Soft, moist, and rich, this stovetop chocolate cake is proof that you don’t need an oven to bake a great cake. This easy stovetop cake recipe comes together with pantry staples and cooks right in a pan!
I’ve been asked this question more times than I can count: how to bake a cake without an oven? For the longest time, I was skeptical. Like, really skeptical. I'm a traditionalist at heart. Cakes belong in ovens, right?
Then one day, curiosity (and a serious chocolate craving) got the better of me. I pulled out a heavy-bottom pan and tried a stovetop cake recipe. Since then, I’ve made this cake plenty of times, and it's perfect, fluffy, and decadent each time. My kids love it. My mom calls it her go-to tea cake (which makes it a keeper).
If you enjoy baking on the stovetop, try my easy stovetop naan, cast-iron pan pizza, English muffins, and cheese-stuffed flatbread for more no-oven recipes.
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Why You’ll Love This Recipe
✨ It’s surprisingly easy to make with ingredients you likely already have in your kitchen right now, and the process is just as quick.
✨ The no-bake chocolate cake is intensely moist. The secret is the yogurt, which keeps every bite velvety and soft.
✨ The stovetop cake is a definite for hot summer days when you can't bear to turn on the oven!
✨ An easy recipe for anyone who wants to bake but doesn't have an oven or a microwave!
✨ This soft and delicious chocolate cake is perfect for teatime, easy snacking, or as a decadent dessert. Serve it plain, frost it, or serve thick, warm slices with ice cream.
Stovetop Cake Ingredients
Flour: All-purpose flour to give structure and a tender crumb.
Cocoa powder: Use good-quality cocoa for a rich chocolate flavor.
Sugar: I used brown sugar for a deeper flavor, but white sugar or jaggery works too.
Yogurt: Plain Greek yogurt is great here. Otherwise, your regular homemade yogurt (drained of excess water) works like a charm.
Oil: You can use any neutral-tasting oil. I used coconut oil to keep the stovetop chocolate cake moist and rich. Vegetable oil works great, too.
Vanilla extract: Use store-bought or homemade vanilla extract to give the cake a warm, cozy flavor.
Hot water blooms the cocoa powder, making the chocolate flavor more intense.
Chocolate: I used 70% dark chocolate. Feel free to use any good-quality baking chocolate that's available to you.
Milk: I used coconut milk to make a quick ganache. You can use any milk. Heavy cream makes it extra rich!
Please see the recipe card below for full information about the ingredients and quantities.
Variations
Gluten-free: Swap all-purpose flour with buckwheat flour or your favorite gluten-free blend. You can also try my buckwheat chocolate layer cake for a tested version.
Vegan: Swap with plant-based yogurt and dairy-free chocolate to make a vegan no-oven chocolate cake.
More chocolate: Add chopped chocolate into the batter of the stovetop cake for a more indulgent cake.
Flavor twists: Add a pinch of cinnamon, cardamom, or even instant coffee powder to enhance the flavor.
Add-ins: Nuts like walnuts or almonds work beautifully here.
How To Make Stovetop Chocolate Cake
Step 1: To bake without an oven, first prepare your stovetop setup. Use a heavy-bottomed pan with a lid. Place a trivet, ring mold, or inverted plate inside to create a base.
Step 2: Preheat the covered pan on medium heat for 5–7 minutes.
Step 3: In a bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Mix in sugar.
Step 4: In a separate bowl, mix cocoa powder with hot water until smooth.
Step 5: Add yogurt, oil, and vanilla extract to the cocoa mixture.
Step 6: Combine wet and dry ingredients. Mix gently until smooth.
Step 7: Pour the batter into a greased 6-inch cake tin.
Step 8: Place the cake tin inside the pan. Cover and cook on low heat for 30–40 minutes.
Step 9: Insert a toothpick or wooden skewer in the center to check for doneness. If it comes out clean, your stovetop cake is ready.
Pro Tips
- When baking without an oven, use a heavy, thick-bottomed pan that’s big enough to fit the cake tin comfortably. Ensure your pot lid is tight to trap the heat.
- Any heat-proof, bake-safe dish (tart case, trivet, or inverted metal plate) that can balance your tin can serve as the makeshift pedestal for the cake tin.
- Resist the urge to peek too often! Opening the lid releases steam and heat, which affects baking time.
- Cook on low heat. High heat can burn the bottom.
- Check the cake after 30 minutes. Cooking time may vary by stove.
