Pumpkin & White Chocolate Lava Cakes: There’s something about fall baking that feels extra magical—the warm spices, the cozy aromas filling the kitchen, and the promise of something sweet and comforting at the table. These Pumpkin & White Chocolate Lava Cakes are the perfect way to celebrate the season. Think of them as a cross between a spiced pumpkin cake and a molten lava cake, with a luscious white chocolate center that melts into every bite.
The batter itself is fragrant with cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, and vanilla—those quintessential fall spices that make the house smell incredible as the cakes bake. Then comes the real surprise: crack open the tender pumpkin cake and out flows silky, melted white chocolate, rich and decadent against the spiced backdrop.
To take things over the top (because why not?), these little cakes are drizzled with warm caramel sauce and paired with a scoop of vanilla frozen yogurt. The cold, creamy yogurt balances the gooey richness, while the caramel adds just the right touch of buttery sweetness.
Homemade or store-bought caramel sauce? Either one is great!
You can make your own caramel sauce or just use your favorite store-bought brand. When we make our own, we usually follow Sally’s Baking Blog Salted Caramel Sauce, because it is tough to beat! If you want the salted caramel sauce, just follow the recipe, and if you prefer less salt, cut the amount of salt it calls from in her recipe in half. You will still want a little bit of salt in the sauce.
Whether you’re looking for a show-stopping dessert for a fall dinner party or simply want to treat yourself on a crisp evening, these lava cakes are an indulgence worth every spoonful. They bring all the flavors of autumn together in one decadent, melty, utterly irresistible dessert.
Store any lava cake batter that you don’t need right away to bake over the next few days
You can make a batch of these lava cakes and bake just a few at a time, if you’re not having a big group. We’ve kept the batter in the ramekins, covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for up to a few days before baking them. They are much better fresh-baked so the gooey centers stay gooey!
Pumpkin & White Chocolate Lava Cakes
Equipment
- 8 4-oz. Ramekins (or four 8-oz. ramekins)
Ingredients
- 6 oz. white chocolate (real white chocolate, not white baking chips)
- 10 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 3 large egg yolks
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup fresh pumpkin puree
- 3/4 cup brown sugar or 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. Baker’s Blend spice blend (can substitute cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg … 1/2 tsp. of each)
- 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup caramel sauce (homemade of your favorite store-bought sauce.)
- 8 oz. vanilla frozen yogurt or ice cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425℉. Generously spray the inside sides and bottoms of the ramekins with PAM. Set aside.
- Melt butter and white chocolate in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. When melted, remove from heat, and whisk until the butter and white chocolate are well blended. This may take a minute or two of whisking. It seems like it own’t happen, but it does!
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, egg yolks, pumpkin puree, sugar and vanilla. When well blended, stir in white chocolate mixture. slowly add flour, spices, and salt, and whisk again until blended.
- Evenly distribute the batter into the prepared ramekins. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or so, until the edges seem done, but the center is still a bit jiggly. If you need to cook longer, do so only one minute at a time.
- When cooked, remove lava cakes from the oven. Run a sharp knife all around the edges of the cakes and invert them onto the serving plates. Gently tap the bottom of the ramekins to coax the lava cakes out of the ramekins and onto the plate. Hint: put the hot ramekins on top of a potholder, so that when you go to invert, your hand doesn’t get burned.
- Using a spoon or scoop, plop a small serving of vanilla frozen yogurt on top of each lava cake drizzle with warmed caramel sauce.
To Make Homemade Pumpkin Puree
- Prepare the pumpkin puree. This can be done several days ahead of time.We buy sugar pie pumpkins, cut off the stem and the bottom of the pumpkin, and cut them in half vertically. Place the pumpkin halves, cut side down, on a greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 F until the skin is easily pierced and the meat is knife tender, approximately 20-30 minutes depending upon the density of the pumpkin. Remove from oven and cool enough to handle. Scoop the pumpkin meat out from the skins and smash with a fork or in a food processor until puréed. Refrigerate until ready to use.