Instant Pot Lava Cake

Oooey.  Gooey.  Chocolate.

Lava Cake in the Instant Pot is a snap!  This recipe originates from Adventures of a Nurse.  The original recipe called for 4 ramekins--I had enough batter for 5.

Ingredients:

1 stick butter

1 cup semi-sweet choco chips

1 cup powdered sugar

3 eggs

1 egg yolk

1 Tbsp vanilla

6 Tbsp flour

Combine butter with choco chips and microwave for 2 minutes.  Stir until combined.  Add powdered sugar and stir until smooth.  Stir in eggs and egg yolk until combined. Add vanilla and flour and wisk until smooth.

Spray each ramekin with cooking spray.  Pour batter to nearly the top of each. 

Pour 1 cup water in the instant pot.  Add the trivet.  Place filled ramekins in two layers--just carefully stack/stagger.  Use Manual high pressure for 8 minutes.  Quick release.

Turn ramekins over onto a plate and serve with ice cream, fudge sauce, caramel sauce, etc.

Whipped Chocolate Ganache

THE best frosting.  Ever.  Hands down.  End of story.  It's pure naughty.  Use it as a cupcake frosting, or my favorite is to use it inside a layered chocolate cake.

Whipped Chocolate Ganache

1/2 lb. semisweet chocolate chips

One quart heavy cream

Bring heavy cream to a boil on the stove top.  Immediately remove from heat.  Meanwhile, heat chocolate chips in a double boiler--meaning fill a saucepan halfway with water and bring to a simmer.  Place heat proof bowl of chocolate on top of pan with hot water and stir until chips are melted.

Pour 1/4 of the cream into the chocolate chips and stir until well blended.  Add the rest of the cream and refrigerate overnight or freeze for 2 hours.

Place chocolate cream mixture into a mixer and mix on high until stiff.  

Black Tie Mousse Cake

I love decadent, rich desserts.  One of my favorites is the Black Tie Mousse Cake from Olive Garden.  I googled it one day to see if I could find a copycat recipe . . . and I did!  Not gonna lie, this recipe is a bit labor intensive--nothing difficult, it just takes some time.   In the end it's worth it--so beautiful and so yum.  It's made in a 9" springform pan and I cut this into 14 slices and it was just the right size serving.  Olive Garden version has mini chocolate chips all around the outside, but I don't care for the waxy, hard bits with the smooth cake.

Here's a view of the whole cake right after I made it 

Black Tie Mousse Cake

 Bottom Layer:

1 devils food cake mix

1 small box chocolate pudding mix

2nd Layer:

4 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

4 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 tsp knox unflavored gelatin

1 Tbsp cold water

2 Tbsp boiling water

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 tsp granulated sugar

Third Layer:

3 egg yolks

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3 Tbsp flour

1 tsp knox unflavored gelatin

1 3/4 cups heavy cream

1 tsp vanilla extract

Fourth Layer:

1 cup heavy cream

1 Tbsp butter

12 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Bottom Layer: Mix cake mix according to directions and stir in dry pudding mix until well blended.  Bake in greased springform pan as directed on box.  Let cool.  Remove springform band and cut top of cake off to make the cake an even layer.  Replace springform band around cake and refrigerate.

2nd Layer: In a small saucepan, combine chocolate chips and cream cheese and heat until melted and combined.  Set aside and let cool.  Combine gelatin with cold water and mix well.  Then add boiling water to gelatin mix and stir until mixed well and clear.  In a bowl with mixer, beat cream and sugar together until it starts to thicken.  Add gelatin and mix until stiff peaks form.  Add 1/4 cream mixture to the chocolate mixture and mix until completely combined.  Then fold in the rest of the cream to the chocolate mixture.  Spread over the cake layer in the springform pan.  Refrigerate.

Third Layer: In a small saucepan heat cream and vanilla until it comes to a boil, then remove from heat. In a bowl with mixer, beat egg yolks until pale.  Add sugar, flour, gelatin and beat until mixed well.  Add a small amount of the hot cream to the egg mixture and stir together.  Then slowly pour the rest of the cream into the egg mixture until all blended.  Pour mixture through a fine strainer back into saucepan and heat until custard begins to thicken.  Immediately remove from heat, cool slightly, then pour on top of chocolate mousse in the springform pan.  Place in FREEZER while making the fourth layer.

