Eggless steamed chocolate cake recipe (also known as how to make cake without an oven): I was making a layered checkered cake for a good friend’s birthday last weekend using the eggless sponge cake as the base. For the chocolate sponge cake layer, I just added some cocoa powder to the batter and removed some flour to compensate. While going through the steps for the cake, I suddenly had this urge to take some of the chocolate sponge cake batter and steam it since I get a lot of questions from readers if they can make a cake without an oven, or if they can steam cakes instead of baking them. Well, there was only one way to find out.
So I pulled out two pudding moulds, greased them, added the chocolate batter, and steamed them. The resulting steamed eggless chocolate cake was moist, soft, and delicious! I got super excited and wanted to share this eggless steamed chocolate cake recipe with you immediately.
So those of you without an oven, don’t worry about making your own cakes. Steamed cakes are the way to go!
Before you attempt steaming cakes, please read the notes at the bottom of this post, they are from my experience and important to note.
More Chocolate Cake Recipes:
Eggless chocolate sponge cake
Chocolate cake made in pressure cooker
Chocolate cake made in microwave
Chocolate doughnut cakes
Some Useful Links:
How to make curd at home
How to make cupcake moulds at home
Eggless basic sponge cake recipe
Eggless Steamed Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 cups all-purpose flour or plain flour maida
- 1 cup plain curd or yogurt at room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 and 1/4 tsp of baking powder
- 1/2 cup of vegetable or sunflower oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract or essence
- 3 tbsp cocoa powder
- Silver foil for covering the cake moulds
Instructions
- Beat the curd without any lumps and add the sugar to it. Beat again well. I used an electric beater for this but a normal whisk will do just fine.
- Add the soda and baking powder, mix well, and set aside for 5 mins until the mixture starts to bubble on top.
- Then add the vanilla and oil and mix well to combine. Remove 3 tbsp of flour from the measured 1.5 cups and add the cocoa powder to it.
- Sift into the wet ingredients and gently fold until you see no streaks of flour left.
- Grease two muffin cups (or any small container that fits in your steamer) generously with butter. Add batter until it's 2/3 full
- Cover the cake moulds with aluminium foil. This is important because if you don't, water that condenses inside the steamer will fall into your batter and that's not good at all.
- Place covered cake moulds in your steamer stand and close the steamer
- Cook for 30 mins or until the top of the cake springs back on touch and a fork inserted in it comes out with moist crumbs. Use low flame to ensure even cooking
- Let the cakes cool in the mould and once cool, run a knife along the edge of the cakes and gently invert onto serving plates
- Serve with a dusting of sugar, some whipped cream, buttercream, fruits etc
Steamed Eggless Chocolate Cake Recipe Step by Step Pictures:
1. Beat the curd without any lumps and add the sugar to it. Beat again well. I used an electric beater for this but a normal whisk will do just fine. Add the soda and baking powder, mix well, and set aside for 5 mins until the mixture starts to bubble on top. Then add the vanilla and oil and mix well to combine. Remove 3 tbsp of flour from the measured 1.5 cups and add the cocoa powder to it. Sift into the wet ingredients in and gently fold until you see no streaks of flour left.
2. Grease two muffin cups (or any small container that fits in your steamer) generously with butter. Add some batter to it.
3. Cover the cake moulds with aluminium foil. This is important because if you don’t, water that condenses inside the steamer will fall into your matter and that’s not good at all.
4. Place in your steamer and cover.
5. Steam for 30 mins or until the top of the cake springs back on touch and a fork inserted in it comes out with moist crumbs.
6. Let the cakes cool in the mould and once cool, run a knife along the edge of the cakes and gently invert onto serving plates.
Tadaaa! Eggless steamed chocolate cake is now ready. These cakes are best served fresh and when still warm. As I mentioned, I was making a birthday cake for a friend so also had some chocolate buttercream in hand which I piped on the cake. This is purely optional but a bit of chocolate sauce definitely won’t hurt.
Notes:
– It’s also possible to make cake in a pressure cooker.
– As mentioned, covering the cake moulds while steaming is important. Also, try to steam this cake in small batches and not in one big cake tray. I feel like the insides may not cook too well otherwise.
