Try This: Lava Cake January 19, 2007

My work friends will appreciate this entry.  After having made this cake by request the last 4 out of 4 nights I’ve worked, I’ve decided it’s valuable enough to share!  It’s also a start of my “Try this” entries, where I share random ideas that have worked for me in some way, with you.   This is the easiest and quickest cake in the world and, not even considering those two factors, it’s delicious!  Every time I make it, tasters become believers about this silly ooey gooey cake that comes out of the microwave in 10 minutes!

The secret to this cake is a little microwave pan, sold by Pampered Chef, called the Rice Cooker Plus.  That being said, I’ve never sold it to anyone who wanted to make rice…it’s all about the cake.  The fact that I’ve sold almost 20 of them at work since last weekend certainly speaks to its impressive nature.  I’ll have instructions at the bottom if you need to buy the cooker!   

Once you have the cooker, the rest is a breeze. 

You’ll need:

A cake mix (your choice of flavor) + the ingredients to make it

A can of prepared icing (again your choice of flavor) 

This is the convenience recipe.  If you are a 100% homemade person, feel free to use homemade cake batter and icing.  I’m getting the idea there aren’t many of you out there, however.  When I said that at work, the response was, “homemade icing, what’s that?”   

You mix the batter up, as directed, right into the rice cooker (no need to dirty another bowl).  Then, into the raw batter, scoop out the can of icing into the middle.  Just dump it in there.  Now, seal the lid and microwave on high for 9-12 minutes, depending on microwave.  I’d start with less time – you’d rather it be too gooey than too done.  

Once baked, dump the cake out onto a dish with sides to catch all the runny goodness.  J  It should be jiggly.  Some of my work friends say it jiggles like thighs with cellulite, but I’m sure we don’t want to think about that now.  Once you flip it, it will ooze sauce and sometimes gurgle and spew and be runny in the middle.  Serve!  I just scoop it out with some of the sauce and it is wonderful topped with ice cream.  It will not be a beautiful a presentation, but it’s the absolute melt-in-your-mouth taste that counts!  If it’s solid in the middle, it’s still yummy, but back off by a minute or two on your microwave next time.    You can use any flavor combination you wish.  We seem to be stuck in a rut at work, as one of our managers just can’t see it any other way than chocolate on chocolate.  That is truly delicious, but I’ve listed some other combos below if you feel like branching out.   

Strawberry cake and cream cheese frosting,White cake and strawberry frosting, Confetti Cake and Colored Frosting,Yellow Cake and Chocolate Frosting,White or Chocolate or Carmel cake with Carmel or German Chocolate Frosting, Chocolate/chocolate with Raspberry or Strawberry preserves on top.  I’m sure you get the idea. 

You can also add other toppings, either before baking or after, or both if you are feeling really sinful.    Try:  Andes mints, toasted nuts, p-nut butter, any candy or chocolate chips, ice cream toppings, preserves, pie fillings, etc.  You can be as creative and adventurous as you like!   

I used leftover orange icing from a birthday cake we had made and the boys thought it looked like a volcano.  That’s a “hot-tango” here in toddler speak.  After Halloween, I emptied the pantry into this cake:  a handful of reese pieces, choc chips, p-nut butter chips, caramels, a few small reese cups, and some caramel topping – all into the batter.  It was delightful!   

It’s best eaten fresh, so plan to eat it all in one sitting (optional:  share with others).  If you do have leftovers, however, there are still good – just re-heat for maximum effect. 

The real beauty here is that even cheapo cake mixes and icings turn out wonderfully delicious cakes, so you can economize.  My daughters can make this cake completely independently without having to use the oven.  Put it in as you sit down to dinner and “wa-lah”:  it dings while you are eating and you have hot, fresh cake.   

There won’t always be a sales-pitch, but I do sell this handy cookers if needed.  They are $19, plus tax and s/h.  Do your math, though.  After you invest the $19, a cake mix plus icing can be purchased for about $2.  I sound like an infomercial, but it pays for itself quickly.  Pampered Chef won’t let me put in a link to my website L  but here’s the address and you can just cut and paste if you’d like.  You can do an individual order and have it shipped straight to you – pretty easy I must say!  www.pamperedchef.biz/HoukHouseCook  Enjoy your lava cake!  Impressive, easy, quick, and YUMMY!