CROCKPOT LAVA CAKE

Decadent and impressive but SO easy to make!!

Yummers!

THE FIVE-MINUTE PREP THAT LOOKS LIKE HOURS OF WORK

My family loves lava cake. It’s decadent and impressive.

It’s the kind of fancy dessert you’re more likely to order at a restaurant than make yourself. And, well, that’s what we thought when I served them this slow-cooker version.

Hours of work went into this, right? Nope.

Five minutes before cooking, and trust me, five minutes after serving, too, since it’ll disappear that fast.

WHAT THE FROSTING IS ACTUALLY DOING IN THE SLOW COOKER

That “gooey” frosting layer will melt and sink into the batter as it bakes. The pockets of frosting are what give this cake its “lava” aspect, making it special.

The extra fat in fudge frosting, compared to whipped frosting, is what makes it work.

THREE INGREDIENTS, AND WHY THE FROSTING IS THE SECRET

All you need for this recipe are three things, all found at your local supermarket, and a slow-cooker. And, since you’re not using an oven, it’s a welcome addition to the menu during the holidays, when oven space is at a premium.

Start by preparing 1 box of chocolate cake mix according to the directions on the box, adding eggs, oil, and water. Any kind of chocolate cake mix will do: devil’s food, dark chocolate, chocolate fudge.

I like the flavor of devil’s food best, as it results in a darker and more intense overall flavor in the finished cake.

Next, add frosting to the slow-cooker, dropping in spoonfuls as you go. The frosting will sink to the bottom of the slow-cooker as it cooks, creating an even more impressive (literally) effect.

And, if you’re not already planning to do so, I’d highly recommend getting some vanilla ice cream from the supermarket on your next trip, too.

FUDGE FROSTING, 1 CONTAINER, 16 OZ.

No stand-mixer required. No bain-marie to create silky-smooth chocolate sauce.

No thermometer to assure you it’s just right. Nope.

This recipe calls for frosting from a tub, which melts into the cake as it bakes, creating little pockets of molten chocolate all through it. And since frosting doesn’t distribute evenly no matter how conscientiously you dollop it throughout the cake, no two servings will be the same: some more cakey, others more chocolaty.

It’s the closest you’ll get to lava cake outside of the volcano.

Makes 8-10 servings, depending on your appetite and/or the size of your 4-6 quart slow-cooker.

SEMI-SWEET CHOCOLATE CHIPS, 1 CUP

• Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips – Semi-sweet chocolate chips help cut down on some of that sweetness. Milk chocolate would be too sweet and overpowering. If you want an even more chocolatey lava cake with less sugar, dark chocolate works great as well.

HOW TO MAKE CROCKPOT LAVA CAKE

Preheat slow cooker to high. Spray a 4-6 quart slow cooker with cooking spray.

Prepare chocolate cake according to directions on cake mix, which uses water, eggs, and oil.

STEP 1: SPRAY AND POUR IN THE BATTER

Spray crock pot with cooking spray. Mix up the cake according to directions and pour into crock pot.

STEP 2: DROP THE FROSTING ON TOP

Open up the frosting and start dolloping the frosting on top of the cake. Try to distribute them evenly, I did about one dollop every two inches.

Do NOT mix them in, they’re supposed to stay intact.

STEP 3: SPRINKLE THE CHOCOLATE CHIPS

Sprinkle semi-sweet chocolate chips on top of frosting. Do not stir these in either.

They’ll melt into the frosting.

STEP 4: COOK AND SERVE

Put the lid on the crock pot and bake on HIGH for 2-2.5 hours, do not peek, trust me. Cake will be ready when sides are firm and pulling away and center is still soft and shiny.

Do not over bake or molten center will set. Serve straight from crock pot with ice cream.

FIVE THINGS THAT KEEP THIS FROM GOING WRONG

• Don’t stir. I can’t stress this part enough. Keep the frosting sitting on top of the batter. As it melts it’ll sink into the batter and create those “lava” pockets. Stirred together, this recipe just makes a very tasty but very normal chocolate cake.
• Use fudge frosting. The extra fat in the frosting helps to make those molten pockets. It’s important to use frosting here – anything else will sink and absorb into the cake and won’t melt into molten pockets.
• Use plenty of cooking spray. This is no joke. If there’s any part of the slow cooker the batter doesn’t touch, spray it. Trust me – you’ll be so glad you did.
• Resist peeking in. Opening up that lid lets out all the precious heat you’re working to achieve and extends bake times. Trust me, it’s in there baking away. Save the peeking for serving time.
• Don’t overbake. As with any lava cake, if you bake this one too long you’ll end up with no molten centers. You’re looking for a cake that looks done around the edges, maybe pulling away from the sides of the slow cooker a little, but still appears very soft and shiny in the center.

WHAT TO SCOOP THIS ALONGSIDE

• Ice cream. Especially vanilla – the contrast between warm cake and cold ice cream is amazing.
• Whipped cream – a lighter alternative to ice cream
• Berries – fresh strawberries or raspberries help cut through the rich, thick flavors in this crockpot lava cake.
• Caramel – an easy drizzle that adds even more flavor.

