Buzz
It may be hard to believe, but you actually don't need an oven to bake a sponge cake. Just place the sponge cake batter into a mold that fits the size of your pressure cooker or electric pressure cooker. To use the pressure cooker as an oven, remove the gasket and release valve. Keep an eye on the temperature to ensure the cake turns out perfectly. For a more 'hands-off' approach, set the electric pressure cooker to the cake mode and adjust the temperature. You'll be amazed by the result!
Steps
Prepare the batter and cake mold
Mix the sponge cake batter. Follow your favorite recipe for sponge cake or use a pre-made mix following the instructions on the package. There's no need to alter the recipe for the batter.
Choose the cake pan. You can use a metal, Pyrex glass, or silicone pan, as long as it fits your pressure cooker. Try using the following pan sizes depending on the size of your pressure cooker:
- 3-liter pressure cooker: Use a 8cm×8cm, 10cm×7.5cm, 10cm×10cm, 3cm×8cm, 15cm×8cm pan
- 6-liter pressure cooker: Use an 8cm×8cm, 10cm×8cm, 10cm×10cm, 13cm×8cm, 13cm×13cm, 15cm×8cm, 18cm×10cm pan
- 8-liter pressure cooker: Use an 8cm×8cm, 10cm×8cm, 10cm×10cm, 13cm×8cm, 13cm×13cm, 15cm×8cm, 18cm×10cm, 20cm×8cm, 20cm×10cm pan
Prepare the pan with non-stick spray. Spray a non-stick product into your round or square cake pan. If you don't have non-stick spray, grease the bottom and sides of the pan with shortening or butter. Sprinkle a few tablespoons of flour into the pan and tap it gently so the flour coats the surface evenly. Discard any excess flour.
Pour the sponge cake batter into the pan. Spoon all the cake batter into the prepared pan. Use the back of a spoon or a knife to smooth and spread the batter evenly across the pan.
Use the stovetop pressure cooker
Remove the gasket and release valve from the pressure cooker. Since you're not adding any water to the pressure cooker, you won't need the gasket. Remove the rubber gasket from the lid and set it aside. You can also remove the release valve.
- Although you usually need to add water to a pressure cooker, not adding water will result in baking rather than steaming. Only use this method if you have a stainless steel or aluminum pressure cooker.
Place 1.5 cups (300g) of salt in the pressure cooker. Spread the salt evenly at the bottom of the pressure cooker. The salt will act as insulation for the pressure cooker since no water is being used.
Place a food trivet at the bottom of the pressure cooker. Put the food trivet at the bottom of the pressure cooker so that the heat can distribute evenly and prevent the bottom of the cake from burning.
- If you don't have a food trivet, you can place a grill rack at the bottom of the pressure cooker.
Preheat the pressure cooker on high for about 2 minutes. Close the pressure cooker lid and set the heat to high. Preheat the pressure cooker before placing the cake pan inside.
Place the cake pan into the pressure cooker and close the lid. Wear oven mitts when opening the hot pressure cooker. Carefully place the cake pan with the cake batter onto the food trivet inside the pressure cooker, then close the lid.
Reduce the heat to medium and cook the pressure cooker for about 5 minutes. The cake batter will start to rise and cook gradually.
Set the heat to low and bake the cake according to the recipe's instructions. Since you're not actually using pressure, the baking time for the cake in the pressure cooker will be the same as it would be in a conventional oven. Follow the recommended baking time in the recipe or on the pre-mixed cake flour packaging.
Check the cake. To check if the cake is done, insert a toothpick or cake tester into the center of the cake. If the tester comes out clean with no cake batter stuck to it, turn off the heat. Otherwise, check again after 3-5 minutes.
Let the cake cool before removing the cake pan. Wait for the cake to cool down before taking it out of the pressure cooker.
Using an electric pressure cooker
Add 1 cup (240ml) of water to the removable pot of the electric pressure cooker. After adding the water, place the food trivet in the pot to ensure the cake pan does not touch the bottom of the removable pot directly.
Place the cake pan in the pressure cooker. The pan with the cake batter should be placed on the food trivet inside the pressure cooker.
Close and secure the pressure cooker lid. Place the lid on the pressure cooker and turn it clockwise until it is firmly sealed. Most pressure cookers won't function unless the lid is securely closed.
Set the pressure cooker to the baking mode or high heat setting. Turn on the pressure cooker and select the baking mode. If your pressure cooker doesn’t have this option, you can manually adjust it to the high heat setting.
Adjust the temperature based on the type of cake you're baking. If you're aiming for a light and fluffy cake without dryness, set the pressure cooker to "Less" (Low). Most standard cakes or those made with pre-mixed flour will work well at the normal temperature. For denser cakes like brownies or cheesecakes, set the pressure cooker to "More" (High).
Reduce the recommended baking time by half. Refer to the recipe and instructions on the cake mix packaging for the baking time according to the pan size you're using. Reduce the time by half when using a pressure cooker.
Release the pressure for about 10 minutes. As the pressure cooker cools down, the pressure naturally decreases. Once the safety valve drops, you can twist the lid counterclockwise and lift the valve.
Check if the cake is done. To check if the cake is fully baked, insert a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, the cake is ready.
- Pressure release usually takes around 10-40 minutes, depending on the size of the pressure cooker.
- If the cake isn't done, secure the lid and let the pressure cooker resume cooking. Check again after 5 minutes.
Wait for the cake to cool for about 5 minutes before removing it. Let the cake pan cool slightly before taking it out of the pressure cooker. You can wear oven mitts or use tongs to lift the cake pan. Place the cake on a cooling rack to let it cool completely.
Things You Will Need
Prepare the batter and cake pan
- Spoons and measuring cups
- Metal, Pyrex glass, or silicone cake pans
- Non-stick spray
- Spoons and bowls
Using a stovetop pressure cooker
- Manual pressure cooker (no need for a non-stick version)
- Steamer rack
- Oven mitts
- Toothpick
- Cooling rack
Using an electric pressure cooker
- Electric pressure cooker
- Steamer rack
- Oven mitts
- Cooling rack
- Toothpick
- 2 pairs of tongs
