Food is a source of comfort for many, and baking has become an increasingly popular hobby since the start of the pandemic. CNBC reports that in March 2020, #quarantinebaking had almost 12,000 posts on Instagram while #stressbaking had over 26,000. This shows just how the culinary pastime has become a staple activity for many.
In terms of comfort food, desserts and sweet treats like our Pacari chocolate and almond porridge have continued to bring people a sense of support and happiness. Among the different desserts you can make, chocolate cake is also one of the most popular. Creating these pastries, however, doesn’t have to require any special ingredients, equipment, or even an oven. Most of the time, all you need is good quality chocolate! There are many recipes out there that utilize things you probably already have at home. Here are some easy chocolate cakes you can make without an oven:
Chocolate Mug Cake
Chocolate Mug Cakes is made by mixing basic ingredients like flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, egg*, milk*, water, canola oil, and vanilla extract into a mug. Then, you just put it in the microwave for about a minute and a half or so (or until you poke it with a fork and it comes out clean).
*To make it an vegan cake the author recommends:
For every egg a recipe calls for, use a forth-cup of applesauce (or mashed bananas) instead. For an alternative to cow's milk, the soy or almond variations will work just fine.
Pacari Chocolate also recommends to use organic certified ingredients to help your health and the plant health too, as fair trade ones to support the farmers.
Top it with some of Picari’s quality chocolates to add an extra dimension of flavour to your dish before eating it. Creating mug cakes has been done by many and this trend has garnered a lot of traction over the last few years because of how easy and simple they are to make that even college students living in dorms can whip one up for a midnight snack.
Vegan Rice Cooker Cake
This recipe by Food.com is another quick and easy cake that you can make for yourself or for when you have guests. It starts with mixing your dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder) in a bowl. After that, incorporate your oil, vanilla extract, vinegar, and water until the mixture is smooth. Grease your rice cooker before pouring your batter in and wait for it to cook for 45 to 60 minutes.
This just shows how versatile rice cookers can be. As Cuckoo rice cookers show, modern ones can cook more than just rice. They can also be used to steam food and poach fruits. Using it to create a cake is just another fun new way you can be cooking with them.
Pacari Chocolate also recommends to use organic certified ingredients to help your health and the plant health too, as fair trade ones to support the farmers.
Steamed Chocolate Cake
The last entry on this list is a cake that can be is easy to make and can even be decorated to look like it took a lot of effort to create. This recipe, created by A-list food blogger Bee, starts with melting butter, vanilla extract, evaporated milk*, and sugar in a pan until the sugar has dissolved. Beat some eggs* and add it in once the butter* mixture is off the heat and cooled. Using a sieve, add your flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, and baking soda to a bowl before adding your wet ingredients. Add your batter* to a baking pan and steam for around 45 minutes.
*To make it an vegan cake the author recommends:
For every egg a recipe calls for, use a forth-cup of applesauce (or mashed bananas) instead. For an alternative to cow's milk, the soy or almond variations will work just fine. Instead of dairy butter, use organic vegan or plant base "butter" block, look for palm oil free one.
Pacari Chocolate also recommends to use organic certified ingredients to help your health and the plant health too, as fair trade ones to support the farmers.
The recipe also has an easy-to-make fudge topping you can make by simply heating condensed milk* or vegan substitute, oil, vanilla extract, and cocoa powder over low heat until it thickens. Make sure the cake is cool to the touch before dusting some powdered sugar over it and adding the chocolate fudge.
All these easy recipes can be used for when a craving hits or you want to impress guests without going through a lot of hassle. Try them out the next time your sweet tooth acts up!
The article was specially written for Pacari Chocolates UK by Alison Garner