Last Updated on February 25, 2025 by Mrunal & Jiten
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Iconic, classic, decadent, delicious, a must-have – many different words can describe Carnival Cruise Line’s warm chocolate melting cake.
The rich dessert is a mainstay treat on every dinner menu on every ship in the Carnival fleet, offered only in the Main Dining Rooms. For many guests, it’s their go-to treat (I certainly have more than one on every Carnival cruise!), but it is also proving quite controversial.
Brand Ambassador John Heald recently posted a luscious video of a warm chocolate melting cake, showing how many cruisers love to eat the dessert – with a dollop of vanilla ice cream dipped into the melting cake as the perfect accompaniment.
“This remains the king of Carnival desserts,” Heald said. “Chocolate melting cake, vanilla ice cream.”
“If you were here, would you have one of these?” he asked.
The seemingly innocent (albeit tempting to chocoholics everywhere) video has generated hundreds of comments, which have in turn shows a dramatic split of opinions on the iconic dessert.
“The one in your video is nowhere near done enough,” one guest commented.
The cake Heald showed was indeed on the “runnier” side of melting cake, with a greater ratio of melting, gooey chocolate compared to a thicker, more fully cooked cake-like consistency.
Many guests have noted that the cakes seem to be inconsistent onboard. Some cakes are served so runny as to be nothing more than a dish of thick chocolate syrup, while others are so firm that there appears to be no “melting” at all to the dessert.
“That used to be my go to dessert and I would get it every night at dinner. Sadly when you get it now it’s either way overdone and a solid cake or under cooked and a runny mess,” one guest explained.
Guests who have a significant preference for how firm or liquid a melting cake could be can ask their dining room server to ensure their dessert is the best texture.
This divisiveness on the chocolate melting cake comes just days after Heald shared a dinner onboard his FFS cruise that generated a great deal of criticism on its appearance.
It should be noted that the gourmet chocolate melting cake can be delicate to make. Just an extra minute or two in the oven might create a firmer-than-expected cake, while trimming the cooking time by a couple of minutes will result in a much more liquid dessert.
When chefs servicing the Main Dining Rooms are preparing hundreds of desserts for guests every evening, it’s certainly understandable that the timing of the melting cakes might vary.
Heald followed up his video with a poll about Carnival’s most popular desserts. So how exactly does the warm chocolate melting cake rank?
“You can choose just one dessert to enjoy on your cruise. It would be…?” Heald asked.
Without a doubt, the melting cake took the top score. With more than 16,600 votes cast, 33% of respondents (more than 5,500 votes) chose chocolate melting cake with vanilla ice cream.
An additional 13% of voters (another 2,200 votes) chose chocolate melting cake with vanilla ice cream and peanut butter – a well-known hack guests can request for extra decadence.
This makes the melting cake by far the most popular dessert, though many guests have noted that it may be too rich, have too much sugar, or simply be too much chocolate for their individual tastes.
I don’t personally understand that type of reaction, but to each their own. The beauty of a cruise is there are always more treats to try.
Read Also: Try It Yourself – How to Make Carnival Cruise Line’s Melting Chocolate Cake
The next most popular dessert Carnival Cruise Line offers is the creme brulee, which garnered 22% of the votes (approximately 3,600 votes).
The classic baked Alaska, bitter and blanc, and Grand Marnier souffle were also part of the voting, as was the cheese plate that is a savory option many travelers enjoy.
Fresh fruit, sugar-free options, and of course, ice cream are always available as well. This great variety ensures that everyone can have the best dessert to suit their tastes at every meal.
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