Chocolate Peanut Butter Molten Lava Cake
A gooey chocolate peanut butter delight, now made easily at home.
you're making mealtime meaningful.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Molten Lava Cake takes that classic individualized restaurant dessert, but this version is an approachable and streamlined treat. A quick-to-assemble batter gets poured into a baking pan to feed a crowd. Baked until it’s firm around the edges and saucy in the center makes the day feel just a bit more special.
When one thinks of the late 80s and early 90s restaurants, carpeted dining rooms, gold accented wall mirrors, and potted tropical plants bathing in a murky haze from the partitioned smoking section are just some of the images that come to mind. But nothing encapsulates an end to restaurant meals like the dessert. Molten lava cake had its time and place as the dessert. Individualized portion of barely baked chocolate cake, spreading across the entire region of the plate, melting the ice cream and whipped cream and displacing the mint and strawberry slice. Here, the molten, gooey energy of the single-serving dessert gets a home makeover. Chocolate pairs with its lifelong companion peanut butter to create a thick and luxurious batter. Baked until it barely sets makes this dessert a perfect slow-down melt-in-the-moment delight.
The batter is prepared in three separate bowls. In one bowl, you have your tiny amount of dry ingredients, next you have melted chocolate and butter, and in the third, you have eggs and sugar whipped until foamy and doubled in volume.
Gradually add the dry ingredients and melted chocolate mixture to the egg mixture, mixing until just combined.
Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan. Dollop several spoonfuls of peanut butter on top of the batter, then add the remaining batter to the pan.
Bake the cake until the sides start to pull away from the pan and the center is still jiggly.
Serve this Chocolate Peanut Butter Molten Lava Cake immediately to get the full gooey, decadent experience. Those dollops of peanut butter mix with the chocolate making for a satisfying spoonful of delight. The chocolate is rich and deep while the peanut butter is salty, cutting through any sweetness.
There’s no other way to dive into this dessert than with the largest spoon you have in your kitchen and a refreshing cold glass of milk. It has the texture and intensity of a rich melted truffle but is intensified by the molten hot temperature. An image of comfort is epitomized with this cake.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Molten Lava Cake
Yield(s): Serves 6 to 8
15m prep time
30m cook time
you're making mealtime meaningful.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
- 1/2 teaspoon instant espresso powder
- 1 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips
- 1 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 9 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 350°F and spray an 8x8-inch baking pan with baking spray, set aside.
- In a bowl whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt, and espresso powder, set aside.
- In a microwave-safe bowl melt chocolate and butter and cook on high for 1 minute, stir. Microwave afterwards in 30-second intervals, stirring after each interval. Do this until the chocolate and butter are fully melted. Set aside.
- In a third bowl whip eggs and sugar until light and doubled in volume, about 2 to 3 minutes on a medium speed.
- Gradually mix in the dry ingredients followed by the melted chocolate and butter. Whipping until no streaks of chocolate remain.
- Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan.
- Spoon 9 tablespoons of peanut butter on top of the batter and then pour the remaining batter on top.
- Bake in the preheated oven until the edges of the cake start to pull away from the pan and the center is still jiggly. About 30 to 35 in a ceramic baking dish, or 25 to 30 minutes in a dark baking pan. Serve immediately.
Recipe adapted from Southern Living.