- A brownie mix. Below are 3 that I tried. They all worked well, but I preferred the Pillsbury and Ghirardelli mixes. The “family size” Pillsbury mix will make 8 lava cakes. You can choose a smaller mix, if you prefer to make a smaller batch.
- Oil and eggs–the ingredients called for on the brownie box for mixing the batter.
- 1 extra egg–no matter which mix you’re making, add 1 egg to what the box instructions call for. This results in a more cake-like texture.
- Dove Dark Chocolate Promises — I tried several kinds of chocolate, and this one worked the best for producing melted lava in the center of the cakes. You can experiment with other brands, but this is the brand I recommend. (Hershey Nuggets melted and tasted just fine, but they don’t get runny enough–no “lava flow”). Dove Promises are often available at grocery stores.
- 6 to 8 oz. custard cups or ramekins. I prefer clear custard cups, because I can see what’s going on while they’re cooking. It’s easier to tell when the cakes are done and their rounded bottom helps the cake release more easily when they are flipped over. (Ramekins have a flat bottom.) I used 6 oz. custard cups that come with convenient lids.
- So, I set out to try to figure out an easier way to make lava cakes at home. I have 2 tricks to share that make this recipe fool proof.
- I cooked the individual cakes in the microwave. (I know you’re already doubting me, but please read on.)
- I poked chunks of chocolate in the center of each cake to form the chocolate lava. No messing with cooking the batter just right. The chocolate in the center melts, and melted lava is born. (Are you doubting me still? It works. Read on.)
I never intended for this to be a microwave recipe. But after several tries in the oven with inconsistent results, I decided to try to cook a lava cake in the microwave just for kicks. Hold onto your hats. You may find this hard to believe, but the microwave lava cakes yielded 100% consistent results, better cake texture, a completely cooked cake, with an ooey gooey chocolate center. And the best part? They cook in 1 minute! Seriously.
To simplify things even further, I used a brownie mix. I don’t often cook from a box, but brownies mixes are one thing that rival the everything-from-scratch method. I must confess that I often use them when I need a quick, yummy dessert. With a little jazzing up, they can be the base for a fabulous dessert. Like this one.
Nutritional Information per lava cake: 397 calories, 21.3g fat, 217.5mg sodium, 56g carbs, 3.4g fiber, 48.2g sugars, 5.4g protein; Weight Watchers PointsPlus: 12
Search my recipes
Archives
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- August 2017
- February 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
-
Join 130 other subscribers
What is today?