Fourth Layer: Place chocolate chips in a medium size bowl.  In a small saucepan, bring butter and cream to a boil, then pour over chocolate chips.  Let sit for 5 minutes, then stir together until smooth.  Let it cool until it starts to thicken.  Remove cake from freezer and pour half the chocolate mixture on top of the cake.  Cover the chocolate icing with plastic wrap to keep it from hardening.

Microwave the white chocolate chips in 30 second increments until melted.  Place in a ziploc bag with a small tip cut off.  Squeeze on top of the chocolate frosted layer in long stripe lines top to bottom.  Then take a butter knife and run the it the opposite direction of the white lines, cutting right to left the first cut, left to right the second cut, right to left, etc.

Place cake in fridge for at least one hour until set up.  Carefully remove the springform band and spread the rest of the icing around the edges of the cake.  Refrigerate, then serve cold.

Heath Toffee Cake

I always make this cake when I get together with Brad's sisters.  It brings out the happy in all of us.  The sweetened condensed milk carmelizes as it oozes down into the warm cake.  I use fat free s/c milk (I've used the reg before and it makes no difference in taste) and as always, I use light whipped topping.  

Heath Toffee Cake

1 devils food chocolate cake mix

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 (8-oz) whipped topping

2 Heath or Skor candybars, crushed

Make cake according to directions on box.  Once the cake comes out of the oven, immediately poke holes all over it by sticking a knife all the way down and twisting a little.  Drizzle the sweetened condensed milk onto the hot cake and it will slowly filter down into the holes and a bit over the edges of the cake.

Let cake cool, spread whipped topping over it, then sprinkle crushed candybars over top.  Refrigerate.

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

Is the zucchini in your garden taking over your life?  Your kitchen?  Your garage?   I love zucchini on the grill, or sliced and fried in a pan.  But my favorite way to eat it is in a chocolate cake.  Big surprise, right?  or not.  I don't frost it because it doesn't need it.  But if you feel the need, please do so.  : )

Every summer I grate tons of zucchini and freeze into 2 cup and 3 cup bags.  My cake calls for the 2 cup bags and my bread calls for the 3 cup bags.  Bread coming soon . . . 

Chocolate Zucchini Cake

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup vegetable oil (or applesauce)

3 eggs

1 3/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup buttermilk (regular milk + 1/2 Tbsp lemon juice)

2 1/2 cups flour

4 Tbsp cocoa

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups grated zucchini

1 cup chocolate chips

Combine butter, oil, eggs and sugar until well blended.  Add remaining ingredients in order.  Pour into greased large bun pan (cookie sheet size pan with sides) and bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until set in the center.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

The name pretty much says it all! Lightly crisp on the outside, soft and chewy on the inside.

Oatmeal Choco Chip Cookies
2 sticks butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
3 cups quick oats
1 cup chocolate chips

Beat together butter and sugars until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well.

In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Beat into egg mixture and mix well. Stir in the oats and chips.

Drop spoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake 10 minutes until golden. Cool for 2 minutes before moving to wire rack.

Makes 2 dozen large cookies, or 3 dozen avg size cookies.

Chocolate Freezer Pie

A slice of heaven

It's no secret I love dessert. And it's definitely no secret I love chocolate. This pie is perfect. It's cold, it's chocolate, and it's so quick and easy to make. I use light cream cheese and light cool whip and I've never missed the calories!

Frozen Chocolate Pie
1 Oreo pie crust
2 Tbsp sugar
4 oz. softened cream cheese
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
2 Tbsp milk
8 oz Cool Whip

Beat together sugar, cream cheese, and 1/3 cup milk.

Meanwhile, heat chocolate chips and 2 Tbsp milk in a saucepan over low heat. Add chocolate mixture to cream cheese mixture.

Gently fold in cool whip to mixture. Pour into pie crust. Freeze. Serve frozen.