White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Lava Cake

Ingredients

Instructions

1. Make the vanilla macadamia cake layers. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line three 8-inch pans with parchment rounds.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the sugar, oil, milk, apple cider vinegar, yogurt, and vanilla until smooth.
4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk just until smooth.
5. Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans. Sprinkle the chopped macadamias evenly over the surface of each pan.
6. Bake for 20-23 minutes, until the centers spring back and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs.
7. Cool in the pans for 10-15 minutes, then turn out the layers, wrap them while slightly warm, and refrigerate until chilled.
8. Make the white chocolate macadamia cookie dough. Use commercially heat-treated all-purpose flour labeled ready-to-eat for the cookie dough and lava. Beat the butter and sugar until creamy and cohesive.
9. Mix in the heat-treated all-purpose flour, vanilla bean paste, and salt until fully combined.
10. Fold in the chopped macadamias and white chocolate mini chips.
11. Chill for 10-15 minutes, until scoopable, then portion into small pieces for layering.
12. Make the white chocolate lava. Melt the butter gently until just melted.
13. Whisk in the sugar until glossy and fully combined, then whisk in the heat-treated all-purpose flour, vanilla bean paste, and salt until smooth.
14. Add the cream and 30 g milk and whisk until completely smooth.
15. Stir in the white chocolate chips and continue stirring gently until fully melted and smooth, then remove from the heat immediately.
16. Let the lava cool completely. It will thicken significantly as it cools.
17. Right before assembly, loosen the lava with 30-60 g room-temperature milk, adding it gradually until the desired molten consistency is reached.
18. Make the vanilla buttercream. Beat the butter until pale and creamy.
19. Add the powdered sugar gradually and beat until smooth, then add the vanilla and salt.
20. With the mixer on low, slowly stream in the room-temperature cream until the buttercream is soft, smooth, and spreadable.
21. Assemble the cake. Level the chilled cake layers if needed, then place the first layer on a cake board or serving plate.
22. Spread a thin layer of buttercream over the cake and pipe a complete buttercream dam around the edge.
23. Spoon and spread the lava inside the dam, then scatter the cookie dough pieces evenly over it. Leave a small border near the edge and keep the filling below the top of the dam.
24. Add the second cake layer and repeat the buttercream, dam, lava, and cookie dough pieces.
25. Add the final cake layer and frost the outside with the remaining vanilla buttercream.
26. Garnish with remaining lava and a light sprinkle of chopped macadamias or shaved white chocolate, if desired.

Helpful notes

• For the cookie dough and lava, use commercially heat-treated flour labeled ready-to-eat. Heating regular flour at home is not a reliable substitute. Sift out any lumps before mixing.