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Crockpot Lava Cake is a chocolate lover’s dream! Moist chocolate cake with gooey, fudgy filling, cooked magically in the slow cooker.
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Crockpot Lava Cake is one of my favorite hot fudge indulgences! Rich molten chocolate cake is a divinely decadent cake with a rich and creamy chocolate filling in the center. The liquid center can be chocolate, caramel, or any kind of fruit filling.
This crockpot chocolate lava cake gets its name because of the warm, liquid center. Using a Crockpot makes it so easy to throw ingredients in and watch them transform into a beautiful layered dessert. Serve with whipped cream or a giant scoop of vanilla ice cream and you have a sinfully sweet treat that everyone will love!
Ingredients in Crockpot Lava Cake
This slow-cooker chocolate lava cake is basically three layers of chocolatey goodness that bakes up beautifully in the crockpot. Here’s all you need:
Bottom Layer:
- Parchment paper – you’ll use this on the bottom of the crockpot so the cake doesn’t stick (see picture below)
- Devil’s Food Cake Mix – one box of your favorite brand of mix.
- Milk – I use whatever I have in my fridge, but whole milk will give this cake an extra creamy and rich flavor.
- Vegetable oil – half a cup.
- 3 eggs – three large eggs, or four medium eggs for this cake.
Middle Layer:
- Instant pudding mix – You’ll need one package of instant chocolate pudding mix (3.9 ounces). You’ll whisk the pudding into the milk.
- Milk – Again, use whatever you have on hand, but whole milk will make the pudding really rich and thick.
Top Layer:
- Rolo mini candies – sprinkle unwrapped mini Rolo candies on top of the batter. You can use dark chocolate chips, milk chocolate chips or another favorite chocolate candy here.
Instructions for Layering
- After placing parchment paper in the bottom of the crockpot, mix together the cake mix, milk, oil and eggs in a large bowl. Then pour into the slow cooker.
- For the second layer, whisk the chocolate pudding mix and milk in a medium bowl, then pour the mixture on top of the cake batter.
- Finally, sprinkle the candies on top. DO NOT mix any of the layers together.
How to Serve
Spoon into individual ramekins or dessert dishes and serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. The cake takes about three to five hours to cook, depending on your slow cooker. Cake is ready when a toothpick placed in the center half way down comes out clean. When it’s all done, the top layer will become the middle and underneath will be a gooey, chocolate caramel sauce.
Tips for Perfect Lava Cake in the Slow Cooker
- Follow the layering instructions outlined in the recipe card below. I know it seems strange to put the filling ingredients on top, but trust me on this. During the cooking process, the top becomes the outer layer of the cake and the bottom becomes a gooey, chocolate caramel filling. It magically reverses during cooking!
- Slow-cooker chocolate lava cake cooks for 3 hours. The first hour on high, and then switch to low heat for the following 2 hours. I like the convenience of being able to prepare this cake ahead and time it so we are ready for dessert right when the 3 hours are up. This also makes it a great dessert to have for hosting a shower, book club, or Bunco night. Rich chocolate fragrance fills the whole house while it’s cooking, which is one of my favorite parts!
- The ease and convenience of this recipe are a big bonus. Clean up is a breeze! Ingredients are layered in the slow cooker lined with parchment paper or a slow cooker liner, which keeps the sides from burning. If you have a slow cooker that tends to burn in one spot, you can place some aluminum foil under the parchment paper in that spot. Then the mess can all be crumpled up and thrown away when you are done.
Frequently Asked Questions About Crockpot Lava Cake
This cake stores nicely in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week. To serve, remove from fridge and re-warm in the microwave.
You can! Use a gluten-free Devil’s Food Cake mix. There are several options at your regular grocery store.
Yes, but you will need to use two crockpots. The mixture won’t cook correctly if the ingredients are doubled in the same slow cooker. We use a six quart crockpot for this recipe.
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How to Make Crockpot Lava Cake
Crockpot Lava Cake
Video
Equipment
- Crockpot
Ingredients
For the first layer:
- parchment paper
- 1 box Devil’s Food Cake Mix
- 1 1/4 cups milk
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3 eggs
For the second layer:
- 3.9 ounces instant chocolate pudding mix (1 package)
- 2 cups milk
For the top layer:
- 1 bag Rolo mini candies unwrapped
Instructions
- Cut out a large piece of parchment paper and place it in your slow cooker on low heat, then lightly spray with cooking spray.
- Mix together the cake mix, milk, oil, and eggs for the first layer and beat for two minutes. Pour into the parchment paper in the slow cooker.
- Mix together the instant pudding and milk and beat for two minutes, then carefully and evenly pour the pudding over the cake layer in the slow cooker. DO NOT MIX IT IN.