HOW LONG WILL THIS CROCKPOT LAVA CAKE KEEP?

• Cover the crockpot insert or transfer lava cake to another container and refrigerate leftovers for up to 3 days. The lava cake will be much firmer once it cools. Individual servings can be microwaved for 30-60 seconds to soften, although I’m not sure it will be anything like the original texture and gooey center.

CROCKPOT LAVA CAKE TIPS

• Every slow cooker is different, so check on this recipe at about 2 hours. You are looking for edges to be set and center to be soft, but not liquidy.
• Be sure to coat the slow cooker well with cooking spray, and trust me on this one. Any areas you miss, the lava cake will stick to, and trust me, you’ll be thankful if you don’t have to scrub sticky cake off the bottom during cleanup.
• Be mindful of total cook time each time you lift the lid, letting the heat out will increase the amount of time needed to finish cooking.
• This recipe is best served straight out of the cooker, while still nice and warm. That’s when the texture is perfect. However, it can be switched to the “warm” setting and held there for 30-45 minutes, making this a great option if you’d like guests to help themselves to a scoop.

CAN I MAKE IT AHEAD?

Absolutely. This is the perfect make ahead slow cooker dessert for holiday get-togethers.

Simply add ingredients to slow cooker as directed, cover, and store in the fridge overnight. Add extra time and cook on HIGH for about 2.5 hours.

This extra time accounts for starting with a chilled insert.

WHAT TO REACH FOR AT THE STORE

While this is a very simple 3-ingredient recipe, I recommend using Ghirardelli Semi Sweet chips. They melt better and have a much better flavor than store brand chips.

Both Betty Crocker Devil’s Food and Duncan Hines Devil’s Food work. Devil’s food cake mix tastes much more chocolatey and produces a moister cake.

Always pick a Devil’s Food cake mix over a plain chocolate cake mix. Just be sure to prepare the cake mix according to directions before adding to the crockpot.

CROCKPOT LAVA CAKE FAQ

WHICH FILLING WORKS BEST?

The base recipe calls for chocolate fudge frosting, but you could use other flavors of frosting as well. Cream cheese frosting would taste like a bit of cheesecake swirled with chocolate.

Using caramel frosting with dark chocolate chips would be reminiscent of turtle cake.

CAN I MAKE A PEANUT BUTTER LAVA CAKE?

Use a chocolate cake mix and add some PB frosting in spoonfuls like the chocolate frosting, but also use PB chips instead of chocolate.

CAN I MAKE IT WITH VANILLA CAKE?

Use yellow or vanilla cake mix, add chocolate chips and chocolate frosting.

CAN I MAKE IT EXTRA CHOCOLATY?

Use a dark chocolate cake mix if you can find it and use Ghirardelli dark chocolate chips. This combination produces an incredibly rich and delicious lava cake.

You can also stir in 1 tsp of espresso powder with the cake mix to enhance chocolate flavor.

CAN I ADD NUTS?

Absolutely. Add a cup of walnuts or pecans, along with the chips.

HOW DO I KNOW WHEN IT’S DONE?

The edges of the cake will be done and will be pulled away from the sides of the crockpot a little. The middle should be shiny and soft.

It should be cooked, but still gooey, more like set pudding than liquidy batter. If you stick a toothpick down the middle of the cake, it should come out with crumbly moist brownie-like bits on the toothpick, not batter.

If your lava cake is still batter-like after cooking for 2 hours, I would check it after 20-30 minutes.

CAN I MAKE THIS WITHOUT A CROCKPOT?

Unfortunately no. I have not tested this recipe in a regular baking dish.

Slow cookers cook differently than ovens because they have a moist heat which is key to this recipe.

MY LAVA CAKE OVERCOOKED — HOW DO I PREVENT IT?

This recipe works best in a crockpot that is 4 quarts or larger. Smaller crockpots have a thicker layer of batter and take a little longer to cook.

If your crockpot tends to run hotter, begin checking it at 1 hour and 45 minutes to see if it’s done. When done, the middle of the cake will appear soft and slightly underdone.

It will continue cooking as you scoop. Also, try to avoid opening the lid, which lets out the heat.

This recipe calls for a certain amount of time in order to cook. Opening the lid throws off the time.

After making this recipe once you’ll have a sense of how long YOUR crockpot takes to cook it.

CAN I DOUBLE THIS RECIPE?

If your crockpot is on the larger side, around 6 to 8 quarts, you can double this recipe. It will take 30-45 minutes longer to bake.

Check for doneness at the 3 hour mark. With so much batter, it takes longer for the middle of the cake to set.

OTHER SLOW COOKER DESSERTS WORTH MAKING

Crock Pot Chocolate Peanut Clusters: All you have to do is throw some chocolate and peanuts into your slow cooker and let it do the work for you. These crock pot chocolate peanut clusters take minimal effort and can be made for just about any occasion.

Check out this recipe here:

Chocolate Scotcheroos: This crowd-pleaser is a no-bake dessert that takes minimal prep. Scotcheroos are a bar that combines peanut butter, chocolate, butterscotch, and rice krispies.

These are just a couple of my favorite slow cooker treats that require minimum effort.