• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Happily Homegrown

Where homemaking, homeschooling, and homesteading meet.

  • Home
  • About
    • Pennsylvania Homeschool Evaluations
    • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
    • Disclosure
    • Media Kit
  • Homemaking
  • Homeschooling
  • Homesteading
    • Canning & Preserving
    • Gardening
    • Recipes from the Garden
You are here: Home / Recipes / Dutch Oven Chocolate Lava Cake

Dutch Oven Chocolate Lava Cake

By Stephanie 18 Comments

Sharing is caring!

6077shares
  • 30

Posts on Happily Homegrown contain affiliate links. When you make a purchase through an affiliate link, your price will be the same, but Happily Homegrown will receive a small commission. Thank you for your support!

Dutch Oven Chocolate Lava Cake is sure to impress! The oohs and ahhhs when we took the lid off the Dutch Oven.  The wide-eyed expression as I scooped out the cake into 9 bowls and topped each with some vanilla ice cream.  And the happy, yummy sounds as they ate every last bite!When we made our Dutch Oven Chocolate Lava Cake, I wasn’t planning to write it up as a blog post.  I was just going to share a photo on Instagram and call it a day.  But that wouldn’t do.  Within 6 hours of posting that photo, I received more than 20 requests for the recipe!  It has taken me a few days to get this written up for all of you, but I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Last week, my daughter had a few friends over to work on some Girl Scout badges.  One of our activities was to bake a cake in a Dutch Oven.  These girls had made foil packet meals before on a campfire, and some had even made cobbler in a Dutch Oven, but the idea of actually baking a cake made them very excited.

I promised them, that if they liked this cake we would make it again on our next troop camping trip.  It’s fair to say that we will be baking this cake on many future camping trips after the reaction I got from the girls!

And that reaction said it all … the oohs and ahhhs when we took the lid off the Dutch Oven.  The wide-eyed expression as I scooped out the cake into 9 bowls and topped each with some vanilla ice cream.  And the happy, yummy sounds as they ate every last bite!

Get the Fire Started

Dutch Oven baking requires charcoal briquettes to be placed on the lid of your vessel as well as below.  For this recipe, you will need 8 charcoal briquettes on the bottom, and another 16 charcoal briquettes on top.  

Place all of the charcoal in a chimney starter with a piece of crumpled newspaper underneath.  Light the newspaper, and allow the charcoal to get screaming hot and ashy.

Assembling Your Cake

Grease the inside of a 4-Quart Cast Iron Dutch Oven with shortening.  Next, prepare your favorite boxed chocolate cake mix, and pour the batter into the Dutch Oven.

For the lava, combine 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup white sugar, and 2/3 cup cocoa powder in a bowl.  Sprinkle the cocoa sugar mixture on top of your cake batter.  It’s going to look like there is way too much dry powder, but trust me, it will be fine.  Pour 2 1/4 cups very hot black coffee (or water) over the top of the cocoa sugar mixture.  Place your lid on the Dutch Oven.

Dutch Oven Chocolate Lava Cake is sure to impress! The oohs and ahhhs when we took the lid off the Dutch Oven.  The wide-eyed expression as I scooped out the cake into 9 bowls and topped each with some vanilla ice cream.  And the happy, yummy sounds as they ate every last bite!

Baking In a Dutch Oven

Take your Dutch Oven outside.  Place 8 smoldering charcoal briquettes on the ground.  Place your Dutch Oven on top of those briquettes.  Next, place the remaining 16 briquettes on the lid of the Dutch Oven, going completely around the edge for even baking.  Allow your chocolate lava cake to bake for 55 minutes.

Dutch Oven Chocolate Lava Cake is sure to impress! The oohs and ahhhs when we took the lid off the Dutch Oven.  The wide-eyed expression as I scooped out the cake into 9 bowls and topped each with some vanilla ice cream.  And the happy, yummy sounds as they ate every last bite!

At the end of the 55 minutes, remove the remaining charcoal and ash from the lid of your Dutch Oven.  Remove the Dutch Oven from the heat source, and allow it to stand for 10 minutes before serving.

Serve your Dutch Oven Chocolate Lava Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream or whipped cream.

Dutch Oven Chocolate Lava Cake is sure to impress! The oohs and ahhhs when we took the lid off the Dutch Oven.  The wide-eyed expression as I scooped out the cake into 9 bowls and topped each with some vanilla ice cream.  And the happy, yummy sounds as they ate every last bite!

5 from 1 vote
Print

Dutch Oven Chocolate Lava Cake

Ingredients

  • 1 chocolate cake mix prepared according to the package
  • 2 1/4 cups very hot black coffee
  • 2/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1 cup white sugar

Instructions

  1. Grease the inside of a 4qt cast iron Dutch Oven with shortening. Next, prepare your favorite boxed chocolate cake mix, and pour the batter into the Dutch Oven.
  2. For the lava, combine 1 cup brown sugar, 1 cup white sugar, and 2/3 cup cocoa powder in a bowl. Sprinkle the cocoa sugar mixture on top of your cake batter. It’s going to look like there is way too much dry powder, but trust me, it will be fine. Pour 2 1/4 cups very hot black coffee (or water) over the top of the cocoa sugar mixture. Place your lid on the Dutch Oven.
  3. Bake on an open hearth with 8 charcoal briquettes on the bottom, and 16 charcoal briquettes on the top around the edge.
  4. Allow your chocolate lava cake to bake for 55 minutes.
  5. At the end of the 55 minutes, remove the remaining charcoal and ash from the lid of your Dutch Oven. Remove the Dutch Oven from the heat source, and allow it to stand for 10 minutes before serving.
  6. Serve your Dutch Oven Chocolate Lava Cake with Vanilla Ice Cream or whipped cream.
  7. Serves 12


Sharing is caring!

