Wednesday 6 June 2018

Steamed Moist Chocolate Cake


Chocolate cake. Notoriously difficult to photograph. Especially on a gloomy day. It was a cloudy day when I baked or rather steamed this cake.

I had no intention of baking a chocolate cake. Why? Because I still wanted to become Lara Croft. wahahaha!!! Right.

Actually this cake came about because I had quite a bit of evaporated milk left after making Salted Egg Yolk Chicken. Must not waste! So I recalled a recipe for Steamed Chocolate Cake that uses evaporated milk. This is surely a very good excuse to make chocolate cake.


This cake is very easy to make. You just dump the evaporated milk, butter and sugar into a saucepan to melt the butter and dissolve the sugar. Then let it cool a bit and then add vanilla extract, rum and beaten eggs. Next fold in flour and cocoa powder. And then steam away.


I did not make any frosting because a good chocolate cake can stand on its own. The cake did not rise very much and has a moist and dense texture.

My only regret is reducing sugar from 200g to 180g. It was barely sweet with slight bitter taste from the cocoa powder. That's ok for me because I don't like things too sweet but still, it would have been better a tad sweeter. However, if served with frosting, then it would have been just nice.


I did mention that it was a gloomy day but luckily the sun showed up and I could get some nice shots with the help of my el cheapo styrofoam reflectors.


And so you ask, how many slices did I whack? Just that one slice. Bluff ah? No, true one.....

Steamed Moist Chocolate Cake
Recipe source : Adapted from Cooking Crave

Ingredients :
- 180g butter, cut into cubes to make melting faster
- 180g sugar (suggest 200g if not frosting the cake)
- 200ml evaporated milk
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 100g self-raising flour
- 50g cocoa powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp rum

Method :
1. Grease and line an 8" pan and set aside.
2. Sift flour and cocoa powder together into a mixing bowl and use a whisk to evenly mix. Set aside.
3. Put butter, sugar and evaporated milk into a saucepan and heat the mixture over the stove. Keep stirring and once the butter has melted and sugar dissolved, take off the heat and pour into a large mixing bowl to cool.
4. Once the milk mixture is cool (barely warm is ok), add vanilla extract, rum and eggs. Whisk to combine (heat up your steamer to get ready).
5. Sift the flour/cocoa mixture into the milk mixture and use a whisk to fold dry ingredients into the wet ingredient (the batter is runny).
6. Pour batter into the prepared pan and cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil.
7. Steam over medium heat for 45 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of the cake comes out clean.
8. Cool the cake in the pan before removing from the pan.

18 comments:

  1. Good morning Lara Hong! Better don't dream and be the real happy & bubbly Ah Hong Chee with small feet. Just eat and whack whatever sinful food in front of our eyes for tomorrow May not come.

    I actually love steamed cakes occasionally and could only buy them at pasar malam or wet markets. They are very popular now and their variety is expanding. I would prefer them sweeter too and go with slightly bitter coffee.

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    1. If I followed my heart and stomach, I would be a 200 pounder. LOL!

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  2. hehehe I believe you. so the rest you put in the freezer or give away? not sweet is perfect for me.

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    1. Some frozen and some gave away hee..hee...

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  3. If I were to bake it, I will finish in no time...

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  4. I've baked many cakes but never steamed one. Mum used to make steamed puddings but I've never given them a try.

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    1. I was skeptical about steamed cakes until I tried it. It's amazingly moist and good.

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  5. That’s a very successful photography session of a chocolate cake - I definitely wouldn’t have been able to do it better! :)

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    1. I was very happy with the shoot. My photography has improved some over the years hee..hee..

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  6. It is good. No need frosting.

    I could use a slice of your moist cake now.

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    1. I find frosting too much of a hassle.

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  7. I see you also have strawberries in your post today! ^_* You mean to say you take all your food photos outdoors...in the sun? O_o Wah, some more use reflectors....so canggih! That would also mean you limit your cooking to only in the afternoons? I wonder why you can't take the photos indoors. I don't bother with lighting or shadows...I just snap them 'as is' indoors (just with the lights switched on).

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    1. Those were leftover strawberries hee...hee... No, I take my photos indoors by the window with natural light. So yes, I have to shoot at certain hours when the sun is just right.

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  8. It looks gorgeous. My girl made some gluten-free red velvet cupcakes - cake mix from Jaya Grocer. It was very nice, nicer than a lot of red velvets at our local bakeries but a bit too sweet. I think I would like yours, kurang manis.

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    1. Thanks :) Yes, I saw her cupcakes. Made me tempted to buy those gluten-free cakes mixes just to satisfy my curiosity.

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  9. What do you mean it's not photogenic? Your chocolate cake is so pretty, and truly shows off the authentic color, the dense and moistness of the cake. Simple is 'best'...no need to dress it up, and hide the goodness!

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    1. Why, thanks Elisabeth! You always make my day!

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