Have you ever tried a to bake a cake in a pan? (Source: Getty/Thinkstock Images)
Baking can be a daunting task for new chefs but as we are living under a lockdown, this is the time to sharpen your culinary skills. But to many of us newbies, baking a cake might sound very complicated with so many ingredients, flavours and balancing the oven temperature – it’s a lot of effort.
But what if we said you could bake a cake in a pan over a stove or gas? The stovetop steaming method yields equally yummy results as an oven-baked sponge cake. All you need is a deep pan with a lid, which closes tight to create the perfect steamy environment for baking.
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While an oven-baked cake is preferred, having an alternative handy helps, especially in a crisis or if you are on short notice. Or you’re plain bored! Go ahead, bake a cake for friends and family just like Karisma Kapoor did on her self-isolation day.
Eggless no-oven chocolate cake by Chef Shivesh Bhatia
INGREDIENTS
1 + ½ cups maida (all purpose flour)- 180g
¾ cups cocoa powder- 75g
½ tsp baking soda -3g
1 tsp baking powder- 4g
¾ cup vegetable oil- 180mL
1 + ½ cups castor sugar -300g
1 cup Greek yogurt ( or curd hung over night)- 285g
½ tsp vanilla extract- 2.5mL
½ cup milk + 1 tsp white vinegar, mixed and rested for 5 minutes -120mL + 5mL
a pinch of salt
PROCEDURE
Take an 8-inch non-stick pan and grease it with some vegetable oil. Take another 10-inch pan and set these two aside.
In a bowl whisk cocoa, flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder into a bowl.
In another large bowl, beat together oil and sugar until the mixture is pale and light.
Add yogurt and mix well. Beat in vanilla using the mixer at low speed.
Add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients alternating with milk, starting and ending with the flour mixture. Mix till well combined. Don’t overdo the mixing.
Pour the batter into the 8-inch non stick pan. Take the 10-inch non-stick pan and place the pan with the cake batter in this bigger pan. Now put both these over the flame and bake at low heat. Let the cake cook for 5 minutes and then add some water in the 10-inch pan, making a water bath of sorts. Put the 8-inch pan over it again and bake for 40-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. If you’re using an induction, fix the temperature at 160°C and bake for 40-50 minutes.