6077shares
  • 30

Related Posts:

Camping and outdoor skills are an integral part of the Cub Scout, and later the Boy Scout, experience.  You can not advance through the ranks without spending time outdoors.  Cub Scout camping is at the pack level, which means scouts in kindergarten through fifth grade, and their families are attending these outings.Cub Scout Camping: Matching Camp Activities to Requirements & Electives Sometimes you want a treat that is rich and decadent, and that's exactly what you get with these delicious 7 Layer Bars.7 Layer Bars Our favorite chocolate chip cookies are a simple, old-fashioned recipe with regular ingredients & a few simple steps which bake up to perfect cookies every time.Our Favorite Chocolate Chip Cookies After making this pudding, I will NEVER go back to the little box!  Our Homemade Chocolate Pudding Mix is richer, creamier, and has a truer chocolate flavor than anything I've ever made from a mix.  The bonus - it costs less to make a big batch than it does to buy 4 of the little boxes (2 nights of dessert).Homemade Chocolate Pudding Mix
Previous Post: « Dill Pickle Spears
Next Post: DIY Sewing Cards »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kathi

    July 3, 2018 at 8:01 am

    Ooooooh yum! I would never have tried this in a Dutch oven, so thank you for the good instructions too. 🙂

    Reply
    • Stephanie

      July 3, 2018 at 10:30 pm

      This time of year, baking in a Dutch oven is the way to go! Hope you and your family enjoy the dessert.

      Reply
  2. Helen at the Lazy Gastronome

    September 16, 2018 at 11:19 am

    You make this look so easy – and a REAL dutch oven? Awesome! I’d be honored if you shared this post at our What’s for Dinner party!
    http://www.lazygastronome.com/whats-for-dinner-sunday-link-up-166/

    Reply
    • Stephanie

      September 17, 2018 at 1:17 pm

      Thanks for letting me know about your link party! I’ll be sure to check it out!

      Reply
      • Helen at the Lazy Gastronome

        September 17, 2018 at 2:51 pm

        I’m so glad you joined our party – hope to see more of your foods! Have a wonderful week.

        Reply
  3. Jay @ JayTriedAndTrue

    September 17, 2018 at 10:02 am

    So clever and such fun for the girls! I would love you to share this at Smell Good Sunday.

    Reply
  4. Karen Del Tatto

    September 20, 2018 at 4:57 pm

    Ohhhh! My! Goodness!!! This looks AMAZING!!! I LOVE lava cake but then when I saw the coffee component!

    We recently got a dutch oven too! 😀 Definitely pinning this recipe! Thanks for sharing.

    Reply
    • Stephanie

      September 20, 2018 at 11:09 pm

      I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

      Reply
  5. Rosie (@greenrosielife)

    September 21, 2018 at 4:04 am

    Hubby got a Dutch oven as a present recently and I never knew you could make cakes in them. Trouble is, he doesn’t like chocolate cake (weird I know!) but I’ll see what other recipes I can find to go in the oven. Popping by from the Simple Homestead blog hop 💚

    Reply
    • Stephanie

      September 21, 2018 at 10:51 am

      You can bake just about anything in a Dutch oven! I’ve made pies, sticky buns, cornbread, even whole meals like baked ziti! I think I need to write up a few more recipes to share so you have some new ideas for baking in your Dutch oven.

      Reply
  6. Julie @ Back To My Southern Roots

    September 21, 2018 at 1:00 pm

    Oh my goodness, this looks a-maz-ing! Wow!! And I love your Fiestaware bowl!

    Reply
    • Stephanie

      September 21, 2018 at 1:17 pm

      It’s amazing! You have to try it! (And I adore Fiestaware and have quite the collection. I love the bright colors!)

      Reply
  7. Scott

    August 18, 2019 at 10:58 pm

    5 stars
    Everyone LOVED this at a family reunion this weekend.

    Reply
  8. Stephanie

    November 1, 2019 at 10:52 pm

    So glad everyone enjoyed it!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. Food: 34 Dutch Oven Recipes For Easy But Impressive Dinners – ByNotio.com says:
    April 25, 2019 at 2:24 pm

    […] happilyhomegrown […]

    Reply
  2. 34 Dutch Oven Recipes For Easy But Impressive Dinners | Decorotion & Diy Crafts Ideas says:
    June 19, 2019 at 9:22 am

    […] happilyhomegrown […]

    Reply
  3. 15+ Delicious (and EASY) Dutch Oven Recipes for Camping | The Backcountry Kitchen says:
    March 2, 2020 at 6:23 pm

    […] 14. Dutch Oven Lava Cake […]

    Reply
  4. 25 Mouth-Watering Campfire Desserts - TGIF - This Grandma is Fun says:
    May 30, 2020 at 10:13 am

    […] Chocolate Lava Cake– Warm everyone up with this tasty cake from Happily Home […]

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Welcome to Happily Homegrown  Where homemaking, homeschooling, and homesteading meet!

I’m so glad you stopped by.

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Disclosure

Posts may contain advertising, paid sponsorship, or affiliate links. If you purchase a product, complete an offer, or print a coupon through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same, but Happily Homegrown will automatically receive a small commission that helps us to keep this site going and creating content.  Your support is greatly appreciated!

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

Copyright © 2021 · Foodie Pro On Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in