Chocolate Lava Cupcakes

By: Leigh Anne WilkesPosted: 2/09/19Updated: 9/12/22

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Chocolate Lava Cupcakes are a tender chocolate cupcake with warm, gooey, chocolate ganache in the middle. A chocolate lava cake in cupcake form.

Why You’ll Love These Molten Lava Cupcakes

One of my favorite restaurant desserts is Chocolate Lava Cakes. If it is on the menu, I’ll order it. Not only are they delicious but they are just so fun to eat. Who doesn’t love spooning into the cake and watching the chocolate lava just flow out of the cake!? When you add a scoop of ice cream to it, you’ve got heaven!

This recipe for Chocolate Lava Cupcakes is just perfect for when you are serving more than a couple of people and you want a little smaller serving size. The recipe makes 24 cupcakes so you have plenty for everyone some to share.

Ingredients Needed

Heavy Whipping cream
Chocolate chips. I used semi-sweet chocolate chips but you could also use dark chocolate chips.
Vanilla Extract

Devil’s Food cake mix. Use any chocolate cake mix.
Chocolate fudge instant pudding pie filling
Vegetable oil or canola oil
Eggs

What is Ganache?

Ganache is a mixture of chocolate and cream and is used as an icing or filling on baked goods. It is what makes the delicious, ooey gooey middle of the lava cake. You can use chocolate chips or you can also prefer to use chocolate bars or blocks of baking chocolate for the ganache.

How to Make Chocolate Ganache

Ganache. Before you start the cupcakes you will want to make the chocolate ganache that goes in the middle. It needs to cool in the refrigerator for about an hour so it thickens up. It will be like thick pudding once it is cooled.

How to Make Lava Cake Cupcakes

Prepare Pan. Use cupcake liners or spray and flour your muffin pan really well! You don’t want these babies to stick.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a bowl, combine cake mix, dry pudding mix, water, oil and eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on low for 30 seconds and then medium for 2 minutes.
Place 1/3 C of batter into each muffin cup.

Spoon 1 Tbsp of ganache on top of batter and press into batter with back of spoon.

Bake 20-22 minutes or until top springs back when touched.
Cool 1 minute in muffin tin.
Remove from pan and place on cooling rack or parchment paper.
Cool for 10 minutes.
Sprinkle with powdered sugar or serve with ice cream.

adding powdered sugar to chocolate cupcakes

Chocolate Lava Cupcakes can be reheated in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds.

Finish off the cupcakes with a dusting of powdered sugar and then serve them with a scoop of ice cream and some fresh berries.

overhead shot of chocolate cupcakes with powdered sugar on them

You want to eat these babies warm so be sure and time the baking so that they are coming out of the oven right before you want to eat them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make them ahead of time?

This dessert is best when prepared and baked right before serving.

Can I reheat chocolate lava cupcakes

If you end of up with leftovers, don’t worry! They are easy to pop in the microwave and warm up in about 15-20 seconds and all that warm gooeyness in the middle reappears! Keep leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.

Other favorite desserts:

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