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Easily bake a deliciously rich, moist chocolate cake without an oven using my Stovetop Chocolate Cake Recipe.
By Gemma Stafford | | 296
Last updated on June 19, 2020
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Bold Baking is about giving you the confidence to bake anytime, anywhere while taking the sweets we all know and love and turning up the volume. From the flavor to the method, I proudly take baking to new places and my Stovetop Chocolate Cake recipe is a great example. This rich sponge cake is deeply chocolatey and incredibly moist. Instead of dry baking this cake in the oven it’s steamed on the stovetop which allows it to rise up into the perfect sponge cake while retaining all of its moist texture. If you’ve never made a cake on the stovetop be prepared to be amazed!
How to Bake a Cake Without an Oven
Whether you’re a college student rocking a dorm room kitchenette or you’re on a camping trip with just a hot plate, you can bake a mouthwatering chocolate cake. You heard me right, there is no oven needed to bake a homemade chocolate cake, this recipe is all about the stove. There is no special equipment needed to make this chocolate cake wonder when all you need is a large deep pan with a lid. My GoodCook Classic 11 Inch Deep Saute Pan With Lid is perfect for this job as it’s big enough to hold my GoodCook 9-inch Round Cake Pan. as the lid closes nice and tight, creating the perfect steamy environment for stovetop baking. There really is no secret to why this stovetop steaming method yields incredible results. The chocolate cake batter is heated from the inside out in a wet environment which means the cake is delicate, rich and never dry. While I love baking in an oven, this is a great alternative for anyone that doesn’t have an oven or microwave. That said, even if you do usually bake in an oven you will love this method. Steaming the cake instead of dry baking buys all you bold bakers a lot of insurance since there is simply no way the chocolatey sponge will dry out, crack or lack in flavor.
How to Make a Chocolate Cake
Now that you know how to make a cake on the stovetop instead of the oven I bet you want to know what makes up the cake itself. This cake is a classic chocolate sponge cake made by whipping up butter, sugar and eggs until light and fluffy. This gives the cake loads of body and lightness. From there I fold in flour and good quality dark cocoa powder giving this cake its chocolate hit. This rich cake batter in combination with the stovetop steaming method of cooking makes this one of the best chocolate cake recipes you’ll ever have from taste to texture.
How to Decorate a Cake with Lace
Since my Stovetop Chocolate Cake is so rich and impressive after a 25-30 steam it almost needs no topping at all. To keep this cake elegant and simple I decorated mine with a piece of lace fabric and powdered sugar. After removing it from the pan and allowing to cool, I simply drape a piece of lace over the top of the chocolate cake and dust with powdered sugar. After removing the lace what’s left is the print of lace pattern made out of sugar. This is such an impressive yet easy way to decorate. I cannot wait for all of you to impress your friends with this super unique and decadent Stovetop Chocolate Cake!
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Stovetop Chocolate Cake
4.56 from 252 votes
Print Recipe
Easily bake a deliciously rich, moist chocolate cake without an oven using my Stovetop Chocolate Cake Recipe.
Author: Gemma Stafford
Servings: 10 Slices
- Dessert
- Chocolate
- Stovetop
- Frying Pan
Prep Time 20 minutes mins
Cook Time 30 minutes mins
Total Time 50 minutes mins
Easily bake a deliciously rich, moist chocolate cake without an oven using my Stovetop Chocolate Cake Recipe.
Author: Gemma Stafford
Servings: 10 Slices
Ingredients
- 1 cup (8oz/225g) butter, softened
- 1 cup (8oz/225g) sugar
- 4 eggs, room temperature
- 1 cup (5oz/142g) all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup (2oz/57g) cocoa powder
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
Instructions
In a large bowl cream together softened butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
Whisk in the eggs one at a time and mix until fully incorporated
Lastly, sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking powder into the batter and mix until combined.
Pour the cake batter into a greased and lined Goodcook 9-inch round cake pan.
Lay an upside down plate in the bottom of a a wide and deep saucepan and fill with water until it almost reaches the top of the plate. I used a Goodcook Classic 11-Inch Deep saute with lid. Important notes: You need the saucepan to be wider than the cake pan, and deep enough for the cake to rise with the lid on.
Bring the water to a simmer over medium low heat. Once simmering, careful place in the cake to sit on top of the plate. You don't want the cake pan to be sitting in water, it is to be just over it.
Steam for about 25–30 minutes. It’s important to top up with hot water if you see it running low during the cooking process.
Once risen and firm in the middle, wearing oven mitts carefully remove from pan. Leave to cool in the cake pan for 20 minutes and the turn it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Place on a serving platter, lay a piece of lace or a doily over the top generously dust with powdered sugar.
Store at room temperate for up to 3 days. Enjoy with whipped cream.
Recipe Notes
* I strongly recommend watching the video so you can see the steaming method exactly.
* Bake this cake in a traditional oven at 350°F/180°C for around 35-40 minutes.
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Aanchal
3 years ago
I have made this cake almost 5 times by now and always comes out amazing. Its soft and moist and the best chocolate cake esp made in a stovetop. I LOVE this recipe. Thank you Gemma for this AMAZING cake.
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Manal Shahid
4 years ago
Hi Gemma! I have an electric oven for baking. How much time do I need to preheat it before baking this cake? The oven’s capacity is 220-240V/ 2000W.
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Via
3 years ago
Is there a recipe to make sponge cake using doing cake mix?
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Ola
3 years ago
If my saucer doesn’t touch the bottom of the pan, is that ok?
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Ppei JaQueen
3 years ago
Delicious cake… But for me is too sweet, so i used less sugar…
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Ola
3 years ago
What can I use instead of a whisk? Does it matter? Because I don’t have a mixer.
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cathy
3 years ago
I didn’t have the right kind of pot for this, I have a 12 inch skillet, 3 inches deep, with a flat lid. Maybe that is why it felt like custard for a long time. I had to lift the lid several times to check on the cake and releasing all the steam couldn’t have helped. I had to add about 10 minutes to the cook time and it wasn’t as moist as I expected. The cake was pretty good, though I strongly agree with some others that vanilla would really improve it.
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Nicole
3 years ago
Can I bake muffins and cookies this way?
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Daniyal Khizar
3 years ago
Dear Gemma, I Made This Cake And The Stovetop Cooking Method Didnt Work For Me, After 40 Minutes Of Cooking The Sides Were Burning But The Middle Was Wet Batter. So Me And My Mom Tried To Cook It On A Wire Rack On Low Heat, The Cake Was Cooking In The Middle But We Put It Back Over The Pot Of Water And Let It Cook For 20 More Minutes. After That The Cake Was Almost Done And We Smelt Something Burning, I Took The Cake Off The Heat And Let It Cool In The Pan. When I Took…Read more »
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hridita
3 years ago
Can I use margarine instead of butter.
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About Us
Meet Gemma
About Us
Meet Gemma
Hi Bold Bakers! I’m Gemma Stafford, a professional chef originally from Ireland, a cookbook author, and the creator of Bigger Bolder Baking. I want to help you bake with confidence anytime, anywhere with my trusted and tested recipes and baking tips. You may have seen one of my 500+ videos on YouTube & TikTok or as a guest judge on Nailed It! on Netflix or the Best Baker in America on Food Network. No matter your skills, my Bold Baking Team & I want to be your #1 go-to baking authority.
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