This post contains affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you purchase through those links (at no extra cost to you).
This Slow Cooker Chocolate Lava Cake is a game-changer: Warm, gooey chocolate cake (made from scratch!) nestled in a river of thick fudge sauce. Make this easy, luscious dessert right in your crockpot. Top with ice cream, whipped cream, or both for an extra special treat.
Meggan’s notes
Many Lava Cakes start with a cake mix and a box of pudding, but I don’t usually keep those around much. As a classically-trained chef with plenty of pastry experience, I wasn’t settling for anything less than a from-scratch chocolate lava cake.
I also thought the idea of doing it in a slow cooker was so great! Fun, unique, interesting, and EASY. So fire up your crockpot and try out this self-saucing chocolate cake. It’s amazing!
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Cocoa powder: Look for the unsweetened baking cocoa powder, not the mix for making hot chocolate. Both natural and Dutch-process cocoa powder will work in this recipe.
Step-by-step instructions
To make the cake batter:
- Coat a slow cooker with nonstick spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. In a second bowl, whisk together the milk, melted butter, and vanilla.
- Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredient in to the well and whisk until smooth.
- Pour into the bottom of a slow cooker.
To make the topping:
- Whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, cocoa powder until evenly combined. Sprinkle evenly over the batter in the slow cooker.
- Pour the hot water over the top of the batter and topping. Do not stir.
- Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours or LOW for 5 hours, or until a toothpick inserted in to the middle of the cake comes out clean with a few crumbs attached.
- Serve with ice cream or whipped cream, spooning the chocolate sauce from the bottom of the slow cooker over the top. Garnish with maraschino cherries if desired.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes about 6 cups of Lava Cake, enough for 6 servings, 1 cup each. If you’re serving this at a party with other desserts, you can probably feed 10 to 12 guests.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
- Keep it warm: If your crockpot switches to “warm” after it’s done cooking, you can leave it in the crockpot on the “warm” setting for at least 2-3 hours without changing the cake. For example, I cooked the cake on LOW for 5 hours, then left it in the crockpot for 2 more hours on the “warm” setting, and it was still perfect.
- Double recipe: Double the ingredients and it will still fit in a 6-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 to 5 hours or LOW for 4 to 6 hours (or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean with a few crumbs attached.)
- Half recipe: Half the ingredients fit nicely in a 2-quart slow cooker. Cover and cook on HIGH for 2 hours or LOW for 3 to 4 hours (or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean with a few crumbs attached.) A perfect dessert for your romantic Valentine’s Day meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, that’s not a good idea. At the request of a reader, I tried it out. The “sugar topping” is actually the underlying fudge layer. If you make just the cake, it is not sweet enough, the chocolate flavor is lacking, the whole cake is dry, and it might even burn in the bottom of your slow cooker. I suggest making the cake as written, sugar topping and all.
More clever desserts
Cookie Recipes
Lemon Cookies
Chocolate Recipes
Oreo Brownie Trifle
Eats
Scotcheroos
Cake Recipes
Texas Sheet Cake with Sour Cream
Join Us
Slow Cooker Chocolate Lava Cake
Ingredients
For the cake batter:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons cocoa powder (see note 1)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/3 cup butter melted
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
For the cake topping:
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup brown sugar firmly packed
- ¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- 2 1/4 cups hot water
For serving:
- Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream
- Maraschino cherries optional
Instructions
To make the cake batter:
- Coat a slow cooker with nonstick spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. In a second bowl, whisk together the milk, melted butter, and vanilla.
- Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet ingredient in to the well and whisk until smooth. Pour into the bottom of a slow cooker.
To make the topping:
- Whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, cocoa powder until evenly combined. Sprinkle evenly over the batter in the slow cooker.
- Pour the hot water over the top of the batter and topping. Do not stir. Cover and cook on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours or LOW for 5 hours, or until a toothpick inserted in to the middle of the cake comes out clean with a few crumbs attached.