How To Serve
This chocolate stovetop cake is amazing on its own, but a quick ganache takes it to the next level.
You can also top the cake with a soft mascarpone cheese frosting, as I did for my coffee banana cake, or a cream cheese frosting, as I did for this chocolate zucchini cake.
Serve it warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or this delicious vegan coffee ice cream.
Fresh pomegranate arils, raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries on top add a bright, fruity contrast to the rich chocolate.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. Avoid using a smaller pan, as the batter may overflow. If you don't have a 6-inch tin, you can use a slightly larger one. The cake will be thinner, but it will still taste great. Just keep an eye on the clock, as it might bake faster!
A heavy-bottomed pot (think Dutch oven), hard-anodized cookware, or a 3-ply stainless steel pan will work best. They distribute heat more evenly.
You can add water, but dry baking has really worked for me. And no, none of my pans have been spoiled. It feels a little counterintuitive, I know. But the heavy-bottomed pan works like a mini oven, trapping heat inside and cooking the cake evenly.
While similar, a skillet cake recipe (like my cheesecake swirl brownie or peach cherry cake) is still baked in an oven. This recipe uses a stovetop to cook the cake instead of baking it in an oven.
📖 Recipe
Easy Stovetop Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Cocoa Powder
- 1/2 cup Boiling hot water
- 1 1/4 cups All purpose flour
- 1.5 tsp Baking powder
- 1/2 tsp Baking soda
- 1/4 tsp Salt
- 3/4 cup Brown sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup Plain yogurt
- 1/3 cup Coconut oil You can use any neutral tasting oil
Chocolate Frosting ( Optional)
- 1/4 cup Dark chocolate chips or any chocolate bar cut into small chunks
- 2-3 tbsp Coconut milk You can use any milk or cream
Instructions
- Lay an upside-down tart case/plate or a trivet at the bottom of a wide and deep saucepan. The saucepan must have a tight-fitting lid. You can even use a pressure cooker without the weight.
- Very important - The saucepan should be wider than the cake pan, and deep enough for the cake to rise with the lid on.
- Put the lid on the pan and preheat it on high heat for 5-7 minutes.
- Now to the cake - In a small bowl, blend together the cocoa powder and hot boiling water.
- In a medium-sized bowl, sift in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Stir in the brown sugar.
- Now whisk in the cocoa water mixture, yogurt, oil and vanilla extract. You'll get a thick cake batter.
- Grease a 6" cake tin and pour the batter in.
- Place this tin carefully on the upturned tart case/ trivet in the hot pan. Cover with the lid, turn the heat to low. Cook for 30-40 minutes, until the cake is springy on top and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Wait for 10-15 minutes before turning the cake out on a cooling rack.
- If you are frosting the cake, then let the cake cool completely before spreading the chocolate ganache on. Cut into slices and serve. Enjoy!
Chocolate Frosting
- Combine the chocolate chips/chunks and the milk or cream in a small bowl. Place this on a pan of simmering water and stir until the chocolate melts and you get a shiny glossy ganache. Cool this for a bit before using on the cake. You can melt the chocolate and milk together in the microwave too, in increments of 30 seconds.
Notes
- You can also bake this cake in a conventional oven at 180 C / 350 F for 20-25 minutes.
- Use a heavy, thick-bottomed pan that’s big enough to fit the cake tin comfortably. Ensure your pot lid is tight to trap the heat.
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- Check the cake after 30 minutes. Cooking time may vary by stove.
- Cook on low heat. High heat can burn the bottom.
- Resist the urge to peek too often! Opening the lid releases steam and heat, which affects baking time.
Kiasha says
Lovely easy and amazing
Natasha Minocha says
Thank you so much!
Justin says
Hi. This looks great.
But I just wanted to check that you don't need to fill the bottom of the saucepan with hot water. All other similar stovetop cake recipes where the cake tin sits on a trivet inside a larger saucepan work by steaming the cake.
This one just cooks with dry heat?
Thanks in advance.
Natasha Minocha says
Thank you, Justin. Yes, this cake cooks with just dry heat. Steam gets created with the closed lid. Hope this helps. 🙂
Melissa says
This is currently baking on the stovetop 🙂 I have never made a cake without eggs before so fingers crossed!
Natasha Minocha says
Hi Melissa, hope the cake turned out well and you all enjoyed it. Can't wait to hear your feedback. xx