No Oven Chocolate Cake

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No oven chocolate cake is a great cake baking hack that bakes up a light, moist cake, and avoids using the oven. Completely made from scratch, delicious and a decadent chocolate flavor. Steam is the secret to what makes the batter cook into a wonderful super moist cake.

quick no bake chocolate cake slice. — Delicious slice of no oven chocolate cake

Love my no oven chocolate cake? Try my Rocky Road Brownies and my Tiramisu Cups for more exquisite dessert recipes.

Easily bake a deliciously rich, moist chocolate cake without an oven! Steam makes this no oven chocolate cake super moist as it cooks in a pot on the stove top. It’s super easy and a quick fix for that big chocolate craving.

Pour the batter into a greased cake pan and allow the pot to do its magic. Then cover the cake in a delicious homemade chocolate frosting!

piece of no bake chocolate cake on a fork. — Moist no oven chocolate cake on a fork

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

It’s homemade from scratch which means it’s free of preservatives and processed ingredients.
You can customize it by adding fun ingredients to the batter such as chopped nuts or chocolate chips.
The ingredients are budget friendly and easy to find in any grocery store.
It's perfect when you don't want to use an oven since it's all made on the stovetop!
Steam completely cooks this cake, making is moist and so delicious!

Ingredients You’ll Need For Chocolate Cake

All-Purpose Flour - builds structure to the cake.
Cocoa Powder - cocoa is the star of the show!
Baking Soda - helps the cake rise.
Kosher Salt - enhances the flavor of all the other ingredients.
Brown Sugar - helps sweeten the cake.
Eggs - make sure your eggs are at room temperature.
Espresso Powder - optional, however espresso does wonders for enhancing the chocolate flavor!
Yogurt - I use vanilla, but plain works great too.
Butter - melted butter creates the perfect texture and richness for this recipe.
Vanilla Extract - a light vanilla flavor pairs well with the flavors of chocolate.
Water - used to create steam in the pot.

How To Make Chocolate Cake

eight image process making no oven chocolate cake. — No oven chocolate cake process

Step 1:

Place a trivet at the bottom of a wide, deep pot. The pot will need to have a tight fitting lid. The pot should be wider than the cake pan, and deep enough for the cake to rise with the lid on. Coat the bottom of a 6-inch round cake pan with cooking spray and set aside.

Step 2:

In a small bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking soda, then mix in the salt.

Step 3:

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, eggs, espresso powder, yogurt, vanilla and butter. Add the flour mixture to the bowl and mix until incorporated. You'll get a thick cake batter.

Step 4:

Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Pour water into the pot, then carefully place the cake pan on the trivet in the pot.

Step 5:

Cover the pot and heat on high until the water boils. Reduce heat to low and steam, covered, for about 40-45 minutes, or until the cake batter is baked through and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Step 6:

Turn off the heat and remove the lid. Wait for 10-15 minutes before turning the cake out onto a cooling rack.

Step 7:

If you are frosting the cake, let the cake cook completely.

Ingredients You’ll Need For Frosting

Salted Butter - should be softened at room temperature.
Cocoa Powder - I use unsweetened cocoa powder.
Confectioners' Sugar - also known as powdered sugar.
Vanilla Extract - I use real vanilla extract for the best flavor.
Water - to help thin the frosting down.

How To Make Frosting

Step 1:

In a mixing bowl, combine the butter cocoa powder, powdered sugar, vanilla and water, until the mixture comes together.

If you decide to frost your cake with chocolate frosting, which I highly recommend, this is my favorite frosting. It's thin and spreads almost like a ganache. Once the cake cools pour the frosting over the top and spread to cover the entire top and sides of cake.

slice taken out of chocolate cake. — The best no oven chocolate cake

Recipe Tips

Make sure your eggs are at room temp. This really does give the best results!
If you like to dust your cake pans with flour, try using cocoa powder instead.
Try to be as precise as possible with your measurements.

Variations

Add chocolate chips or chocolate chunks to the cake batter.
Add some nuts for a little crunch! Use your favorite type.
Add a dash of ground cinnamon or cardamon for some spice.
Try other extracts such as coconut, caramel, cherry, almond for a unique flavor profile.
Add some sprinkles over the freshly frosted cake. Chocolate and rainbow sprinkles are a couple of my favorites!

Storing & Freezing

Storing: Cover the chocolate cake with foil or plastic wrap and store at room temperature for 2-3 days. If you prefer to store your cake in the refrigerator, cover with plastic wrap or foil and store for up to a week.

Freezing: Wrap chocolate cake tightly with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place in zip top freezer bag and store in the freezer for up to 4 months.

close up view of no oven chocolate cake. — Close up view of rich, heavenly no oven chocolate cake

FAQ

Do I need to add the espresso powder to the chocolate cake?

You don't have to, but adding coffee to chocolate cake ramps up the chocolate flavor!

How does a cake bake with water on the stove top?

The cake doesn't bake IN the water. The cake pan sits above the water, with a cover on the pot, and bakes from the steam.

Is it critical to to keep the pot covered while baking?

Yes! You don’t want any steam to escape because this is what bakes the cake.

What do I do if I don't have a trivet?

You can make a makeshift trivet by using heavy duty aluminum foil. Cut off a piece approximately 12 inches long and roll it up and join the ends to form a circle. Place it in the bottom of the pot and set your cake pan on top of it.

What if my lid is not tight fitting and lets some of my steam escape?

If your lid isn't secure, place a piece of parchment paper over the top of the pot before covering with the lid. This should prevent any steam from escaping.

Yield: 10 Servings