Butterscotch Lava Cakes

Butterscotch Lava Cakes have a luscious molten butterscotch center perfect for dessert lovers. Enjoy this indulgent treat, which can be made in just 20 minutes.

Molten lava cakes are the epitome of luxurious desserts, butterscotch ones are the best flavor yet. If you like chocolate lava cakes, you must make these butterscotch ones. The yellow cake is filled with a molten center that oozes a butterscotch taste. 

This will quickly become your favorite mini dessert. It’s easy to whip up a delicious lava cake when craving something sweet. Surprisingly, this is an entirely homemade recipe. You don’t have to use a cake mix or sprinkle butterscotch pudding mix into it. Nope, this recipe is made with whole ingredients, so the flavors are even more pronounced! 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• Individual desserts that are easy to serve at a party
• Simple white cake filled with a delicious surprise! 
• Incredibly rich and sweet, without the addition of brown sugar. 
• Simple dairy-free recipe – no sour cream or milk. 

Ingredients

The full printable recipe card with measurements and instructions is found at the bottom of the post.

• Butterscotch Chips: This will be the filling.
• Butter: Use salted butter to make the lava cakes. 
• Vanilla Extract: This flavors the cake and makes it taste like vanilla cake. 
• Eggs: Whole eggs are used as emulsifiers.
• Egg Yolks: These give more structure to the cakes. 
• Flour: Use white all-purpose flour to make the cakes. 
• Powdered Sugar: This sweetens the cake batter and gives it a fluffier texture. 

How to Make Butterscotch Lava Cakes

• Step One: Preheat the oven to 425°F. And butter down a small muffin tin.
• Step Two: While the oven is preheating, melt together the butterscotch chips and butter in a large bowl in the microwave at 30-second intervals until the chips are completely melted.
• Step Three: Whisk in the vanilla, whole eggs, and egg yolks until the eggs are fully incorporated into the mixture.
• Step Four: Gently fold in the powdered sugar and flour until no clumps of dry ingredients remain in the batter.

• Step Five: Pour the mixture evenly into the small muffin tin and bake for 9 minutes until the center of each cake is slightly jiggly.
• Step Six: Serve on a serving plate and enjoy!

What to Serve with Them

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This easy lava cake recipe is the perfect thing to serve at a party. Here are some of my favorite desserts to serve with lava cakes.    

• Raspberry Cheesecake Cups 
• Strawberry Cheesecake Bars
• Blueberry Cobbler
• Indoor S’mores
• Biscoff Blondies With White Chocolate

Variations and Substitutions

• Melt the butterscotch chips and butter in a double boiler or use a 2-quart saucepan, melting them over medium heat.  
• Make chocolate-butterscotch lava cake. Add a little bit of chocolate pudding mix to the cake batter.      
• Make them in an oval slow cooker. It won’t be individual portions, but it will still taste delicious. Scoop and serve the cake when the edge is cooked, and the middle is slightly jiggly.
• Top with toffee bits. This will make it taste like dulce de leche cake. 
• Bake in a silicone muffin tin for the quick-release option. 

Storage Instructions 

These lava cakes are at their best when served hot and fresh out of the oven. Your mouth is going to water when you smell them! You can also make them ahead. Store them in an airtight container for up to five days. 

Recipe Tips and Tricks

• Do not overbake them. They won’t be gooey in the middle if you bake them for too long. The total baking time should be approximately nine to ten minutes. 
• Use a thin knife to loosen the cakes before removing them from the muffin tin. 
• Make sure you spray the muffin tin generously with nonstick spray. 
• Be careful when you melt butterscotch chips. Stir them in between intervals and scrap the sides of the bowl with an offset spatula to incorporate all of it and help them melt evenly. 

How Do You Know When They Are Done Baking? 

You’ll know they are done baking when the edges of each cake are firm, and the center is only slightly jiggly. 

How Do You Keep the Lava Liquid?

The best way to keep the melted butterscotch mixture more liquid is to remove it before the center part bakes completely. 

What Can I Do If They Didn’t Lava?

Don’t throw them away! If you accidentally baked the cakes until the middle was fully solid and baked too, you can still save them. Melt some more butterscotch chips and butter. Add the melted butterscotch mixture to a piping bag with a really fine tip. Flip the cooled cakes upside down and pipe the butterscotch into the middle of the cooked cakes. 

Can I Use Ramekins Instead?

Yes, you can bake them in ramekins or small oven-safe baking bowls. 

Place the cups on a cookie sheet to make it easier to move them in and out of the oven. You can also use custard cups that sit on a baking tray. Spray the ramekins with non-stick spray, then pour the batter into the prepared ramekins, filling them ¾ full. 

Butterscotch Recipes    

Want more easy butterscotch recipes that you can make at home? Here are some of my favorite easy recipes:

• Butterscotch Bars
• Butterscotch Steamer 
• Butterscotch Sauce 
• Coconut Butterscotch Cookies
• Butterscotch Pecan Monkey Bread
• Butterscotch Pudding
• Apple Cake with Butterscotch Sauce

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