- Serve with ice cream or whipped cream, spooning the chocolate sauce from the bottom of the slow cooker over the top. Garnish with maraschino cherries if desired.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Cocoa powder: Look for the unsweetened baking cocoa powder, not the mix for making hot chocolate. Both natural and Dutch-process cocoa powder will work in this recipe.
- Yield: This recipe makes about 6 cups of Lava Cake, enough for 6 servings, 1 cup each.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered at room temperature for 2 to 3 days.
Hello, what is your opinion about cooking this cake on low for 6-7 hours? Thank you
Hi Lynda, my opinion is that it would probably be fine. I’d be happy to test it though, I can test it on Monday. I will reply with and post the results! Thanks!
Hi Lynda, I tested this, cooking the cake on low. Even on low, it was done after 5 hours. So, I would say if you have a slow cooker that switches to “warm” when it’s done cooking, you’ll be fine. Set it for 5 hours, and if switches to “warm” after that, you’ll be fine. I left mine in the crockpot for another 2 hours (to get to 7 hours total) and it was still delicious – soft and chewy on top with the chocolate pudding sauce beneath. No change in quality. Please let me know if you need anything else. I’ll be retesting this as a double-batch too, today! Take care.
Did you spray the slow cooker pan? I’m thinking I would, but I don’t see if you did or did not spray the pan. Thanks.
I think we should, yes. I will add it to the instructions. I always do that but clearly forgot to write it in the recipe. Thank you Mary!
Hi Meggan, it’s Saturday, I may give it a whirl, what’s the worst that can happen? We eat it ourselves 😀
Hi Meggan, can this recipe be doubled? I’d like to bring this to a Jack and Jill:)
Hi Geri, I haven’t made it doubled but I don’t see why not? I cut it in half and it worked really well. 🙂 I might have a chance to test a doubled version this weekend… when is your event? Please let me know! Thanks Geri!
Thank you for taking the time to respond Meggan! Was mostly concerned about taste..
I will try to remember to send you an update, I think it will be ok! 🙂
Sounds perfect! I will try on Thursday but have to take it for a 20 min ride and won’t be able to serve for at least 30 minutes after…. thoughts? Thank you!
Hi Barbara, I haven’t done this exact scenario so I can’t say for sure. But, I think you will be fine. Because you’ll be traveling, the crock pot will be turned off and the cake won’t keep cooking. Worst case scenario, you have a little less chocolate sauce than you otherwise would… but I don’t see that happening because the heat is off. As far as food safety goes, you’re good to go. Please let me know if you have any other questions. Thank you for the question! Take care and I hope you love the cake.
Hello Meggan, I really want to try this recipe, but since I’m in school I only cook for myself. I have a 2Qt. round crock pot. Is there any way I can condense this recipe? Thank you!!
Hi Gabriella! I can put it on the list to test, off the top of my head I don’t know exactly. I don’t want to lie and give you the wrong information! But I will post my results as soon as I can… won’t be until February though. Sorry for the delay! Good luck in school, such a lovely time in life! 😀
The wait is no problem. Thank you for taking the time to do this for me. Also, I will enjoy it to my fullest! Thank you once again! 😀
Brilliant! thanks for getting back to me ! Looking forward to making it amd sharing it my friends!
Hi Megan! I’m planning to make this very soon as it looks AMAZING!! just wondering what flour to use and what sugar (not the brown sugar…what is the other one?) Thank you! Kat x
Hi Kathryn! The flour is all-purpose and the sugar is granulated (aka regular, plain sugar). I hope this helps! If not let me know! Take care and thanks for giving the recipe a try. 😀
Thank you so much for this superb recipe. Made it last night and it’s already been eaten. Absolutely delicious. It took two and a half hours in my slow cooker though. Will be one of my go to chocolate desserts from now on 🙂
I added 1 teaspoon of coffee to the full version as it was a little “meh”, and it did wonders!
Works in the oven as well. I used the full version in a 9″ round, glass baking dish (with a lid) at 350° for roughly 40 mins and it came out just as good as it did in the slow cooker.