How Trader Joe's Shoppers Like To Amp Up Their Chocolate Lava Cakes
If you frequent Trader Joe's for your weekly grocery trip, you've more than likely seen boxes of the brand's frozen desserts lining the frozen foods aisle. And if you're a fan of chocolate, cakes, or both, you've probably tossed the Trader Joe's Chocolate Lava Cakes into your cart on more than one occasion.
The decadent treat is a Trader Joe's classic, right up there with TJ's cauliflower gnocchi and cinnamon chip scones. Each box includes two single-serving chocolate cakes that boast a velvety-smooth, rich, liquid chocolate filling. All one needs to do to get these cakes from box to plate is pop them in the oven for 15 to 17 minutes, or microwave them for just 55 seconds, according to Freezer Meal Frenzy. Then, indulge.
Of course, these chocolate cakes are a treat on their own, but they're also a blank canvas for confection connoisseurs. In fact, there's an entire Reddit thread dedicated to these Trader Joe's Chocolate Lava Cakes and how to elevate them to their utmost potential. Step one involves the popular opinion to opt for the microwave instead of the oven for a moister cake, but after that, it's all up to personal preference.
Touch up Trader Joe's lava cake with toppings
Though the Reddit thread makes it clear that plenty of consumers enjoyed their Trader Joe's Chocolate Lava Cakes untouched, other users suggested topping them off with their favorite sweet sides. For some, this simply means a layer of Trader Joe's coconut whipped cream or just a sizable scoop of vanilla ice cream. For others, it's the ice cream, a homemade chocolate shell and a coating of "warm raspberry preserves," according to one user, to rival a restaurant-quality dessert.
Even Trader Joe himself has an opinion (well, rather the brand does). TJ's website offers a recipe for Chocolate Pistachio Lava Cakes, where the toppings are simple yet still delicious. All you need are crushed pistachios and some extra chocolate fudge to take these lava cakes from great to even better.
Now of course, there were users who disliked the cakes for their own reasons — texture, sweetness, flavor, preference for Domino's chocolate lava cakes... While an overwhelming amount of Reddit users in this thread swear by Trader Joe's Chocolate Lava Cakes, it's worth trying for yourself to see whether or not you agree. Don't forget to add a topping or two!