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.
Hi,
Does the plate below the cake pan need to have holes in it?
no it doesn’t, just make sure there’s some gap between bottom of the cooker and the plate so heat can distribute evenly
Hi I don’t have a cake pan , is it OK if I pour the mixture in steel container and bake it in pressure cooker?
sure, make sure to grease the steel container well with butter before pouring the batter so it’s easy to remove the cooked cake later
Thank you for such a wonderful and simple recipe…It turned out really good..
thank you preeti!
We have to take out a whistle also? and i have 3 litre cooker is it ok?
yes take out whistle and the rubber washer around the lid of the pressure cooker. any size is ok as long as the baking pan you use inside doesn’t touch the sides of the cooker.
Thank you so much for posting this recipe.. i made this cake for my fiances birthday and he being a food is very particular abt the taste and every small details. I was scared if this cake will ruin the surprise, bcoz im basically a fresher in cooking. However i cuduled up all the condidence + risk to make this cake. The result was so good that he was unable to recognize of this was a home made or purchased one. He was over whlemed, very happy, very surprised and he jjst simply loved the cake. All who came down tl surprise him were taken by a surprise of the cake. Everyone apoke abt it. Thank you for making my day..
what a lovely story! thank you so much for sharing ranjani and belated birthday wishes to your fiance
I m very new to cooking… Initially I faced some problem in measurements… But once I have done it… It turned out awesome…. Soft.. Yummy.. Loved it very much….
hELLO! This looks very good and I’d like to try it. I’m just confused as to what you are referring to as’low flame’ as I’m new to this Instant Pot cooking. Thank you.
keep the heat to very low
Can I use stainless steel bowl covered with aluminium foil as baking pan? Is yes, am I to butter the foil?
yes you can, yes, butter it slightly so the cake won’t stick
Thx I tries this receipe . But when I invert the cake into plate. It breaks and some part of cake usually sticks at the base of cake pan not on sides. Pls advice.
But must tell it tasted so good…my son loved it
hi seema, looks like the cake needs to cook a bit longer, maybe another 5-7 mins
Hello!! I just made this cake yesterday and it was so good and fluffy! Thank you so much for posting this recipe.I loved cooking this cake and I’m gonna try a bunch of your other recipes too ❤❤
thank you so much!
Amazing recipe….!!!
Tried it 3 times now. Comes out well if added exactly with given measurements and given method.
Thank you for the good recipe! !!
thank you so much niriksha 🙂