Cake Batter Lava Cake

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Make the cake layers. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease three 8-inch round cake pans and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cake flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until evenly combined.
3. In a large bowl, whisk together the granulated sugar, milk, apple cider vinegar, yogurt, neutral oil, vanilla bean paste, and cake batter extract until smooth and emulsified.
4. Sift the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients and whisk gently just until combined. Do not overmix.
5. Gently fold the sprinkles into the finished cake batter to reduce color bleeding.
6. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. If you like, sprinkle a few additional rainbow sprinkles over the batter in each pan before baking.
7. Bake for 22-25 minutes, checking at 22 minutes. The centers should spring back and a tester should come out with a few moist crumbs.
8. Cool the cakes in the pans for 8-10 minutes, then turn them out onto wire racks. Wrap the layers while slightly warm and refrigerate or freeze until chilled.
9. Make the molten filling. Combine the granulated sugar, butter, and cream in a saucepan over medium heat. Whisk until melted and smooth.
10. Whisk in the cake flour and salt. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, whisking, until glossy and slightly thickened.
11. Remove from the heat and whisk in the vanilla bean paste and cake batter extract. Cool completely to room temperature before assembly.
12. Judge the filling only after it has cooled. If needed, stir in room-temperature milk a little at a time until it reaches your desired slowly spreadable consistency.
13. Make the cookie dough. Beat the butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the vanilla bean paste, cake batter extract, and salt.
14. Mix in the all-purpose flour until a dough forms, then fold in the rainbow sprinkles and white chocolate chips. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
15. Make the buttercream. Beat the butter for 2-3 minutes, until smooth and light.
16. Add the powdered sugar, vanilla bean paste, cake batter extract, and salt. Mix on low until combined.
17. Add the cream gradually and beat until the buttercream is fluffy and spreadable. Fold in the sprinkles at the end if you want a speckled finish.
18. Assemble the cake. Place the first chilled cake layer on a cake board. Spread a thin layer of buttercream over the cake, then pipe a tall, continuous buttercream dam around the outer edge.
19. Spread some of the room-temperature funfetti filling inside the dam, keeping it below the top edge. Press small chilled cookie dough pieces into the filling.
20. Add the second cake layer and repeat with buttercream, a sturdy dam, filling, and cookie dough pieces. Top with the final cake layer.
21. Apply a thin crumb coat and refrigerate the cake for 15 minutes.
22. Frost the cake with the vanilla sprinkle buttercream. Decorate with the remaining filling, cookie dough pieces, buttercream, and sprinkles.

Helpful notes

• Grams are the source of truth for this recipe.
• The filling must cool completely before you judge its final consistency or assemble the cake.
• The cake layers should be chilled before stacking, and the cookie dough needs its full 30-minute chill before it is broken into pieces.
• If you want sprinkles in the buttercream, fold them in only after the buttercream is already light and fluffy.