Pumpkin Molten Lava Cake with Pecans and White Chocolate

Chocolate always wins – hands down. There’s never a time when chocolate isn’t just the right cure. A favorite of mine is Chocolate Molten Lava Cake – That yummy cakiness with thick chocolate oozing from the middle. Wait – hold the phone, unless it’s Fall and your craving for pumpkin is kicking into high gear. Now what is the solution when there’s two things you love? Marry them right? If molten lava works for chocolate cake, why can’t it work for pumpkin. My Pumpkin Molten Lava Cake with Pecans and White Chocolate will tell you it does.

There’s plenty of pumpkin-y desserts out there, so I wanted to come up with something a bit different. Pumpkin pie is perfection, so there’s no messing with that recipe. Pumpkin Cobbler has been around for a while – you know the one, pumpkin filling with boxed dry cake mix on top with melted butter. And, of course, there’s the plethora of pumpkin breads. I wanted something cake-ish, yet gooey.

I did some experimenting and here’s what I came up with. Pumpkin Lava Cake with Pecans and a hint of white chocolate.

It screams fall, and begs for you to add a giant dollop of whipped cream, or better yet, a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The marriage of Lava Cake and Pumpkin is what you have. And, it’s super easy. Nothing complicated here – you don’t even need a mixer, but it’s an elegant dessert.

Pumpkin Molten Lava Cake with Pecans and White Chocolate

Laurel

A decadent dessert featuring pumpkin like cake with a thick caramel sauce at the bottom.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings 10

Ingredients

  

• 1 1/2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp ginger
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 3/4 cup pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
• 1/3 cup evaporated milk
• 6 Tbsp butter
• 2 tsp vanilla
• 3/4 cup white chocolate chips

Topping

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans
• 1 1/2 cups boiling or very hot water

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350°
• In a bowl mix together flour, baking powder, salt, sugar and spices.
• In a microwave safe bowl, melt the butter in the microwave, then stir in the pumpkin, evaporated milk and vanilla until til well blended together.
• Stir the pumpkin mixture into the flour mixture. When well blended together, fold in the white chocolate chips. Set aside for a minute while you make the topping mixture.
• In a small bowl, mix together for the topping the sugar, brown sugar and pecans.
• Lightly spray a 9"X 9" or 11"X 7" Deep Dish baking dish with non-stick spray (a 9x13 baking dish is a tad too big).
• Spread the pumpkin mixture evenly in the baking dish, then sprinkle the sugar and pecan mixture evenly over the pumpkin mixture.
• Pour the very hot water over the top of the dry sugar mixture, and do not stir or mix it in. The pecans will probably float to the top - not to worry.
• Bake at 350° for 45 min. The top should be set and not jiggly in the middle.
• Let it cool for 5 - 10 min, then serve warm with a big dollop of whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla ice cream.