- Carefully arrange a layer or Rolo mini candies over the top of that. DO NOT MIX IT IN.
- Place lid on slow cooker and cook on high for the first hour, then switch to low heat for the following two hours. Cooking time will vary depending on your slow cooker, but we've found this method works very well.
- Cake is ready when a toothpick placed in the center half way down comes out clean.
- When finished cooking, the top will become a layer of chocolate cake, and underneath will be a gooey, chocolate caramel sauce.
- Spoon into individual bowls, and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.
Notes
-
- Please don’t mix the layers! During the cooking process, the top becomes the outer layer of the cake and the bottom becomes a gooey, chocolate caramel filling. It magically reverses during cooking.
- If you have a slow cooker that tends to burn in one spot, you can place some aluminum foil under the parchment paper in that spot.
- We’ve tested cooking times since first publishing this recipe. Originally, we cooked this cake for 3-5 hours on low. Most people were finding it took closer to 5 hours. After testing, we recommend cooking the cake on high for 1 hour, and then reducing heat to low for 2 hours.
Thanks for the recipe. I just saw it posted by someone on facebook. Will definitely share! It looks so yummy!
Can I use almond milk instead of regular milk?
We haven’t tried it that way before but you will probably be ok. Let us know if you try it and how it turns out!
I used almond milk and it turned out fine.
On the pudding box it says if u use soy milk it will not thicken but I assume it would say the same for almond if that were to not work as well.
Oh, yum! I love caramel and chocolate. I am going to make this this weekend. We have been all about slow cooker recipes lately on our blog and this one will be a great one to try. Thanks for another great recipe 😉
How many does it serve?
made this yesterday and have leftovers for today ???? it’s delicious and will definitely be making it again
Do you know if it’s possible to make this with a chocolate cake recipe? I don’t use cake box mixes and would prefer to use a homemade cake mix instead. Thank you!
Yes, that would work fine.
Could a slow cooker liner be substituted for the parchment paper?
Yes
What it the 1oz box of chocolate pudding mean, is that the packets of chocolate moose stuff ? Sorry for being a bit thick
Pudding would be more similar to custard.
how would modify the recipe, not having the ready dry mixes?
You could use the dry ingredients of a homemade cake mix.
What could you use as a substitute for the rolo’s to make the sauce chocolate instead of caramel.
You can do any kind of chocolate, chocolate chips work great.
Can you substitute a brownie mix for the cake mix
I haven’t tried that. It wouldn’t have the same consistency.
Can you use one of those crock pot liners instead of parchment paper?
Yes, definitely.
is this a cut table cake or more like amusing cake you would spoon out?
It’s more like a cake that you would spoon out.
If I assemble this on the crock pot on the morning, can I let it sit a few hours before I turn the crock pot on?
It isn’t recommended because it will be sitting at room temperature for a long time which increases the possibility of food bourne illness. Hope this helps!
What would you do to make this in the oven instead of the crock pot?
I haven’t tried cooking it in the oven, but I would try cooking it at 350 degrees and continually checking it until the center is set.
could you make this with different kinds of candy?
I haven’t tried that but I don’t see why not. 🙂
Oh….small snickers might be good too! Yummy!!
Do you need a mixer or is it possible with a whisk and determination? Lol
A whisk would work fine. 🙂
Do you mix up the cake as directed on the box and then add the milk, oil, and eggs? Same with the pudding mix.
No, you just do the dry cake mix, and mix it up with the items I listed.
What size crockpot works best so it will cook evenly? Small round or larger oblong?
I used a large oblong crock pot.
How many quarts in a large crock pot?
Typically 8-quarts!
Thanks. I’m currently at work and I entered this as a first time cook for this recipe. I’m FREAKING out. I followed the recipe EXACTLY and almost 3 hours it’s still SOUP! I went ahead and put it on high for an hour. Do you think that will just mess it up? HELP!!!!
I don’t think it will mess it up. Keep a close eye on it though so the sides don’t burn. It could have something to do with the crock pot heating element. It should be cooked completely on the top, but the bottom layer will have a hot fudge consistency.
UPDATE!! After letting it “bake” one more hour on high, it actually came out quite tasty and to the consistency that it needed to be. I won 3rd place in our Thanksgiving “Crock-Pot Luck” Contest!! 🙂
Thank you for a wonderful recipe. I will most definitely make it again soon.
Trying this tonight for the first time – can’t wait. Was wondering though the size of the bag that you used of the Rolo Minis?
I think it was 11 or 12 oz.
Hi… Is it portable for the next day? Would you remove from crock and put in another container?
That’s what I did, although there wasn’t much left, haha. I just put what was left in some tupperware in the fridge, then warmed it up in the microwave when we had it again.