Baking · serves 2

Cooker Chocolate Cake

No oven at all. A pressure cooker, some salt and forty minutes.

50 min Some work Vegetarian No oven needed

Ingredients

  • 1.5 cups maida
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/3 cup cocoa powder
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/3 cup oil
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 tbsp vinegar
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • 2 cups salt or sand for the cooker

Method

  1. Spread 2 cups of salt or sand in the base of the pressure cooker and sit a stand on it. The salt spreads the heat so the base doesn't scorch.
  2. Take the gasket and the whistle OFF the lid. With them on it becomes a steamer and the cake will be wet.
  3. Preheat the cooker on medium for 10 minutes, empty.
  4. Whisk the batter as for any one-bowl cake and pour into a greased tin.
  5. Tin inside, lid on, lowest flame, 35-40 minutes. Don't open before 30.
  6. Skewer test. Cool completely before turning out.

Questions people ask about Cooker Chocolate Cake

How long does Cooker Chocolate Cake take?

About 50 minutes from starting to sitting down, and it is a bit of work. A good part of that is unattended, so you can get on with something else once it is going.

What is the one thing to get right in Cooker Chocolate Cake?

Tin inside, lid on, lowest flame, 35-40 minutes. Don't open before 30.

What can I use instead of maida in Cooker Chocolate Cake?

Use plain atta for a denser, nuttier result, or a 50/50 mix if you want to keep some lift.

Can I make Cooker Chocolate Cake ahead of time?

You can prepare it a few hours ahead and reheat gently. It keeps two days in the fridge, though it is best on the day.

Is Cooker Chocolate Cake vegetarian?

Yes, it is vegetarian. It is not vegan as written because it contains dairy; swap the dairy for a plant alternative and the rest of the method is unchanged.

Can I make Cooker Chocolate Cake without an oven?

That is exactly what this recipe is for. It uses a pressure cooker, a pan or the fridge instead of an oven, and the method here is written for that, not adapted from a baked version.

What do you serve with Cooker Chocolate Cake?

On its own, warm, with tea or coffee. Baking is chemistry, so scale it by weight rather than by eye: double every quantity, use a tin with roughly double the area, and expect to add ten minutes or so. Judge it by the skewer, not the clock.

Don't know what to cook? Let it decide →

Read more on the technique

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