Brownie Batter Lava Cake
Indulge in this decadent Brownie Batter Lava Cake, where a light and airy chocolate cake meets a gooey brownie batter center that flows with every slice! Topped with a velvety buttercream, this dessert is a chocolate lover's dream come true. Get ready to impress your friends with this show-stopping treat that’s as fun to make as it is to eat!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
3
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 3🥛Dairy & Eggs(9)
- 70g (5 tbsp) non-dairy butter (70 g)
- 90g (6 tbsp) non-dairy butter (84 g)
- 339g (1 ½ cups) non-dairy butter (340 g)
- 80g (⅓ cup) non-dairy cream (79.2 ml)
- 2–3 tbsp non-dairy cream (30 ml)
- 45–68g (3–4½ tbsp) non-dairy cream (45 ml)
- 360g (1 ½ cups) non-dairy milk (360 ml)
- 60–90g (¼–⅓ cup) non-dairy milk (60 ml)
- 120g (½ cup) plain non-dairy yogurt (120 ml)
🫙Pantry Staples(18)
- 40g (5 tbsp) AP flour (75 ml)
- 2 ½ tsp baking powder (12.5 ml)
- ½ tsp baking soda (2.5 ml)
- 330g (2 ¾ cups) cake flour (344 g)
- 360g (1 ½ cups) cane sugar (300 g)
- 50g (¼ cup) cane sugar (50 g)
- 70g (½ cup) chopped non-dairy chocolate (120 ml)
- 70g (¾ cup) Dutch cocoa (180 ml)
- 40g (½ cup) Dutch cocoa (120 ml)
- 60g (½ cup) Dutch cocoa (120 ml)
- 68g (½ cup + 1 tbsp) Dutch cocoa (120 ml)
- 120g (1 cup) heat-treated all-purpose flour (125 g)
- 100g (½ cup packed) light brown sugar (100 g)
- 240g (1 cup) neutral oil (240 ml)
- 510g (4 ½ cups) powdered sugar (900 g)
- 2 tsp vanilla (10 ml)
- 1 tsp vanilla (5 ml)
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste (5 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(3)
- 1 tsp fine sea salt (5 ml)
- ½ tsp fine sea salt (2.5 ml)
- Pinch salt
🍯Sauces & Condiments(1)
- 2 tsp apple cider vinegar (10 ml)
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Cake: Heat oven to 350°F. Line 3 pans. Whisk dry ingredients. Mix non-dairy milk and apple cider vinegar for 5 minutes, then add yogurt, oil, vanilla, and sugar. Fold in dry ingredients. Bake for 22–25 minutes. Cool and chill.
- 2
Lava: Melt butter and sugars. Whisk in cocoa and flour. Stream in cream. Stir in vanilla and salt. Fold in chocolate. Thin with non-dairy milk if desired.
- 3
Squares: Cream butter and sugars. Mix cocoa, flour, and salt. Add vanilla and cream. Fold in chocolate. Press mixture, chill for 30 minutes, and cube.
- 4
Buttercream: Whip non-dairy butter. Add powdered sugar, cocoa, salt, and vanilla. Add cream until silky.
- 5
Assemble: Layer cake with buttercream dam, room temperature lava, and brownie squares. Frost and drizzle.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Chill your lava filling to 65-70°F before assembly so it holds its shape but remains pourable when cut, creating the perfect molten center without leaking during construction.timing65-70°F
- ✓Create a buttercream dam 1/4-inch thick around cake edges because liquid lava filling exerts 2-3x more pressure than standard frosting and will breach thinner barriers.technique1/4-inch thick
- ✓Temper your chocolate for the lava filling by heating to 115°F then cooling to 84°F before folding in, ensuring it sets with a glossy finish and won't bloom.technique115°F to 84°F
- ✓Press brownie squares with 15-20 pounds of pressure during chilling because under-compressed squares crumble when cut, disrupting the clean lava flow effect.technique15-20 pounds pressure
- ✓Whip non-dairy butter for 8-10 minutes until volume increases by 150% before adding powdered sugar, as plant-based fats need longer aeration to achieve proper buttercream texture.timing8-10 minutes, 150% volume increase
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