Craving something warm, full of chocolate, and simple to make? This Lava Cake Recipe is about to become your new dessert best friend. While it might “look” complicated, I can assure you that it’s not. In less than an hour, you’ll be enjoying bite after bite of this delicious chocolate cake made in the Instant Pot! Make certain to have a glass of milk handy or a delicious cup of coffee, too!
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Why This Recipe Works
If you've never had a lava cake, you are missing out. This is a delicious baked treat that has a gooey chocolate center. When you slide a fork into the cake, this filling spills out creating a decadent treat.
This show stopper is perfect for making for guests and special occasions. You won't heat up the house with the oven when you use the Instant Pot, and it is going to quickly become a favorite for everyone at your table.
📋 Ingredients
Here are the ingredients for making this chocolate cake:
- Unsalted Butter: Is the foundation of our Instant Pot Chocolate Lava Cake, providing richness and moisture.
- Eggs: Are the binding agents in our recipe, holding all the other ingredients together.
- Egg Yolk: An extra yolk adds more fat to the batter, which results in a denser, richer, and creamier cake. It's the secret behind that gooey center we all love!
- Semi-sweet Chocolate Chips: Heart of any chocolate lava cake. They melt beautifully, providing a robust chocolate flavor and creating that irresistible molten center.
- Vanilla Extract: Complements the chocolate perfectly, adding depth and warmth to the overall flavor profile of the cake.
- Flour: Just the right amount ensures our lava cakes hold their shape while remaining delightfully tender.
- Powdered Sugar: Besides sweetening the cake, powdered sugar also helps to create a lighter, more delicate crumb. Plus, a dusting on top gives our lava cakes a beautiful, snow-kissed appearance!
For the complete list of ingredients with measurements and instructions, please see the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
🔀 Substitutions & Variations
You can make several variations of Instant Pot Lava Cake by changing up the ingredients. Some possible variations include:
- Peanut Butter Lava Cake: Add ½ cup of smooth peanut butter to the bowl before mixing.
- Salted Caramel and Chocolate Lava Cake: Add ½ cup or a little salted caramel sauce to the bowl before mixing.
- Tuxedo Chocolate Lava Cakes: Try using different types of chocolate chips or bars, such as white chocolate, dark chocolate, or milk chocolate.
- Mint Chocolate Cake: Trying adding different flavors of extract, such as peppermint for a refreshing minty twist.
🔪How to Make Instant Pot Lava Cake
Step One: In a large microwave-safe bowl, mix your chocolate chips and unsalted butter. Warm the ingredients on high in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring between each time until you have melted chocolate.
Step Two: To the large bowl, add your powder sugar. Mix well until incorporated.
Step Three: Next, whisk your eggs and egg yolk together and add to the melted chocolate.
Step Four: Add the vanilla extract and flour to your lava cake mixture and mix well. Spray each of your ramekins with cooking spray. Make sure that the inside is completely coated with the spray.
Step Five: Pour the molten chocolate lava cake mixture into ramekins. Pour until the ramekins are almost completely full. Add water to the Instant Pot then place a trivet into the pot. Add the ramekins of chocolate cake batter. Pressure cook for 9 minutes then perform a quick release of the pressure.
Step Six: Pressure cook for 9 minutes then perform a quick release of the pressure. Carefully remove the ramekins and set them on a cooling rack. You will now repeat the process with another 4 ramekins of cake until all of the batter has been used. This typically makes 12 cakes.
Ways to Garnish Chocolate Cake
You can eat these chocolate lava cakes straight out of the ramekin. Or you can place upside down on a plate and allow the cake to slide out from the dish.
Serve the lava cakes on their own or shower it with powdered sugar, caramel drizzle, whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream!
Serve immediately for the molten lava effect. Eat and enjoy your hot cake with a spoon. It's chocolate therapy on a plate.
Why Make Instant Pot Desserts?
The Instant Pot is the perfect tool for making delicious, gooey chocolate lava cake. The Instant Pot makes it easy to get that perfectly moist and tender texture in your cakes, while also ensuring they cook up quickly and evenly.
Plus, Instant Pot desserts are always a hit with both kids and adults alike, so this recipe is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. It's a chocolate lovers dream!
Whether you’re looking for a quick and easy dessert to make on weeknights, or simply need something sweet and indulgent to satisfy your cravings, Instant Pot Chocolate Lava Cake is sure to deliver. And with its rich, chocolatey flavor and ooey-gooey center, you’ll be coming back to this Instant Pot dessert time and time again.
So what are you waiting for? Indulge your sweet tooth with Instant Pot Chocolate Lava Cake today!
