed up chocolate sauce and 5% cake--served in a disposable cardboard cup. That also leads me to suspect it was made in the microwave. Personally was not a fan of the flavors of the "dry burned caramel" sauce or the "molten cake."

If you love rich, gooey chocolate desserts, Hot Cakes is an absolute must-visit! Every time I come here, I leave completely satisfied (and maybe a little sugar-high). Their signature Molten Chocolate Cakes are next-level--warm, fudgy, and perfectly gooey in the center. My favorite is the Dark Decadence--deep, rich chocolate flavor without being overly sweet. The Peanut Butter Cup version is also amazing if you love the chocolate-peanut butter combo. Beyond the cakes, their boozy milkshakes are a fun treat, and the Smoked Chocolate Chips add a unique twist to classic cookies. I also love that they have vegan and gluten-free options, so there's something for everyone. The atmosphere is cozy but can get really busy, especially on weekends--so be prepared for a wait. But trust me, it's worth it! If you're in Seattle and craving the ultimate chocolate indulgence, this is the place to go!

The vegan cookie from hot cakes is simply not good. Very hard and dry and generally flavorless.

I think this place is hyped up because of the location, the vibe, and the platting. It's really not that good. The biggest problem is that there's a massive amount of chocolate gooeyness inside the cake. I think it would make a lot more sense if the cake was just a cake, and they drizzled a little of the ganache on top, with some extra on the side. As it stands, whenever I take a bite of the cake I feel like I have to balance it with two bites of ice cream, and they don't give enough ice cream. But of course they can't make any of those changes because it would fundamentally alter the concept they've established for Hot Cakes. Anyway, I'm mainly writing this review for myself. I went to this place once and loved the vibe and everything, especially on a busy Saturday night, but I didn't like the food itself. Nine months later I came back, forgetting how I felt about the place. As soon as I took one bite I immediately remembered how much I didn't like it before.

I came to hot cakes on a monday night close to 10pm and there was a line outside of the door!! We waited in line for maybe 10-15 minutes, but the sweets did come out really fast. We ordered the creme brûlée ($12), a lemon lavender sugar cookie, and a calamansi mule ($12). I thought everything tasted spot on!!! The creme brûlée was probably the softest and creamiest that i've had and it came with seasonal fruit on top. The cocktail was also refreshing and not strong at all which I liked! I will say the cookie was heavier on the lavender side and a bit salty but I liked it. I love the vibe of this place because getting a sweet treat feels like an experience. with that said I do not think the prices are justified (cookie and icecream for $14). I do think the sweets are a bit more elevated than other places but I didn't feel good about the price.

Choco lava cake - enough said! This cafe/bakery/ice cream parlour is styled very nice. It's cute and aesthetic, with plenty seating options. Their menu is not limited to molten cakes, but that's what we tried there. We got a gooey brownie cake and the Nordic spiced molten cake. Both the cakes were super rich and decadent. The were not too sweet or bitten, and paired very nicely with the cold vanilla ice cream and the toppings. A lovely treat to have. Any day.

Love the dark decadence cake! It's a little pricey for its size but it has a very rich taste so its best shared with someone

We got the warm cookies and ice cream ($13.95) with one chocolate chip and another salty peanut butter cookie. The cookies are extremely sweet and crumbly, making them a perfect compliment to the vanilla bean ice cream. Caramel was nice but definitely would have made the dessert too sweet. Polite staff and plentiful seating.

I would describe it as a perfect date spot where you can get a casual, cozy vibe with some hot cakes and ice cream. A perfect spot to enjoy a dessert after a sumptuous dinner. They also have some spots by the fire side and I love sitting by them and enjoying my warm, molten cake. I have many favorites but my absolute favorite is dark decadence. Service is fast but this place can be very crowded on weekends! Perfect for: date with some decadent desserts What is good: food, ambience What it is not: not a place for a leisurely date, as it is mostly crowded over weekends so please decide based on what you are looking for