I don't think I'll ever bake a cake in the oven again.
![[Image: 54fb90df22c39212ce2ee0f2.jpg]](http://cdn.guildwork.net/albums/images/54fb90df22c39212ce2ee0f2.jpg)
My husband and I have been in a hotel room for just under a week now while we wait for a new truck, so we've been able to do a lot more when it comes to cooking than normal. Last night we were both in a mood for cake, but 1) it was late at night and 2) the good bakeries in town are in places we can't get to with a bobtail semi. This morning, he saw something on Facebook in a trucker-related group about cooking banana bread in lunchbox ovens and rice cookers, and asked me if I thought I could do the same with a cake. So, I gave it a try with a basic cake mix that I was able to pick up at Walmart.
The downside: It takes a while, and you have to keep turning on the rice cooker. The FB group said to cook the banana bread on "Steam" mode in a rice cooker, but the steam mode on mine only works for five or so minutes at a time. So I switched to "White Rice". This took just about three cycles to do (almost an hour and a half once I realized that steam mode wouldn't work), the FB group warned that it could take up to five cycles on steam mode so I think this was an improvement.
The upside: Ohmygodsit'ssomoistanddense..! The end result is very similar to what I remember my great-grandparent's steamed puddings to be like. My husband described it at "sponge-y", and actually said the frosting was unnecessary -- he would've been happy with just a bit of powdered sugar.
Method:
-- Prepare cake batter (again, I used a basic chocolate mix from Walmart).
-- Spray the inside of the interior pan with non-stick spray (possibly unnecessary if the interior pan is already non-stick, I just didn't want to chance a mess). Do not flour.
-- Pour in batter. The cake will rise a lot, so you want to fill the pan no more than halfway.
-- Place interior pan into cooker, and turn on the cooker. If you have multiple settings, use "White Rice".
-- Allow cooker to finish first cycle, open to check for done-ness. Likely they won't be done, but check anyways. It'll likely be puffed up, but still rather liquid-y.
-- Reset cooker, and let it run for another cycle. Check again, though again likely won't be done yet. Mine started looking a little set around the sides at this point.
-- Reset cooker again. About halfway through the cycle, check. This is when mine started really looking cooked around the edges, but the middle was still very liquid. I checked again at five minutes before the cycle ended, and at this point the center was set and sprung back when touched.
-- If needed, reset cooker yet again. Check every five or so minutes; you only want to cook until the center sets and springs back
-- Remove interior pan, let it cool on the counter for fifteen-twenty minutes before taking it out of the pan. Getting it out of the pan should be easy-easy, just tip it upside down and the cake should slide right out.
When I get off the truck in a few months, I'm totally trying this again with a homemade cake batter recipe. Vanilla cake with strawberries and peaches... and some whipped cream...
My husband and I have been in a hotel room for just under a week now while we wait for a new truck, so we've been able to do a lot more when it comes to cooking than normal. Last night we were both in a mood for cake, but 1) it was late at night and 2) the good bakeries in town are in places we can't get to with a bobtail semi. This morning, he saw something on Facebook in a trucker-related group about cooking banana bread in lunchbox ovens and rice cookers, and asked me if I thought I could do the same with a cake. So, I gave it a try with a basic cake mix that I was able to pick up at Walmart.
The downside: It takes a while, and you have to keep turning on the rice cooker. The FB group said to cook the banana bread on "Steam" mode in a rice cooker, but the steam mode on mine only works for five or so minutes at a time. So I switched to "White Rice". This took just about three cycles to do (almost an hour and a half once I realized that steam mode wouldn't work), the FB group warned that it could take up to five cycles on steam mode so I think this was an improvement.
The upside: Ohmygodsit'ssomoistanddense..! The end result is very similar to what I remember my great-grandparent's steamed puddings to be like. My husband described it at "sponge-y", and actually said the frosting was unnecessary -- he would've been happy with just a bit of powdered sugar.
Method:
-- Prepare cake batter (again, I used a basic chocolate mix from Walmart).
-- Spray the inside of the interior pan with non-stick spray (possibly unnecessary if the interior pan is already non-stick, I just didn't want to chance a mess). Do not flour.
-- Pour in batter. The cake will rise a lot, so you want to fill the pan no more than halfway.
-- Place interior pan into cooker, and turn on the cooker. If you have multiple settings, use "White Rice".
-- Allow cooker to finish first cycle, open to check for done-ness. Likely they won't be done, but check anyways. It'll likely be puffed up, but still rather liquid-y.
-- Reset cooker, and let it run for another cycle. Check again, though again likely won't be done yet. Mine started looking a little set around the sides at this point.
-- Reset cooker again. About halfway through the cycle, check. This is when mine started really looking cooked around the edges, but the middle was still very liquid. I checked again at five minutes before the cycle ended, and at this point the center was set and sprung back when touched.
-- If needed, reset cooker yet again. Check every five or so minutes; you only want to cook until the center sets and springs back
-- Remove interior pan, let it cool on the counter for fifteen-twenty minutes before taking it out of the pan. Getting it out of the pan should be easy-easy, just tip it upside down and the cake should slide right out.
When I get off the truck in a few months, I'm totally trying this again with a homemade cake batter recipe. Vanilla cake with strawberries and peaches... and some whipped cream...
