Slow cooker chocolate lava cake

A decadent homemade dessert doesn't have to be complicated. Try this chocolate lava cake baked in a slow cooker. Be sure to have plenty of ice cream on hand to top the cake, and plenty of friends to help eat it!

Ever since I made the crockpot French toast, I've been intrigued by the idea of being able to make desserts in my slow cooker. That opens up a whole new realm of possibilities. I went with this chocolate lava cake from My Recipe Roundup that I found on Pinterest as I'm ever on the lookout for a good lava cake.

This was really more like the black and white pudding cake I'd made before than the traditional lava cake that's usually baked in individual portions with a molten center. The basic principles are the same as the pudding cake: cake batter, sprinkle sugar-cocoa over it, cover with boiling water and let bake. Or slow cook. I've also seen something like this called a chocolate cobbler.

Regardless of what you call it, this was pretty good. The cake baked to rise to the top but when you spoon into it, the "chocolate lava" is lurking just beneath to make a very rich concoction. It's not meant to be neatly served. It's just meant to be homey decadence. Spoon into (small) dessert dishes, be generous with pouring the chocolate lava on top of the cake, and serve warm with ice cream. 

And yes, it is possible to overcook this. If you cook it too long, the cake portion won't be as fluffy and while there's enough "lava" to keep it from being dry, it'll have a more dense texture if left in the slow cooker for too long. This makes a lot of servings so you may want to try it out when you have a large group of people over (and plenty of ice cream on hand).

Slow cooker chocolate lava cake

From My Recipe Roundup

2 cups brown sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

4 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup milk

4 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Fudge topping

1-1/2 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

3 cups boiling water

1. For the cake: Mix together the sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in milk, melted butter and vanilla until combined. Spread the batter over the bottom of a large crock pot.

2. For the fudge topping: Mix together the brown sugar and cocoa. Sprinkle mixture over the cake batter.

3. Pour the boiling water over the top. Do not stir! Cover and cook on high for 2 to 2-1/2 hours.

4. Turn off heat, and remove lid. Let sit 20-30 minutes before serving, so its still warm but won't burn your mouth.