Instant Pot Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

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Instant Pot Chocolate Molten Lava Cake is like no other lava cake you've ever had.  Get ready to experience the world's greatest chocolate dessert on a whole new level!

One of the titles I brainstormed for this post went a little somethin' like this, “How to make your kids/spouse/neighbors/worst enemy do anything you want them to do.”

Answer: LAVA CAKE.  Make them a lava cake and they'll give you the world.

In fact, I think I'll write a book one day all about how to teach kids to peacefully make their beds, do the dishes, be polite, etc etc.  It would be a quick read with fast results, because each and every chapter would simply state, “Bribe them with CHOCOLATE MOLTEN LAVA CAKE.”

I'd be a millionaire.

But seriously, I'm going to guess that Lava Cake is the world's most popular dessert (never mind the fact that I couldn't find a single Google Search to confirm that).

My family was in dessert heaven when I was testing upwards of 20 different lava cake flavors for my cookbook Instantly Sweet that I wrote with Barbara over at Pressure Cooking Today.  It was the first time they told me, “You are the best cook in the world!”

They never said that about my zucchini pizza crust.

I've wanted to have our favorite standard Lava Cake recipe on the blog for some time now, and since the season of love is upon us, now felt like the perfect time.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE CHOCOLATE LAVA CAKE IN THE INSTANT POT

• Thin, fudgy cake exterior with silky, smooth, hot, chocolate lava inside.  If you are human, you are drooling right now.  Oven baked lava cake has a dry cake shell, which is still amazing, but whoa, you won't be able to go back after you try the pressure cooker version
• Doesn't stick to the ramekin!  Slide a knife around the edge to be sure and it will happily drop onto your serving plate.  Let's not even bring up how many oven baked lava cakes I've broken over the years due to sticking
• Perfect timing.  Four minutes is on the money, every time.  Caveat: all pressure cookers cook differently depending on brand, style, and altitude.  Times may vary from 4 – 6 minutes, but once you figure that out, you're good to go
• Because of the delicate fudgy cake exterior, I prefer to make the cakes a bit shorter, which in my opinion, makes each lava cake the PERFECT portion

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST PRESSURE COOKER LAVA CAKE

1. Melt chocolate and butter, set aside to cool a bit
2. Beat eggs with a hand mixer for 2 minutes, no less
3. After 2 minutes the eggs will increase in volume and be pale yellow
4. Mix in the powdered sugar
5. Mix in the cooled chocolate
6. Whisk in the flour just until incorporated
7. Divide batter into ramekins
8. Place ramekins on top of a trivet in the pot
9. Cook for 4 – 6 minutes (see note), QUICK RELEASE the pressure.  They are properly cooked if the outside is firm and intact, and the center is jiggly
10. Let it rest a minute or two then run a knife around the edge of the cakes
11. Place serving plate on top of the ramekin
12. Invert onto the plate and gently remove the ramekin

SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW FOR DETAILED COOKING INSTRUCTIONS

Top your masterpiece with ice cream, whipped cream, a pinch of course salt, powdered sugar, or fruit, then pull out your phone so you can take a picture right when your fork hits the cake.  You know you're going to document it, don't even pretend you're not.  While you're at it, share your picture with me on Instagram #marcitidbits!

VARIATIONS OF LAVA CAKES

After testing several lava cakes, these are the ones that made the cut for Instantly Sweet:

• Chocolate Peanut Butter with Bruleed Bananas (If you thought PB&B was good . . .)
• Dark Chocolate Salted Caramel (you'll die)
• Dulce De Leche (Oh yes I did)
• German Chocolate (for my mama)
• S'More (for my kids)
• White Chocolate Peppermint (similar to this one)
• White Chocolate Macadamia (better than the cookie)
• White Chocolate and Nutella (somebody stop me)

If you love today's basic lava cake, just wait until you try one from the book.  My friends and loved ones agree that it's the best taste testing they've ever done for me.

I can't wait for you to try this one!  The Instant Pot takes this classic cake from “yum” to “HALLELUJAH ULTIMATE CHOCOLATE LOVER'S DELIGHT!”.

Enjoy!

TIPS FOR LAVA CAKE SUCCESS

To say this recipe was a tricky one to figure out is an understatement.  I had so many failed batches, I wanted to give up on it completely.  But my husband and kids cheered me on and you should have heard the screams when I finally got it right.  To make sure you don't go through the stress I did, follow these tips:

• Cook Three Ramekins at a Time: Fewer, they will be undercooked, if you stack them on top of each other, they may overcook.  The cakes cook quickly so the first batch can rest while the second batch cooks.  If you want to cook only 1 or 2, fill the extra ramekin(s) with water and cook them alongside the cake filled ramekin(s).  The cakes need the surrounding heat to cook correctly
• Cook Six Ramekins at a Time:  If you have racks that will allow you to stack them without them touching each other, six will cook up great
• Follow the Directions EXACTLY:  Exactly 1 cup of lukewarm water in the pot and cook them for 4 minutes with a quick release of the pressure.  A natural release will overcook them
• Adjust Time as Needed: If the outer layer of your cake is not set after 4 minutes, place the lid back on the pressure cooker and cook for 1 more minute.  In my testing, one Instant Pot cooked them in 4 minutes, the other needed 6.
• Let Cake Rest: Let the cakes rest a minute or two before inverting them onto a plate.  This will ensure that they don't break when you flip them
• Best Baking Chocolate:  Lava Cake works best with baking chocolate vs chocolate chips or a candy bar.  My go to choices are always Bakers, Ghirardelli, and Lindt.

