Steam makes this Stovetop Chocolate Cake super moist as it cooks in a dutch oven. It’s super easy and a quick fix for that big chocolate craving. Moist and delicious! 

Stovetop Chocolate Cake.

You don’t have to turn on the oven to make this delicious cake, and it’s so moist, that it doesn’t even need frosting.

Let’s talk about three important things today…

  • Our busy lives
  • Our addiction to all things chocolate
  • A quick & easy fix for our chocolate craving

Now let’s talk about how these three things relate to one another.  We all live busy lives, barely having the time and energy to fix weeknight dinners.  Would you agree?  If we manage to fix a quick healthy meal, we might as well forgot about dessert unless it’s a quick bowl of ice cream.

Do you ever go to bed at night with visions of something dark, chocolate and moist running through your head?  What if I told you there was a quick and easy fix to your huge chocolate craving, and you don’t even have to turn the oven on!  That’s right.  This super moist chocolate cake will satisfy the biggest chocolate craving and it’s made right on your stovetop.

Steam

Wanna know the secret in what makes this cake so super moist?  Steam!  That’s right, pouring about an inch of water in the bottom of a dutch oven, before placing a cake pan with batter inside and a lid on top, produces steam.  The steam is what makes the batter cook into a wonderful super moist cake.

Things you need for this recipe

  • One large dutch oven
  • One piece of foil about 18 inches long and scrunched up lengthwise.
  • One 9-inch round cake
  • Parchment paper
  • One piece of foil about 18 inches long and scrunched up lengthwise.
  • You can also use a small dutch oven and an 8-inch round cake pan.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup cocoa, such as Hershey’s
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder, (you can omit if you don’t have)
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 6 tablespoons salted butter, melted, ( I used unsalted and a pinch of salt)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Cut a piece of foil about 18 inches long and scrunch it together along the length to form a snake about 1 inch in thickness. Shape it into a coil and place it in the bottom of a large dutch oven. Add enough water to reach about 3/4 up the sides of the coil.
  2. Coat the bottom and sides of a 9 inch round cake pan with cooking spray, line pan with a cut out round of parchment paper, then spray the parchment paper. Place the pan on top of the coil in the dutch oven and set aside.
  3. Sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking soda into a medium bowl, then whisk in the salt, (the salt is too large to sift through a sifter).
  4. Whisk together the sugar, eggs and butter in a large bowl. Add the water, espresso powder, sour cream and vanilla and whisk together. Add the flour and whisk just until incorporated. Do not over whisk.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. NOTE: If your dutch oven has a self basting lid, it will have little dimples or spikes on the underside of the lid. Place a piece of parchment paper over the dutch oven, then place the lid on top of the paper. This will prevent water from dripping from the underside of the lid onto the cake.
  6. Once lid has been placed on the dutch oven, turn heat on high until the water comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and steam with lid on until the cake is just firm to the touch in the center, about 23 minutes.
  7. Turn off the heat and remove the lid. Allow cake to set in dutch oven until the pan is cool enough to handle, then transfer the cake pan to a wire rack. Run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan and allow cake to cool completely. Invert cake onto a plate and remove parchment paper and invert again onto a separate plate.
  8. Sprinkle the top of cake with powdered sugar to serve or add a scoop of ice cream or dollop of whipped cream on the side.

Pro Tips

  • If your lid has little dimples on the underside, this will cause water to condensate and drip back down onto the cake batter.  Place a piece of parchment paper over the dutch oven before placing the lid on. We want moist here but not soggy
  • Make sure your foil is the same thickness/height all the way around so that the cake pan sets level on it.
Stovetop Chocolate Cake.
Chocolate cake.

You might also like quick and easy Dark Chocolate Mug Cake.

If you make this recipe please rate it, and leave a comment below on how you liked it. I love hearing from you! 🙂

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Stovetop Chocolate Cake

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 1 review
  • Author: Cindy Gibbs @ My Country Table
  • Prep Time: 10
  • Cook Time: 25
  • Total Time: 35
  • Yield: 6 servings 1x
  • Category: Cakes
  • Method: Cook
  • Cuisine: American

Description

Steam makes this Stovetop Chocolate Cake super moist as it cooks in a dutch oven. It’s super easy and a quick fix for that big chocolate craving. Moist and delicious! 


Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 cup all purpose flour
  • 1/3 cup cocoa, such as Hershey’s
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 teaspoon instant espresso powder, (you can omit if you don’t have)
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 6 tablespoons salted butter, melted, ( I used unsalted and a pinch of salt)
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract


Instructions

  1. Cut a piece of foil about 18 inches long and scrunch it together along the length to form a snake about 1 inch in thickness. Shape it into a coil and place it in the bottom of a large dutch oven. Add enough water to reach about 3/4 up the sides of the coil.
  2. Coat the bottom and sides of a 9 inch round cake pan with cooking spray, line pan with a cut out round of parchment paper, then spray the parchment paper. Place the pan on top of the coil in the dutch oven and set aside.
  3. Sift the flour, cocoa powder and baking soda into a medium bowl, then whisk in the salt, (the salt is too large to sift through a sifter).
  4. Whisk together the sugar, eggs and butter in a large bowl. Add the water, espresso powder, sour cream and vanilla and whisk together. Add the flour and whisk just until incorporated. Do not over whisk.
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. NOTE: If your dutch oven has a self basting lid, it will have little dimples or spikes on the underside of the lid. Place a piece of parchment paper over the dutch oven, then place the lid on top of the paper. This will prevent water from dripping from the underside of the lid onto the cake.
  6. Once lid has been placed on the dutch oven, turn heat on high until the water comes to a boil. Reduce heat to low and steam with lid on until the cake is just firm to the touch in the center, about 23 minutes.
  7. Turn off the heat and remove the lid. Allow cake to set in dutch oven until the pan is cool enough to handle, then transfer the cake pan to a wire rack. Run a sharp knife around the edges of the pan and allow cake to cool completely. Invert cake onto a plate and remove parchment paper and invert again onto a separate plate.
  8. Sprinkle the top of cake with powdered sugar to serve or add a scoop of ice cream or dollop of whipped cream on the side.
  9. Store cake in an airtight container. Cake will stay fresh for up to 3 days.

Notes

  • Anytime you’re using kosher salt in a recipe, it will not sift through a sifter or wire mesh strainer. Sift the other dry ingredients first, then whisk in the salt.
  • If your cake pan will not fit in the dutch oven, your dutch oven is a small one. You can use an 8 inch cake pan and it will work fine for the cake and will fit in the dutch oven. Cake will take longer to bake in an 8 inch cake pan, approximately 35 minutes.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 8