How to Make Cake Without an Oven

Reviewed by Jennifer Levasseur

Last Updated: June 30, 2023 Approved

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If you don't have access to an oven or don't want to turn your oven on during hot weather, you can still enjoy homemade cake by utilizing an alternative cooking method. Some of the easiest, most common options include steaming, slow cooking, and microwaving.

Ingredients

Steamed Marble Cake

Makes 8 servings

• 1-1/2 cups (180 g) self-rising flour
• 2 Tbsp (30 ml) cocoa powder
• 1-1/2 tsp (7.5 ml) vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
• 3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
• 1/2 cup (112 g) butter or margarine

Slow Cooker Chocolate Lava Cake

Makes 6 servings

• 1 cup (250 ml) all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp (30 ml) and 1/4 cup (60 ml) cocoa powder, divided
• 2 tsp (10 ml) baking powder
• 1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) salt
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) milk
• 2 Tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil
• 1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup (180 ml) packed brown sugar
• 1-1/2 cups (375 ml) hot water

Microwaved Chocolate Chip Cake

Makes 1 serving

• 1/2 cup (50 g) all-purpose baking mix
• 2-1/2 Tbsp (40 g) milk
• 1 Tbsp (15 g) granulated sugar
• 1 to 2 Tbsp (25 g) small chocolate chips

Steps

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Method One: Steamed Marble Cake

1. 1
   Set up the steamer. Fill a large stockpot with 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.6 cm) of water and bring it to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium, then sit the steamer basket inside.

   • The steamer basket should not touch the boiling water directly.
   • After reducing the heat, the water should remain at a simmer. Cover the pot with its lid to prevent the water from evaporating as you prepare the cake batter.
2. 2
   Grease the baking pan. Coat an 8-inch (20-cm) round baking pan with nonstick cooking spray or shortening. Lightly flour the bottom and sides of the pan, as well.

   • Alternatively, you can coat the sides of the pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper.
3. 3
   Cream together the butter and sugar. Combine the butter and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium to high speed for several minutes, or until the mixture is light and creamy.
4. 4
   Add the eggs. Add the eggs to the butter mixture one at a time, beating after each addition.

   • Make sure that each egg is thoroughly beaten into the mixture after each addition.
   • If you're using small eggs instead of large eggs, you'll need to use three instead of two.
5. 5
   Rotate the flour and milk. Add one-third of the flour to the batter and beat until combined. Add half of the milk afterward, beating again until evenly combined.

   • Repeat this procedure with the remaining flour and milk. Add one-third of the flour and mix it in, followed by the remaining milk. Finish by mixing in the last third of the flour.
6. 6
   Mix in the vanilla. Drizzle the vanilla extract over the batter. Beat on medium to high speed until incorporated.
7. 7
   Separate the batter. Pour one-fourth of the batter into a separate small bowl. Set aside the remaining three-fourths for now.

   • The smaller portion of batter will be flavored with cocoa powder and the larger portion will remain vanilla flavored.
8. 8
   Add the cocoa powder to the small batch. Sprinkle the cocoa powder into the smaller batch of batter. Mix well by hand or with an electric mixer set to low speed.
9. 9
   Combine the batters in the prepared pan. Pour the vanilla batter into the greased pan, then drizzle the chocolate batter on top.

   • Use a knife to carefully swirl the two batters together without mixing them. This act will create the marbled effect.
10. 10
    Cover the pan. Tightly cover the top of the cake pan with aluminum foil. Fold the foil under the bottom of the pan to hold it down.

    • The top of the pan must be covered tightly. Otherwise, excess moisture from inside the steamer can get into the batter and ruin the results.
11. 11
    Steam for 30 to 45 minutes. Place the cake pan in the center of the preheated steam rack. Cover the steamer and cook the cake for 30 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.

    • Keep the steamer over medium heat and avoid lifting the lid as the cake cooks. Each time you lift the lid, some of the heat escapes, which may cause an increase in the overall cooking time.
12. 12
    Cool before serving. Remove the finished cake from the steamer and let it cool in its pan before turning it out onto a serving platter. Decorate as desired and enjoy.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Method Two: Slow Cooker Chocolate Lava Cake

1. 1
   Coat the slow cooker. Coat the inside bottom and sides of the slow cooker with nonstick cooking spray.

   • You could also use specially designed slow cooker liners for an even easier clean-up.
   • Note that this recipe requires the use of a 2-qt to 4-qt (2-L to 4-L) slow cooker. If you use a smaller or larger slow cooker, adjust the recipe by proportion accordingly.
2. 2
   Combine the dry ingredients. Mix the flour, granulated sugar, 2 Tbsp (30 ml) cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Stir until evenly combined.

