Donna Hay’s Choc-Caramel Lava Cakes and Best-Ever Chocolate Cake: Two Bakes to Make With the Grandkids

If you’re looking for a way to win the grandkids’ hearts (and keep them busy on a rainy afternoon), Donna Hay has the answer. Her new book, Donna Hay Kids Baking, is packed with simple, fun recipes designed for little bakers and the grown-ups helping them, and these two chocolate treats are guaranteed crowd-pleasers.

Her choc-caramel lava cakes hide a gooey dulce de leche surprise in the middle, which kids will love discovering as they cut in. Her best chocolate cake is a fudgy yet fluffy two-layer showstopper, smothered in a simple two-ingredient milk chocolate frosting. Little hands can help with measuring, mixing and decorating, while you take care of the hot oven. Make them together, and the grandkids will love you forever.

Donna Hay’s Choc-caramel lava cakes

Photography: Chris Court
Recipe and styling: Donna Hay

Ingredients
 
Makes 9

⅓ cup (90g/3 oz) dulce de leche or thick caramel
Softened butter, for greasing
1 cup (150g/5¼ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
⅓ cup (35g/1¼ oz) cocoa powder
½ cup (120g/4¼ oz) firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup (110g/4 oz) caster (superfine) sugar
⅓ cup (80ml/2¾ fl oz) milk
80g (2¾ oz) unsalted butter, extra melted and cooled
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg

Method

1. Line a small baking tray with non-stick baking paper. Scoop 9 x 1 tablespoonfuls of dulce de leche into balls and place on the prepared tray. Freeze for 1 hour or until firm.

2. Generously brush 9 holes of a muffin tin with softened butter and place in the fridge or freezer to chill.

3. Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F).

4. Sift the flour, baking powder and cocoa powder into a bowl. Add the brown and caster sugars and mix to combine. Add the milk, extra butter, vanilla and egg and stir until well combined.

5. Remove the prepared tin from the fridge or freezer. Spoon the mixture into the tin until it reaches halfway. Add 1 dulce de leche ball to each, and top with remaining mix.

6. Bake for 13–15 minutes or until set to a gentle touch. Allow to cool in the tin for 5 minutes. Turn out onto serving plates and serve warm.

Donna says: “The secret to the best liquidy lava centres is to keep the dollops of dulce de leche as cold and frozen as you can. Work quickly so the dollops don’t defrost before you can get these little cakes into the oven. Get ready for a gooey surprise hiding inside.

Donna Hay’s Best Chocolate Cake

Photography: Chris Court
Recipe and styling: Donna Hay
 
 Ingredients
 
Serves 10-12

1 cup (250ml/8½ fl oz) water
200g (7 oz) unsalted butter, chopped
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¾ cup (75g/2¾ oz) cocoa powder
1½ cups (330g/11½ oz) caster (superfine) sugar
¾ cup (180g/6¼ oz) firmly packed brown sugar
3 cups (450g/15¾ oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
3 eggs
1 cup (240g/8½ oz) sour cream

Chocolate frosting

500g (1 lb 2 oz) milk chocolate, melted and cooled
1⅔ cups (400g/14 oz) sour cream, extra, at room temperature

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160ºC (325ºF).

2. Lightly grease 2 x 20cm (8 in) round cake tins and line with non-stick baking paper.

3. Place the water, butter and vanilla into a medium saucepan over low heat. Sift over the cocoa powder and stir until combined and the butter is melted. Remove from the heat. Add the caster and brown sugars and stir until combined.

4. Sift together the flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl.

5. Crack the eggs into a small bowl and whisk until the yolks and whites are combined.

6. Add the eggs, the cocoa mixture and sour cream to the flour mixture. Use a whisk to mix together until smooth.

7. Spoon the mixture into the prepared tins and bake for 50 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer. Allow to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

8. To make the chocolate frosting, place the melted chocolate and extra sour cream into a mixing bowl and mix until smooth.

9. To assemble, place one cake on a serving plate and spread with ₁⁄₃ of the frosting. Top with the other cake and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides to cover.

Donna’s note: If your frosting is too runny to ice your cake then just let it chill out in the fridge for a few minutes. It will thicken up quickly, BUT if it chills too much and is not as smooth and spreadable as you want, warm it up in the microwave in 5-second bursts to soften it.

Donna says: Fudgy yet fluffy and super delicious!

Find these recipes and more in Donna Hay Kids Baking, on sale now. Published by Fourth Estate. RRP $55.