egg-less butter-less chocolate cake in a pressure cooker

Since my childhood i have always known that a traditional cake is made with eggs and butter.which my granny used to make on special occasions.It was smooth,silky and melted in the mouth.Unless recently last year when i bumped into this recipe online.I can't exactly remember where i saw this recipe but after reading it i ran to the kitchen to test it and ever since then i make this chocolate cake whenever i have a sweet craving.It's not only simple but also quick.And the best part is the ingredients are nothing fancy and under the budget(considering the soaring prices of butter these days,phew!).As the name suggests it's egg-less as well as without butter.Now there are lot of people who might think that a cake without butter and eggs might not be that delicious or soft.But trust me once you try this recipe you'll forget the eggs and butter.

I remember my granny had this cake oven where she used to bake these cakes and at times in a pressure cooker,too.But with the evolution in technology there has been invention of fancy gadgets like the Otg,oven and convection microwave.But there are still certain households in India where these gadgets do not exist. For them this old school method of baking in a pressure cooker is perfect.

Ingredients Serves-8 pieces

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 3/4th cup hot water
• 3/4th cup of sugar
• 1/4th cup of vegetable or canola oil
• 3 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp of baking powder
• 1/4th tsp of baking soda
• 1/4th tsp of vanilla essence
• 1 tbsp of lime juice

Method

1. Sift all the dry ingredients in a bowl(cocoa powder,all purpose flour,baking soda,baking powder)
   
2. In another bowl add in the Wet ingredients(hot water,oil,vanilla essence) with sugar.Stir till the sugar dissolves.
   
3. Meanwhile,preheat the pressure cooker on medium flame for 5 minutes.Remove the whistle and the rubber band and place a wire stand or perforated plate inside it.i have used a small heart shaped cake tin.This is done so that the cake tin does not get the direct heat.
   
4. Add the dry ingredients in three parts one by one and mix gently so that lumps do not form.It's very important to whisk the mixture gently else the cake might not be soft and light.
   
5. Once the pressure cooker is preheated.Add in the lemon juice in the cake mixture and stir gently so that the lemon combines with the mixture.Don't stir for too long.Here lemon juice is added so that it react with the baking soda and makes the cake silky and soft.When you add the lemon juice the dark brown mixture might get distorted and become light brown giving a marbled effect.Don't freak out its normal.Pour the mixture in a greased 6 inch approx cake tin(i usually grease my cake tin with oil and flour).
   
6.  Place it on the stand inside the pressure cooker.Bake the cake on very low flame for 40-45 minutes.Check the cake after 30 minutes.The time of baking varies on the intensity of the flame,too.You'll know your cake is done once it leaves all it's sides and the tooth pick poked all the way down in the center of the cake comes out clean.
   
   
   
   
7. Once the cake is done switch off the gas and let it rest inside the cooker for five minutes.In that way if at all some parts remain uncooked it'll get cooked in this process.After five minutes take it out and place it out on a cooling rack and wait till it cools down a bit.After it's cooled take it out of the tin.Your yummy chocolate cake is ready.It tastes better if eaten after a day.To get a better taste refrigerate at least for half an hour and then decorate it or serve as it is and Eat it up!