Steamed Chocolate Cake

Hey Guys and Girls! 

SInce I discovered baking, I've forever been trying to get the best chocolate cake - that is, the type of cake that is light, moist, fudgy, and tastes like real chocolate! So this recipe comes from Add a Pinch but uses the oven to bake it. I steamed this cake, and I've found that it gave this beautiful texture to the cake that a baked one would probably not have. When steaming it, I used the same technique as in my Steamed Orange Syrup Cake, but it did take long, but I can assure you, the wait is well worth it. So here goes!

Ingredients:

Cake

• 2 cups Plain Flour
• 2 cups Sugar
• 3/4 cup Cocoa Powder
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Espresso Powder
• 1 cup Milk
• 1/2 cup Vegetable Oil
• 2 Eggs, at room temperature
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 cup Boiling Water

Chocolate Buttercream

• 1 1/2 cup Butter, softened (375g)
• 1 cup Cocoa Powder
• 5 cups Icing Sugar
• 1/2 cup Milk
• 2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1/2 tsp Espresso Powder

Method:

1. Prepare your springform cake pans, or any 2 cake pans that will fit your steamer, by spraying with a non stick spray and lining with baking paper. 
2. In a bowl, combine the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt and espresso powder until thoroughly mixed.
3. In a jug, whisk the milk, vegetable oil, eggs and vanilla until thoroughly combined. 
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and whisk, using a hand blender on HIGH until the mixture is smooth.
5. Slowly pour in the hot water and whisk on HIGH until the mixture is smooth again. 
6. Split the cake batter into 2 prepared pans and steam, one at a time until a skewer comes out clean. * When I made this cake, I steamed the first cake for 3 hours and then the second cake for 2 hours - this is because my first cake pan was fuller then the second cake pan.

TO STEAM

1. Boil 4 cups of water in a kettle.
2. In the bottom of a 5 litre casserole dish, place a ramekin or a stainless steal 1 cup.
3. Place the prepared cake pan on top of the cup and fill with the cups of water. It should go 3/4 of the way up the cup/ramekin.
4. Cover the dish with its lid, and steam for 2 hours, topping up the water, as need be. 

ICING

1. Remove from the pan and allow to cool. Meanwhile make the buttercream icing.
2. Whisk the softened butter, vanilla, espresso powder and cocoa powder until the chocolate butter is smooth and free of lumps. 
3. Alternatively whisk is 1 cup of icing sugar and a tablespoon of milk until all the icing sugar is combined.
4. Place 1/4 of a cup of the buttercream icing on the bottom layer of the cake and then sandwich the cakes together.
5. Cover the cake with the rest of the icing and place in the fridge to set until the icing is dry to the touch.
6. Your cake is ready, so slice it up and enjoy your chocolate heaven. 

Thanks for Reading, 

Lusciously Decadent Writer :)