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Slow Cooker Chocolate Lava Pudding Cake

Slow Cooker Chocolate Lava Pudding Cake

This recipe demystifies the beloved lava cake, transforming it into a low-fuss, slow cooker marvel that’s incredibly useful for busy home cooks, offering an impossibly decadent and molten chocolate experience with minimal hands-on effort.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 4 hours
Resting Time 15 minutes
Total Time 4 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Course: Dessert
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cake Batter Ingredients
  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • ¾ cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup milk (any kind)
  • ½ cup vegetable oil (or other neutral-flavored oil)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • ½ cup hot water or hot brewed coffee
Chocolate Sauce Ingredients
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 1 ½ cups hot water or hot brewed coffee

Equipment

  • Slow Cooker
  • Large mixing bowl
  • Medium Mixing Bowl
  • Whisk
  • Spatula
  • Parchment paper
  • Wooden skewer
  • Serving platter

Method
 

  1. Lightly grease the inside of your slow cooker insert with butter or cooking spray. Alternatively, you can line it with parchment paper, leaving some overhang to help lift the cake out later.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, ¾ cup of the granulated sugar, ½ cup of the unsweetened cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt. Ensure there are no clumps.
    1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, ¾ cup granulated sugar, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
  3. In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract until well combined.
    1 cup milk, ½ cup vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix with a whisk or spatula until just combined. Be careful not to overmix; a few small lumps are okay.
  5. Gradually whisk in the ½ cup of hot water or hot brewed coffee until the batter is smooth and pourable. The batter will be quite thin, which is normal.
    ½ cup hot water or hot brewed coffee
  6. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining ¼ cup of granulated sugar, ½ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, and the 1 ½ cups of hot water or hot brewed coffee until smooth. This will form your luscious pudding sauce.
    1 cup granulated sugar, ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1 ½ cups hot water or hot brewed coffee
  7. Pour the cake batter evenly into the prepared slow cooker insert.
  8. Carefully and slowly pour the prepared chocolate sauce mixture over the cake batter. Do not stir it in. The sauce will settle to the bottom and magically create the pudding layer.
  9. Cover the slow cooker and cook on high for 2 to 2.5 hours, or on low for 3.5 to 4 hours. The cake is done when the top appears set and a wooden skewer inserted near the edges comes out mostly clean (a little bit of moist cake attached is fine). The pudding sauce will thicken underneath.
  10. Carefully remove the slow cooker liner from the cooker. Let it sit for about 10-15 minutes before attempting to invert it onto a serving platter. You can run a knife around the edges if needed, or use the parchment paper overhang to lift it out. Serve warm.

Notes

Leftovers store well in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Reheat individual portions in the microwave or the whole cake in the oven.