👩🍳 Expert Tips
If you've never used your IP to "bake" this is a great starter recipe. Below are some tips to consider as you prepare this for your family.
- Texture: The chocolate won’t officially get harder, but it will become thicker as it cools down. If you’re wanting that liquid chocolate center, you’ll want to eat it while it’s warm. But if you’re wanting more of a pudding texture, this is when you’ll want to let this chocolate lava cake Instant Pot recipe cool all the way.
- Cocoa Powder: You can use cocoa powder instead of chocolate chips in this lava cake recipe. Replace the ½ cup of chocolate chips with 3 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa powder and reduce the amount of sugar to ¼ cup. You may need to thin out the mixture a bit using water or milk if it is too dry.
💭 FAQs
You sure can! Ramekins are great to use in the Instant Pot because they’re small and simple to place inside. I use glass ramekins because of their size and I like how easily they tend to clean up afterward, too.
Did you know I was recently featured as an expert in Porch’s Ask the Pros: Expert Advice for Baking at Home? How cool Is that! If you’re looking to make Instant Pot Chocolate Lava Cake without using ramekins, you can also use a small bundt pan or silicone baking cups.
The size of the ramekins you choose to use will depend on how many Instant Pot Chocolate Lava Cakes you want to make. Typically, one small ramekin is enough to serve one person. However, if you’re looking to feed a crowd, it may be best to use larger ramekins or even bundt pans.
If you have leftover lava cakes, they can be stored to eat later. Tips below will make them as delicious the next time as they are freshly baked. While they do not have to be refrigerated, they are best within 2 days of preparation. If you do refrigerate them, they are good up to 5 days. Wrap them individually and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave in 20 second increments until the desired temperature has been reached.
Fun Toppings For Homemade Lava Cakes
- Vanilla Ice Cream: The classic pairing – the warm, gooey chocolate lava cake contrasts perfectly with the cool creaminess of vanilla ice cream.
- Fresh Berries: Serve with a side of fresh berries such as strawberries or raspberries to add a burst of fruity freshness that complements the richness of the chocolate.
- Whipped Cream: A dollop of whipped cream adds a light and airy texture to balance the decadence of the chocolate lava cake.
- Mint Garnish: A sprig of fresh mint can provide a refreshing contrast to the intense chocolate flavor, making each bite feel lighter.
🍜 Related Recipes
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Chocolate Instant Pot Lava Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ Cup Butter
- 6 Eggs
- 2 Egg Yolk
- 2 Cups Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
- 2 tablespoon Vanilla
- ¾ Cup Flour
- 2 Cup Powdered Sugar
Instructions
- In a large microwave-safe bowl, mix your chocolate chips and unsalted butter. Warm the ingredients on high in the microwave at 30 second intervals, stirring between each time until you have melted chocolate.
- To the large bowl, add your powder sugar. Mix well until incorporated
- Next, whisk your eggs and egg yolk together. Add the egg mixture, (eggs and egg yolks) to the chocolate mixture.
- Add the vanilla extract and flour to your lava cake mixture and mix well.
- Spray each of your ramekins with cooking spray. Make sure that the inside is completely coated with the spray.
- Pour the molten chocolate lava cake mixture into ramekins. Pour until the ramekins are almost completely full.
- Using a measuring cup add 1 cup of water to your Instant Pot. Place your trivet inside the instant pot. Set 4 chocolate batter-filled ramekins on the trivet.
- Close your Instant Pot by twisting the lid and closing the valve. Set your Instant Pot to high pressure for 9 minutes. It should take about five minutes to come to pressure.
- When the timer is complete, do a quick release on the Instant Pot by opening the valve and pulling it towards you.
- Be sure to open the valve with a hot pad or towel to protect your hands from the heat.
- Carefully remove ramekins from the Instant Pot with tongs or oven mitts. Transfer to a cooling rack.
- Pour chocolate mixture into another four ramekins and repeat the cooking process to cook another batch of Instant Pot Lava cakes.
- Ensure the correct amount of water is in the inner pot.
- You can eat these chocolate lava cakes straight out of the ramekin. Or you can place upside down on a plate and allow the cake to slide out from the dish.
- Serve the lava cakes on their own or shower it with powdered sugar, caramel drizzle, whipped cream, or vanilla ice cream!
- Serve immediately for the molten lava effect. Eat and enjoy your hot cake with a spoon. It's chocolate therapy on a plate.
Notes
Nutrition
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Absolutely my favorite dessert recipe, delicious, easy and quick. Would love to win the contest. Thank you
This looks amazing!
It tastes amazing!
Would like to be able to print the recipe and try it?? Can’t find a way to print it!
you press print on the recipe card section.
How much butter? I/2 cup or 1 cup (2sticks)?
1/2 cup