Oh boy. This is decadence right here. A chocolate cake with a melty peanut butter center. This is the good stuff.
If you or your Valentine...or your mom or your neighbor or your mail lady...is a fan of peanut butter and chocolate, put these cakes on your must-make list immediately.
Lava cakes seem like they're complicated to make. (Pssst...they're not.) Here's a red velvet lava cake you might want to try, too!
You'll make the cake batter as well as peanut butter centers.
The peanut butter center will melt as the cake bakes around it.
Once the cakes have cooled slightly, they're popped out of the ramekins and inverted onto a dessert plate.
Heart-shaped ramekins are not required, but they're darn cute. I bought mine a few years ago at my grocery store (!!!)...I love my grocery store. Whatever their shape, they need to hold 6 ounces.
Serve with chocolate sauce and a dusting of powdered sugar. If you're wearing
your stretchy pants, top with ice cream.
Chocolate Peanut Butter Lava Cakes
YIELD: 4 cakes
PREP TIME: 30 minutes
BAKE TIME: 15 minutes
MEAL: dessert
DIFFICULTY: easy
Filling:
3 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 tablespoon salted butter, room temperature
Cake:
1/4 cup unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon Dutch-process cocoa
1/2 cup salted butter
6 ounces bittersweet chocolate
3 eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon espresso powder
chocolate sauce, for topping
powdered sugar, for topping
Stir the peanut butter, powdered sugar, and butter together until smooth.
Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425. Butter four 6-ounce ramekins. Stir together a few
spoonfuls of flour and cocoa powder. Dust the ramekins; tap out the
excess.
Divide the chilled peanut butter filling evenly into four portions, and
return to the refrigerator.
Whisk the flour and cocoa together. Set aside. Melt the chocolate and butter
over low heat until melted and smooth. Remove from heat.
Beat the eggs with the sugar until thickened, about 3 minutes. Stir the
vanilla and espresso powder together. Add to the egg mixture along with the
melted chocolate until thoroughly combined. Fold in the flour/cocoa mixture.
Fill the ramekins with 2/3rds of the batter. Place a peanut butter
dollop on top of the batter. Spoon the remaining batter over the peanut
butter.
Bake for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest on a cooling rack for 5
minutes. Run a knife along the edge of the ramekins. Invert a dessert plate
on top and flip the plate over. Remove the ramekin.
Serve the cakes warm with chocolate sauce and sifted powdered sugar.
Cakes may be made ahead and refrigerated. Reheat in the microwave for 30
seconds. The cakes may not come out of the ramekins as cleanly as
freshly-baked.
Melty peanut butter is hidden inside the rich little chocolate cakes.
They’re perfect for Valentine’s Day or for any chocolate + peanut butter
lover.
My recipe was first shared on The Pioneer Woman Food & Friends.