EXTRA TIDBITS

MOLTEN LAVA CAKE FOR TWO

To make just two cakes, cut the recipe in half and divide the batter into two ramekins (they'll be a bit fuller than the original recipe).  Fill a third ramekin with water and cook it alongside the cakes for 5 minutes instead of 4.

MAKE AHEAD LAVA CAKE

Divide the batter into 6 ramekins, cover and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.  Take them out of the fridge about an hour before you cook them so they can come to room temperature.

HOW TO INVERT A CAKE

This is a crucial skill to make sure you don't break your lava cake before it's serving time.  See the step by step photos above or check out this video if you need more details.

MORE INSTANT POT DESSERTS YOU NEED TO MAKE

• Instant Pot White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake
• Instant Pot Tres Leches Cake
• Instant Pot Homemade Chocolates
• Instant Pot Brownie Pudding

TOOLS/INGREDIENTS USED TO MAKE INSTANT POT CHOCOLATE MOLTEN LAVA CAKE

• Instant Pot
• 6-ounce ramekins
• Bakers Chocolate, Ghirardelli Chocolate, or Lindt Chocolate
• Helix Mixer
• Redmond Kosher Salt

Instant Pot Chocolate Molten Lava Cake

Print Recipe

★★★★

4 from 1 reviews

Rich and gooey Instant Pot Lava Cake is the perfect chocolate lover's dessert!

• Author: Marci
• Prep Time: 15 minutes
• Cook Time: 4 minutes
• Total Time: 25 minutes
• Yield: 6 1x
• Category: Dessert
• Method: Pressure Cooker
• Cuisine: American

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 6 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped (see notes)
• 8 tablespoons butter
• large pinch of Kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 eggs
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• ½ cup all-purpose flour

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Instructions

1. Grease bottom and sides of six 6 ounce ramekins with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the chocolate and butter together, stirring constantly until smooth.  Take off the heat and stir in salt and vanilla. Set aside.
3. Crack eggs and egg yolks into a medium size bowl.  With a hand mixer, blend at medium speed for 1-2 minutes until thick and light in color.  
4. Add the powdered sugar; mix to combine.  
5. Add the slightly cooled, melted chocolate and mix for 30 – 60 seconds until smooth and incorporated.  
6. Add flour, stir only until combined.
7. Divide batter into ramekins.
8. Add 1 cup of water to the pressure cooker pot and place a low trivet inside.  
9. Place three ramekins on top of the trivet (see notes for how to cook more or less than 3 cakes at a time).
10. Secure the lid and turn the pressure release knob to a sealed position.  Cook at high pressure for 4 – 6 minutes (see note).
11. When cooking is complete, use a quick release.  
12. Check cakes.  The outside should be set and the center very slightly jiggly.  If batter still appears runny, cook for 1 -2 more minutes. If cake is overcooked, it will still be fudgy and delicious, but it won’t have the molten filling.  
13. Let cakes rest a minute or two, then loosen the sides of the cake with a knife.  Invert a plate on top of the ramekin and gently flip it over to allow the cake to fall onto the plate.  
14. Serve hot with a scoop of ice cream.  Other possible toppings include whipped cream, powdered sugar, berries, caramel, hot fudge, cookie crumbs, sprinkles, sea salt, etc.

Notes

• Cook Three Ramekins at a Time: Fewer, they will be undercooked, if you stack them on top of each other, they may overcook.  The cakes cook quickly so the first batch can rest while the second batch cooks.  If you want to cook only 1 or 2, feel the extra ramekins with water and cook them alongside the cake filled ramekin(s).  The cakes need the surrounding heat to cook correctly
• Cook Six Ramekins at a Time:  The one exception here is, if you have racks that will allow you to stack them without touching each other
• Follow the Directions EXACTLY:  Exactly 1 cup of lukewarm water in the pot and cook them for 4 minutes with a quick release of the pressure.  A natural release will overcook them
• Adjust Time as Needed: If the outer layer of your cake is not set after 4 minutes, place the lid back on the pressure cooker and cook for 1 more minute.  In my testing, one Instant Pot cooked them in 4 minutes, the other needed 6.  Once you figure you out the exact time for your pressure cooker, you'll be set!
• Let Cake Rest: Let the cakes rest a minute or two before inverting them onto a plate.  This will ensure that they don't break when you flip them
• Best Baking Chocolate:  Lava Cake works best with baking chocolate vs chocolate chips or a candy bar.  My go to choices are always Bakers,  Ghirardelli, and Lindt.

Keywords: instant pot dessert, chocolate molten lava cake, valentines day desserts

Recipe adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

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