Pressure Cooker Chocolate Cake: baking a chocolate cake is probably on every novice baker’s to-do list. While baking can be a bit daunting to get started on due to all the required ingredients and equipment, you can make cakes that need no oven. There are a few different methods to be used here and my favourites are baking cake in a pressure cooker and steaming cakes until fluffy and soft. Both methods have yielded wonderful results for me so if you are looking for how to make a cooker cake, read on.
I have detailed information on how to use a pressure cooker to make cake so do check that post first before proceeding with this chocolate cake recipe. I had previously tried an eggless sponge cake in a cooker and decided to try a different recipe, a chocolate cake, with eggs this time. This recipe will work in an oven too but it worked wonderfully well in my cooker so I hope you try this out too.
The cooking time can vary depending on the size of the pan and amount of batter you are using. I make a fairly small cake that got me about 10 large sizes and it took me roughly 50 minutes to bake it right. I used a 5 litre aluminium Premier pressure cooker.
A few things to remember:
- Do not use water in the pressure cooker
- Do not use the gasket (the rubber ring around the rim of the lid of your pressure cooker)
- Always place a plate or stand at the bottom of the pressure cooker to make sure heat is spread evenly while cooking
- Keep flame to a simmer so that the cooker doesn’t heat up too much
- Always be super careful when using your pressure cooker to make a cake.
- This is obviously not the intended purpose of a cooker and it can result in injury or worse if you don’t follow the instructions carefully.
- Please check my detailed post on using a pressure cooker for baking to make sure you are following the right method, I can’t stress on this enough.
Click here for eggless cake recipe made in pressure cooker.
Love chocolate desserts? Check out:
Chocolate cake made in microwave
Steamed chocolate cake with no eggs
Double chocolate biscotti
One bowl easy chocolate cake
Pressure Cooker Chocolate Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup of plain flour
- 3/4 tsp of baking soda soda bi carb
- 1/4 tsp of salt
- 3 tbsp of cocoa powder
- 3 tbsp of butter softened at room temperature
- 1/2 cup of sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/4 cup of water
- 1/4 cup of milk
- 1/2 tsp of vinegar or lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk the flour, salt and baking soda together until well combined
- Set aside until needed
- In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar with a whisk until it comes together. You don't need an electric beater, just do this step by hand until the butter and sugar are well incorporated
- Add the egg to this and beat again well until the mixture is a bit fluffy
- Now add water and cocoa to this and mix well until the cocoa powder has fully blended in
- Add the vinegar or lemon juice and the vanilla, mix again
- Add milk and mix gently again
- Now add the flour mixture in two additions, folding gently after each addition. Do not overmix at this stage, just mix until you don't see any traces of flour remaining and the batter is lump free (small lumps should be okay, they will disappear on baking)
- Grease a small 6" cake pan with butter and pour the batter in
- Tap the cake pan firmly on the kitchen counter a couple of times to remove any air bubbles in the batter
- Preheat the pressure cooker by placing the plate or tray at the bottom of the pressure pan and closing the lid (no water needed, no gasket needed on the lid)
- Heat on medium flame for about 2 minutes until the cooker is hot
- Gently lower the cake pan with a pot holder into the pressure pan
- Close the lid and keep the flame very low (simmer)
- Cook for about 45-50 minutes until the a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out clean. The cake will also leave the sides of the pan, which is a good indication that it's cooked
- Remove from inside the cooker and cool for 10 minutes in the cake pan
- Then, gently invert onto a cooling rack or plate and cool the cake completely before cutting and serving
- You can also use this cake as a base and frost it, make multiple layers, etc
Step by Step Pictures for Making a Cooker Cake (No-Oven Cake)
In a bowl, whisk the flour, salt and baking soda together until well combined
Place the butter and sugars in another dry bowl
Beat well with a whisk until it comes together. You can use an electric beater but it’s not necessary to use one
Add the egg
Beat well again until the mixture turns a bit fluffy
Now add water
and cocoa powder
Beat well making sure there are no lumps. You can sift the chocolate if needed, this makes the mixing a lot easier
Next, add the milk and beat again until well combined. Follow with the vinegar (or lemon juice) and vanilla. Beat again.
Now add half the flour mixture, fold until you don’t see any more streaks of flour, add the remaining flour, and fold again. Do not over mix at this stage.
The batter is now ready
Pour into a buttered 6″ cake pan
Tap the pan firmly on the kitchen counter to remove any air bubbles in the batter.
Prepare the pressure cooker by placing a plate or pot stand at the bottom of the pressure pan. Close the lid and heat on medium flame for 2 minutes until the pressure cooker is nicely heated up.
Gently insert the cake pan and close the lid again.
Making a cake without an oven in a pressure cooker is really a simple procedure and if you follow the steps closely, I guarantee a soft and spongy chocolate cake. If you try this recipe, please leave a comment to let me know. You can easily double the recipe for a larger cake, just use an 8″ or 9″ cake pan if that’s the case and make sure your pressure cooker is large enough to hold it. You can also bake this cake in an oven, check if it’s done in about 30-40 minutes since baking times will vary.
For pressure cooker chocolate cake recipe in Tamil, Hindi, Marathi, Urdu, Malay, Kannada, etc please use the Google translate button in the sidebar.
Supritha
Hey, i tried this recipe but the outer layer became too crispy only the middle part was bit spongy, no moisture. can you please tell me what might have gone wrong?
nags
hard to troubleshoot without knowing exactly the ingredients and amounts you used.. possibly the butter was less? or the heat was too much.
Aashika Agrawal
Shall we cook it on pan kadhai or electronic cooker if yes is their any precautions
nags
I haven’t tried those myself and can’t really help with the method, sorry about that.
Mary
This recipe is very simple….im gonna try this. I have seen in some other sources that they put salt at the bottom. Whats that for? Do u suggest that?
nags
hi mary, the salt at the bottom is to retain and distribute heat more evenly. you don’t really need to do that.
Fabia
Seriously the cake was simply superb.I’m 15 now and I was not even sure wether I Coud actually make a cake .this was my first attempt and seriously it came out really well .THANK YOU so much for this lovely past .Expecting more lovely and simple posts…….
THANKS A LOT:)
nags
so glad you found it easy to make and good. keep baking! all the best 🙂
Asha
It is very easy recipy and…..very tasty …..or it is in your budget recipy…..i really enjoyed to make this cake…..and my family also liked it very much….
Swathi
Can u please tell me the ingredients in gms instead of cups
nags
quickest would be to do a google search 🙂
sarojini
Hi if we dont place a plate or pot stand in the bottom of the cooker..will it burn the cake
nags
yes the chances of the bottom burning is much higher
Surabhi Sharma
This was the first time I made a cake. I’m not much of a cook. I never cook infact. But making this cake was so simple! And it turned out to be really delicious. What I did for an additional flavor was that I added some walnut to it. It tasted good. Just one thing though, I think the baking soda could’ve been a bit less? Coz I’ve made this cake two times in exactly the same way as has been told and both the times the cake cracked on top. But I must say the cake was so moist and fluffy and tasty. I loved it.
nags
thank you so much surabhi!
shikha gupta
is there any replacement for egg…i can’t use egg plz reply me fast
nags
i have another recipe for eggless cake, please use the search bar on this website and type “eggless cake recipe” and you can easily find it
Smita Murudkar
Hey thanks I have made this cake almost 6 times now. It comes out yummy. Only need to be sure of the icing / decor part.