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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.
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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.
Hi, just saw the recipe and was wondering if the cake comes out whole out of the slow cooker when done? Or does it stay in there and you have to scoop it out? Thanks in advance
Hi Joanne, thank you so much for your question! It would be best to scoop it out. The cake floats in the chocolate lava layer. I hope you love it! – Meggan
This lava cake recipe doesn’t call for eggs?
Hi Kathy, no eggs in this recipe! Hope you love it! – Meggan
Can you substitute Splenda granular for the sugar and Slenda blend brown sugar for the brown sugar? Just trying to make it a little diabetic friendlier.
Hi Denise, thank you so much for your question! I haven’t tried substituting the sugars with Splenda alternatives, sorry! According to their site, the Magic Baker sweeteners can be used as 1:1 substitutes, so I don’t see why it wouldn’t work. I can’t say for sure, though. If you do try this, would you please write back and let me know how it turned out? Thanks! 🙂 – Meggan
Followed the recipe, except we were out of vanilla essence, no biggie. It was delicious! I doubled it and we have leftovers. Will definitely be making this again! Thankyou!
You’re so welcome, Jess! I’m glad you loved it! – Meggan
I had a recipe for Crockpot Chocolate Lava Cake for a long time and lost it. I am so excited that I found this one and can’t wait to make it. Thanks for having a from scratch.
You’re so welcome, Monica! I hope you love it! – Meggan
Thinking of trying this. The sauce looks quite watery on the video though?
Hi Kaye, I agree, it does look a little odd in the video. There is a liquid layer that contributes to the lava-ness of the cake. I think you will love it, I hope so. – Meggan
This is soo good.i doubled all but the sugar. I also used Dutch processed. It came out perfect. Thank you.
Hi Gia, you’re so welcome! Gald you loved it! – Meggan
I followed the recipe exactly (except I doubled it) and it was a smashing success for a birthday party!! I made sure to use very good quality cocoa powder. Sooooo easy too! Thanks
Hi Joanna, so glad it was a hit! – Meggan
What size slow cooker is it normally made in? If halved it is 2 at but then double is 6 quart?
Hi Barbara, I have made it in a 4-quart low cooker. When it’s doubled it is better to make it in a 6-quart. Hope this helps! – Meggan
Amazing! Even the leftover batter was delicious! Will share and bake again! 👍
Thanks Jasmine! – Meggan