Pressure Cooker White Chocolate Peppermint Lava Cake

Easy, Creamy, Peppermint Dreamy Lava Cake will be the talk of every holiday party or the perfect dessert for a night in for 2.

Every now and again I really knock my kids socks off.  Not so much with the the dreamiest Sweet Potato Casserole of all time or the most flavorful “Smoked” Ham they’ve ever experienced.  But this Pressure Cooker White Chocolate Peppermint Lava Cake?  Socks were knocked off all over the house!  Which is actually a daily occurrence and it continues to boggle my mind that no one else can put a sock in a hamper but me . . . Sorry, mom vent, I’m done now.

Before the pressure cooker, I ruined a lot of lava cakes in the oven.  In fact, it was probably a good 7 years since my last attempt when I decided to try a dark chocolate and white chocolate version for our Master the Electric Pressure Cooker cookbook.  And FINALLY!  It worked!

In the pressure cooker the cake stays fudgy, the molten stays runny, and it falls out of the ramekin like a dream!

Christmas/Winter time means peppermint for me all the way.  Exhibit A: Peppermint Crio Bru (MAKE IT!).  Today it means candy cane dusted, white chocolate lava cake with a silky smooth white chocolate peppermint lava that will take your breath away!  Top that baby off with peppermint ice cream and just go ahead and happy cry your way through every last bite.  Or sad cry when it’s gone and your mean mom won’t let you have another one, says my daughter.

The secret to the peppermint lava is a white chocolate peppermint candy, which are in abundance this year.  You could use a Lindt Peppermint Truffles (which is what I used), Candy Cane Kisses, or even break up some Ghirardelli peppermint squares.  If it’s not the holiday season when you make this, you could check out a local chocolate shop for some peppermint goodies or simply replace it with a different flavor of chocolate.

Or you could just make this everyday for the next 3 weeks and you just might burn yourself out on it until next year.  Not such a bad option 😉

Couple of very important tips here, cause these here lava cakes are finicky little suckers.  It took me 8 batches to finally get this right, so listen up!  To get consistent results,

1. Use a 6 quart pressure cooker, cook 3 ramekins at a time, exactly 1 cup of luke warm water in the pot, and use a cook time of 4 minutes high pressure with a quick release.
2. If you cook fewer than 3 at a time, they will be undercooked.  Solve this by adding extra ramekins for a total of 3 and fill the empty ones with water.
3. If you use an 8 quart pressure cooker, try cooking 4 at a time or have a 4th ramekin with water along side the other 3.
4. If you try to stack them, staggered, on top of each other, they’ll be over cooked and smashing into each other.
5. One exception: If you have a stacking system that will allow for space between the layers, this actually works pretty well.
6. If you blink, breathe too loud, or cuss angrily at them under your breath, they just might explode.
7. Like I mentioned above, finicky little suckers.

But as written, these Pressure Cooker White Chocolate Peppermint Lava Cakes are truly what candy cane Christmas dreams are made of!  You can double the recipe if needed to feed a crowd.  They cook pretty quickly and will stay perfectly molten while you wait for the others to cook.  You can also fill the ramekins with the batter and store them in the refrigerator.  Let them come to room temperature before cooking.

Phew!  I think that covers it!  In reality they are a breeze to make even amidst all the picky details.

You will love them!  You’re guests will love them.  And your kids just might put their socks in the hamper if you bribe them with Peppermint Lava Cake.

Tools/Items used to make Pressure Cooker White Chocolate Peppermint Lava Cake

Instant Pot or

Fagor Lux Multicooker

6 oz Porcelain Ramekins

Lindt Peppermint White Chocolate Truffles

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Need more Christmas desserts in your life?  Check these out:

White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake

Triple Layered Chocolate Cheesecake

Also, if you’re interested in participating in the Go Sugar Free course I’ve talked about here and there on this blog, a new course starts up in January.  Get signed up for the newsletter now to receive updates on early bird specials and scholarship opportunities.

Enjoy!

Pressure Cooker White Chocolate Peppermint Lava Cake

★★★★★

5 from 2 reviews

White Chocolate Peppermint Lava Cake will make all your Candy Cane lovin’ dreams come true!

• Author: Marci
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 4 minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 6 ounces good quality white chocolate, chopped 
• 8 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 3 eggs
• 3 egg yolks
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• Crushed peppermint candy
• 6 white chocolate peppermint candies (like Lindt Peppermint White Chocolate Truffles or Candy Cane Kisses)
• peppermint or vanilla ice cream and extra crushed peppermint candy for serving

Instructions

1. Grease bottom and sides of six 6 ounce ramekins with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the chocolate and butter together, stirring frequently.  Take off the heat.  Add salt, vanilla extract, and peppermint extract and whisk until very smooth.  Set aside.
3. To a medium size bowl, add eggs and egg yolks.  With a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for 1 minute until thick and light in color.  Add the powdered sugar and beat for another 30 seconds.  Add the cooled, melted chocolate and blend for 30 seconds until smooth and incorporated.  Add flour and mix only until combined.  
4. Divide batter evenly into the prepared 6 ramekins.  Sprinkle each with about 1 teaspoon of crushed peppermint candy or candy canes.  Place a white chocolate peppermint candy right in the middle, do not push it down into the batter, just let it rest on top as much as it will.
5. Add 1 cup of luke warm water to a 6 quart pressure cooker pot and place trivet inside.  Place three ramekins on top of the trivet (results are more predictable if you cook 3 at a time vs stacking 6 in the pressure cooker).  Secure the lid and turn the pressure release knob to a sealed position.  Cook at high pressure for 4 minutes.
6. When cooking is complete, use a quick release.  
7. Check cakes.  The sides should be set and the center soft.  If batter still appears runny, cook for 1 more minute.  If cake is overcooked, it will still be fudgy and delicious, but it won’t have the molten filling.  
8. Loosen the sides of the cake with a knife.  Invert a plate on top of the ramekin and gently flip it over to allow the cake to fall onto the plate.  Serve hot with a scoop of Peppermint ice cream.  

Notes

• If cooking cakes in an 8 quart pressure cooker, you may need to do 4 ramekins at a time for even cooking.  When I did 3 at a time in an 8 quart, they were way underdone
• Do not stack the ramekins on top of each other to cook unless you have a rack/trivet that will allow you to stack the ramekins without sitting them right on top of each other.  In my experience, it works best to cook 3 at a time.  The cooked cakes can rest while the final 3 cakes cook.
• To make ahead: Divide batter into 6 ramekins, cover, and refrigerate.  Let sit out for an hour or so until room temperature before cooking.

Keywords: instant pot, lava cake, Christmas, peppermint

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