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.
I made it first tym . It came out vry wel & its delicious soft , yummy.
thank you!
Should the pressure cooker be closed with whistle on?
i have given very detailed instructions in the post. no whistle, yes lid should be closed. no gasket also (the rubber ring in the lid)
Today I tried this cake recipe in pressure cooker for my son on his birthday. It came out so well. Thanks a lot for this recipe
Thank you! Happy Birthday to him
Do you have the steam vent open or closed during baking
open!
it such a nice recipe tips I loved it I’ll try it in my spare time
Tried this cake today and it turned out soft and tasty… I had tried baking pressure cooker cakes before but they were always hard.. feeling so happy.. thanks for the recepie 🙂
that’s great to hear! yes pressure cooker cakes do work well if done correctly. thanks for the feedback 🙂
Hello nags!
This is a great recipe and have made it many times now!
What happens if I make same cake in microwave or don’t want to add cocoa powder to it? Do I need to make any changes to the recipe?
Thanks!
hi, this recipe won’t work well in the microwave. so try my microwave 7 min cake recipe, just search for it using the search bar on top
Hello nags,
I love your recipe. I don’t have an oven so Thisbe is just perfect for me!
I have a couple of questions though, if I want to modify this recipe for a vanilla cake or cake with nuts or blueberry cake or maybe some other variation, do I have to change the quantities of flour, sugar, butter etc?
Also if I want to bake a bigger quantity at one time in a microwave then do I have to make any changes?
Thanks again for the recipe!!
you can make variations in the basic batter, it should still work fine, like adding blueberries, one 1 tbsp cocoa powder, etc.
for microwave cake, the recipe is different, you can check here – microwave chocolate cake
Very systematic presentation n simple easy to make
Seem really awesome. .. Let’s see what happen…