I’ve seen several recipes for steamed chocolate cake and have been curious as to how the texture and taste would be for a cake that is steamed rather than baked. I bookmarked a recipe a long time ago that I found on The Little Teochew, but I was always too lazy to try out the recipe until now.
Once I got around to doing it, it wasn’t too hard to put together. The biggest problem I had was the steaming though. First, I had some trouble finding a pot big enough to hold a 9 inch round baking pan. And then I had trouble finding a proper steamer. Usually, I use a bamboo steamer, but my mini one was too small. Another problem I had is that you are supposed to line the entire baking pan with parchment paper. My parchment paper is in sheets and so it’s quite difficult trying to line the sides of a round pan. My parchment paper had a lot of folds, which of course affected how the cake looked since it ended up having many grooves from the parchment paper.
As I steamed the cake, I knew this cake would come out moist, since it was being cooked with so much moisture surrounding it.
Once the cake was done, I let it cool and then it was ready to be tasted. The most noticeable difference right off the bat is the exterior of the cake. Because it is baked with so much moisture, the surface of the cake is quite dark, almost as if a thin layer of chocolate ganache had been put on.
The cake was moist and a little dense. I was surprised. I’ve had steamed asian cakes before like the ones served at dim sum and they’ve always been really soft and spongy so I had expected a similar texture. However, this cake texture was very similar to a baked chocolate cake, just slightly more moist.
The cake was good and had a deep chocolate flavor. It didn’t completely wow me so I’m not sure if I’ll make it again. I think this method of making cake almost guarantees a moist cake, but steaming in a 9 inch round baking pan is a bit of a pain if you don’t have all the right equipment.
Steamed Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 188 g unsalted butter
- 225 g castor sugar
- 1/2 can can evaporated milk about 200ml
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Line and grease a 9-inch pan.
- Combine castor sugar, evaporated milk, vanilla extract and butter in a saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved and butter is melted. Once all ingredients are melted, turn off the heat and leave it on the stove to cool.
- In a bowl, sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda.
- Once the liquid mixture is cooled, add the beaten eggs in and mix thoroughly. Finally, pour the mixture into the flour and stir till well combined. The final batter should be runny.
- Pour the batter into prepared pan and place it in the steamer. Cover the top of the pan loosely with a sheet of aluminium foil.
- Steam over medium heat for 45 mins or until a knife inserted comes out clean.
- Turn off steamer and let cake cool completely.
Notes
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