– The 30 mins I have mentioned is purely based on my steamer which is quite small and I only had two cakes cooking inside. You may need longer cooking time depending on your steamer and other factors. It’s ok to open the steamer and check in between but make sure you cover the mould again with the foil if the cake needs more cooking time,
– Cook the cake with the steamer on low flame or simmer.
– I found that this eggless steamed chocolate cake is best served on the same day. I have half of one leftover and the next day it was a bit more dense. It was still good and edible but not as good as freshly serving the cake.
– You can try many variations in flavours with this basic cake recipe. Omit the cocoa for a plain vanilla eggless steamed sponge cake. Add chocolate chips, fruit bits, tutti fruity, the options are endless.
– A friend messaged me to ask if this same recipe for eggless steamed chocolate cake can be made in idli moulds. That’s when I remembered the chocolate idlis I used to make when I was in school. The batter recipe was different but I am positive this recipe with work if you steam the cake in idli moulds too. Do leave a comment if you try it.
– The texture of steamed cake is a bit different from the baked one. It will be more moist, a bit heavier, and not springy. It’s still delicious but expect more of a pudding-cake than an airy cake.
– The cake is quite sweet on its own so the frosting or sauce on top is totally optional. The cake on its own is not very pretty though so if you are serving for guests, whip up some buttercream. Or just use chocolate sauce.
– I use Valrhona Cocoa Powder in all my chocolate cakes and desserts. It is Dutch-processed but I use it in all recipes anyway, even the ones that call for non Dutch-processed cocoa powder. It gives a deep mahogany colour to your dessert and the flavour is unmatched (not a paid endorsement but the link is an affiliate one).
So what are you waiting for? Make some eggless steamed chocolate cake now. Eat. Smile.
For eggless steamed chocolate cake recipe in Hindi, Tamil, Urdu, Kannada, Telugu, Malay etc please use the Google translate button in the sidebar.
If you try this steamed cake recipe and like it, do click a picture and share on Twitter or Instagram with #ediblegarden. I’d love to see and feature it!
nags i love the font face so nice and again wonderful photos !
This is great Nagas..you wouldn't believe I have been thinking of steamed cakes for a few days now. As a kid, friends & I made chocolate cakes in the pressure cooker, of course without the pressure..and they turned out awesome. I have been thinking of recreating the magic..and then I see this..I am surely going to try your recipe now :)..Thanks!!
Thank you Jyoti. I really want to start making cakes in pressure cooker too. Maybe I will try the same batter as the above eggless chocolate cake and give it a shot making it in a pressure cooker 🙂
My aunt who has doesn't have an oven always steams cakes and they turn out awesome! Love the crumb on this one!
Never made steamed cakes ,this looks so good. Must give it a try , i only have a teeny weeny apachambu, so don't know if my cups will fit in it.
wow…looks awesome !! Drooling clicks!!
Hi,
how are you? i have been following your blog for sometime now and i must say u make me smile! i am a punjabi married to a lucknow wala kayastha and both of us are totally nuts about south indian food. thanks for the wonderful blog. since my husband is vegetarian, i had been looking for a eggless no oven recipe for him. this is what i was waiting for. cant wait to try! btw, i have used pressure cooker for making cake. the cakes turn out just fine. u just have to keep checking though!
Neera
Hey Nags… I've been using your recipes for quiet sometime now, and I come back everytime because you always keep them easy and simple. But I noticed you dont have a 'Pin It' plugin? Try to add them.. Pretty please 🙂 I find it interesting to bookmark my recipes using Pinterest !!
And coming back to the recipe, the pic looks uh-mazing !! Gonna try this weekend !!
Cheers,
Sukanya
updated. please ping away! thanks 🙂
awesome nags…must give it a try :). My mom used to make it using sands 🙂
i have never made a steamed cake, but baked cakes in pressure cooker. such. thats one gorgeous piece of cake. i have some few recipes of steamed cakes, that i am surely going to give a try after looking at yours.
Cant believe its a steamed cake, looks extremely moist and fabulous.