Mini Chocolate Volcano Cake with Hazelnut Sauce
A molten-centered chocolate cake made with buckwheat and coconut flour, topped with a flowing raw cacao-coconut ganache. The deliberately underbaked center creates a warm, lava-like sauce that pools when poured over the finished cake. Naturally sweetened with maple syrup and coconut sugar.
Ingredients
- ½ cup buckwheat flour
- 2 tbsp coconut flour
- ¼ cup raw cacao powder
- 3 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 cup hazelnut milkalmond milk1:1dairy-freedairy-free
source says 'or another you prefer'
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp coconut oil, for greasing the mold
- ¼ cup raw cacao powder, for ganache
- ½ cup hazelnut milk, at room temperature, plus more as neededalmond milk1:1dairy-freedairy-free
source says 'or another you prefer'
- 3 tbsp coconut oil, melted
- 3 tbsp coconut sugar, for ganache
- 2 tbsp maple syrup, for ganache
- ½ tsp vanilla powder, for ganache
Instructions
- 1
Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease a small round mold (about 4 ¾" diameter) with coconut oil and set aside.
- 2
In a food processor or bowl, combine all dry ingredients and mix well. Add the remaining cake ingredients and process until uniform.
- 3
Transfer batter to the prepared mold. Bake for 20-25 minutes at the same temperature. At 15-20 minutes, perform a toothpick test: the toothpick should come out almost clean at the edges but still wet in the center.
- 4
Remove from oven (the center will appear undercooked, which is intentional) and cool completely.
- 5
While cooling, combine all ganache ingredients in the food processor or blender and process until you reach a sauce consistency like the photo. If too thick, add more hazelnut milk and process again until correct texture.
- 6
Turn out the cake onto a plate or platter. Using a fork, pierce the center deeply in several spots. Pour the ganache over the cake starting from the center, allowing it to flow down the sides. Serve with extra sauce on the side if desired.
Tips
The underbaked center is intentional and creates the molten lava effect when the ganache is poured.
Pierce the cake thoroughly before pouring the ganache to allow it to flow into the center and create the volcano effect.
Good to Know
Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days. Reheat gently before serving to restore molten center.
Bake cake up to 1 day ahead. Make ganache up to 4 hours ahead. Assemble and pour ganache immediately before serving.
Serve warm with extra ganache on the side. Can be plated individually or served from a platter.
Common Mistakes
Fully baking the center to avoid losing the molten texture that defines the dish.
Skipping the fork piercing before pouring ganache to avoid ganache pooling on top rather than flowing through.
Using cold ganache to avoid it setting too quickly on the warm cake.
Substitutions
Dairy-Free Swaps
source says 'or another you prefer'