   • These ingredients form the base of the actual cake batter.
3. 3
   Add the wet ingredients. Pour the milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla into the wet ingredients. Stir them into the dry ingredients until evenly combined.

   • The resulting batter may have a few small lumps, but use the mixing spoon to break apart any notably large lumps.
   • Keep stirring until you can no longer see any of the dry ingredient mix.
4. 4
   Make the lava. In a separate medium mixing bowl, combine the brown sugar and 1/4 cup (60 ml) cocoa powder. Stir the hot water into the mixture, as well.

   • Combine the two dry ingredients first, followed by the hot water.
   • Continue stirring the mixture until it appears evenly combined and very smooth. Do not leave any lumps.
5. 5
   Pour the batters into the slow cooker. Pour the cake batter into the slow cooker, then pour the pudding mix on top. Do not stir the two together.

   • Since the cake batter will be thick, you'll need to spread it over the bottom of the slow cooker with a spatula or the back of a spoon. Do so before topping it with the pudding.
   • Try to pour the pudding over the cake batter layer as evenly as possible.
6. 6
   Cook on high heat. Cover the slow cooker and switch it onto its high heat setting. Cook the cake for 2 to 2-1/2 hours, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

   • Do not remove the lid while the cake is cooking. Doing so will release too much heat and may increase the final cooking time.
7. 7
   Cool slightly before serving. Turn off the slow cooker once the cake is done. Remove the lid and allow the cake to stand for 30 to 40 minutes before serving it.

   • Instead of serving this cake in slices, you'll need to spoon it out into serving dishes.
   • You can enjoy this cake by itself or serve it with ice cream and dessert sauce.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Method Three: Microwaved Chocolate Chip Cake

1. 1
   Combine the baking mix, sugar, and milk. Place the baking mix, sugar, and milk directly into a standard microwave-safe mug. Mix the ingredients with a fork until combined.

   • Not every mug is microwave-safe, so you should check yours before using it. An 8-oz (250-ml) microwave-safe ramekin would also work well for this recipe.
   • Try to break apart as many lumps as possible while stirring the ingredients together. A few small ones may remain, but most should be broken apart and mixed into the batter.
   • Ideally, there should be at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) of space in between the top of the batter and the top of the mug. If there's too much batter, consider pouring half of it into a separate mug.
2. 2
   Add the chocolate chips. Sprinkle the chocolate chips into the batter. Stir and fold them into the batter until evenly distributed

   • You can omit the chocolate chips if you would prefer a plain yellow cake. Other additions, like small nuts or sprinkles, could also be used in similar proportions.
3. 3
   Microwave on high for 60 seconds. Cover the mug with plastic wrap and microwave the cake on full power for at least 60 seconds, or until the center is set.

   • Microwaves that run on a lower power may need up to an additional 40 seconds of cooking time. If the center isn't set after the initial 60 seconds, continue to microwave the cake in 10-second intervals until done.
   • Note that a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake should come out clean if the center has set.
4. 4
   Enjoy immediately. Remove the plastic wrap and decorate the cake with whipped cream, chocolate syrup, or powdered sugar, as desired. Eat the cake directly out of the mug.

Community Q&A

• Question

  Can I use anything besides baking mix?

  Community Answer

  Yes, you can make your own baking mix by following a recipe.
• Question

  How do I make whipped cream at home?

  Community Answer

  Check out the tips in this article on how to make whipped cream on wikiHow.
• Question

  How hard are the varying recipes to clean up (e.g. the mug, the utensils)?

  Community Answer

  Not hard at all! It will be the same amount of work as if you were baking in the oven.

See more answers

Things You'll Need

Steamed Marble Cake

• Steamer OR large stockpot with steamer insert
• 8-inch (20-cm) round baking pan
• Nonstick cooking spray
• Large mixing bowl
• Small mixing bowl
• Electric mixer
• Mixing spoon
• Spatula
• Aluminum foil
• Toothpick

Slow Cooker Chocolate Lava Cake

• Slow cooker
• Nonstick cooking spray OR slow cooker liner
• Large mixing bowl
• Medium mixing bowl
• Mixing spoon
• Spatula
• Toothpick

Microwaved Chocolate Chip Cake

• Microwave-safe mug OR ramekin
• Fork
• Microwave
• Plastic wrap
• Toothpick