Volcano Cake Recipe By Tasty

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350˚F (180˚C). Grease and line 4 8-inch (20 cm) round cake pans with parchment paper. Note: If you only have 2 8-inch (20 cm) pans, bake the cakes in batches.
• Add 4 teaspoons of red food coloring to one bowl of batter, the remaining teaspoon of red food coloring and 1 teaspoon of yellow food coloring to the next bowl of batter, and the remaining 2 teaspoons of yellow food coloring to the last bowl of batter. Whisk until fully incorporated.
• Pour ½ cup (85 G) of each color batter into each of the 4 cake pans. Repeat, alternating colors, until all of the batter is used. Gently swirl a toothpick through the batter to blend the colors in each pan.
• Bake the cakes according to the box instructions, 25-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cake comes out clean. Let cool completely. Keep the oven on.
• Make the hard candy flames, lava and water puddles, and lava drips: Grease 3 baking sheets with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper.
• For the flames, on the left side of a prepared baking sheet, arrange 12 red hard candies, about 1 inch (2 ½ cm) apart, in 4 rows of 3. On the right side of the same baking sheet, place the butterscotch candies in 3 rows of 3, about 1 inch (2 ½ cm) apart. Bake for 4-6 minutes, until the candies are entirely melted together, but not bubbling too much. Let cool completely, then break into large shards. Set aside.
• For the lava and water puddles, arrange 4 evenly spaced clusters of 3 blue and 1 green hard candies on a baking sheet. Place 4 red hard candies at least 1 inch (2 ½ cm) from the clusters and the edges of the pan. Place the remaining 4 butterscotch candies directly next to each red candy. Bake for 4-6 minutes, until melted into pools. Let cool completely.
• For the lava drips, position the remaining 8 red hard candies at least 1 inch (2 ½ cm) apart along a long side of the baking sheet, at least 1 inch (2 ½ cm) from the edge. Bake for 4-6 minutes, until melted. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and very carefully tip the pan so the melted candy slides down, creating a drip effect. Let cool completely.
• Trim the domed tops off the cakes. Use a 3-inch (7 cm) round cookie cutter to punch out holes in the centers of 2 of the cakes. Reserve the cake scraps.
• Assemble the cake: Place a 9-inch (22 cm) cardboard round on a cake turntable.
• Spread a dab of chocolate frosting in the center of the cardboard. Place a whole cake on the round. Using an offset spatula, spread about ½ cup (85 G) of frosting evenly over the top of the cake. Place the other whole cake on top and repeat frosting. Repeat with the remaining 2 cakes with the holes in the center. Place an 8-ounce mason jar in the hole in the center. Use your hand to lightly push the mason jar in until the top is level with the cake. Refrigerate at least 20 minutes, up to 1 hour.
• Carve the volcano: Using a sharp serrated knife, carefully trim down the sides of the cake at an angle so that the base is wider than the top. Make sure to leave a layer of cake at least 1-inch (2 ½ cm) thick around the jar. Reserve the cake scraps.
• Frost the outside of the cake with 4 cups (460 G) of frosting. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes, up to overnight.
• Make the volcanic crumbles: Add 2 cups (230 G) of frosting to the bowl of cake scraps and mix with an electric hand mixer until coarsely crumbled.
• Assemble the volcano cake: Carefully transfer the cake to a platter at least 12 inches (30 cm) wide, positioning it near one corner. Place the melted blue-green candy puddles around the edges of the platter.
• Add the volcanic crumble around the base of the cake, and partially covering the candy puddles. You may not need to use all of the crumble. Sprinkle the chocolate peanut butter candies, mini chocolate peanut butter cups, and chocolate-coated caramel bites evenly over the crumble.
• Place the red hard candy drips around the sides of the cake, positioning them near the top. Place the red candy puddles on top of the crumble under the drips.
• Place the red and yellow candy shards along the top rim of the cake, surrounding the mason jar.
• Position the dinosaur figurines around the volcano, if using.
• When ready to present the cake, carefully use tongs to place a piece of dry ice in the mason jar. Pour room temperature water over the dry ice to create a smoke effect.
• Use tongs to carefully remove the mason jar before slicing and serving.
• Enjoy!

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the cake mix, water, eggs and oil; beat on low speed for 30 seconds. Beat on medium for 2 minutes. Transfer to a greased 4-qt. slow cooker., In another bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand until soft-set, about 2 minutes. Spoon over cake batter; sprinkle with chocolate chips. Cover and cook on high for 3-4 hours or until a toothpick inserted in cake portion comes out with moist crumbs. Serve warm.

Steps:

• Place a sheet pan in the middle of the oven for at least 15 minutes at 350 degrees F.
• Combine the butter and chocolate in a mixing bowl on top of a pot of simmering water. If you don't have experience melting chocolate then be very careful not to burn the mixture. Never melt chocolate directly over the cooking element. Heat the chocolate mixture until melted and set aside to cool slightly.
• In a mixer on medium-high speed, beat the eggs, the egg yolks and the sugar for about 5 minutes, or until they are thick and a light yellow color. On low speed gradually add the flour and then the chocolate-butter mixture.
• Butter 6 (6 to 8-ounce) ramekins and dust with the cocoa powder. Tap out the excess but make sure they are well coated. Pour the batter into the ramekins, filling them about 7/8 of the way to the top. Place on the preheated sheet tray and bake for 15 to 18 minutes. The consistency when done should be where the edges of the cake are firm and the top is still soft to the touch. This dessert has very thin line between being under and overdone!
• Remove from the oven and let sit on a cool surface for 3 to 5 minutes. Run a paring knife between the cake and ramekin to loosen the sides. Invert your dessert plate over the ramekin (be careful, they're hot) and flip over. Tap the plate lightly and lift off the ramekin. Serve with vanilla ice cream and garnish with raspberries and strawberries, if desired.
• If the cake runs all over the plate you need to increase the cooking time. If the cake is hard and does not ooze chocolate, lessen the cooking time. If the cake does not come out then make sure the ramekins are well buttered and covered in the cocoa.