'No Bake' Cakes ~ Eggless Steamed Chocolate Cupcakes

These cupcakes are steamed instead of being baked and are perfect for those kitchens without ovens. Or when one is not in a mood to turn on the oven on a hot day and turn the kitchen into an oven instead. Or just when one is in a mood for some moist and fluffy cupcakes without the fuss of baking.

The challenge of the theme I picked for this week's marathon was to come up with baked desserts without using a conventional oven.  I had tried Japanese version steamed cupcakes 'mushi pan' some years ago and so, I knew 'steaming' was one way to go about it. I found a perfect recipe here that yields moist and fluffy cupcakes. They come out so perfect that no one would guess that these were steamed instead of being baked. I made a small batch of 3 cupcakes using a pressure pan and about 1/2 cup sized steel cups as moulds.

Ingredients: Yield 6 cupcakes
3/4 cup minus 1.5 tbsp. all purpose flour / maida 
1.5 tbsp. cocoa powder  
1/2 cup yogurt at room temperature
1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. + 1/8 tsp. baking powder 
1/4 cup oil (I used canola oil.)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
Aluminum foil for covering the cake moulds

Method:
* Sift flour and cocoa powder together into a bowl and keep it aside.
* Beat yogurt lump-free in another bowl, using a hand mixer or a whisk. Add sugar and beat again to combine. Add baking soda and baking powder to the yogurt and mix well. Set aside for 5 minutes until the mixture starts to bubble on top. 
* Meanwhile, grease the muffin moulds that are going to be used or 1/2 cup size steel cups. 
* Heat water in a steamer / pressure pan / pressure cooker that is going to be used to steam the cupcakes.
* Add oil and vanilla to the yogurt mixture and mix well to combine. Next add the flour and cocoa powder mixture and gently stir to combine.
* Spoon the mixture to the prepared moulds / cups up to halfway and cover them with foil to avoid condensation over the cake tops.
* Place the covered moulds / cups into the steamer / cooker and close the lid.
* Steam cook on the lowest level for about 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean. 
* Remove the cupcakes from the steamer and let them cool. Gently run a knife around the edges and unmould the cakes.
* Decorate the cupcakes with icing or powdered sugar and serve.

Notes:
1. Don't use the pressure valve if using pressure pan / cooker .
2. If the water level in the steamer goes down for any reason before the cupcakes are steamed, carefully add some hot water to the steamer and continue steaming. 
3. Filling the batter only up to half of the cups instead of the usual 2/3rds would prevent the cake tops sticking to the foil.
 
This post goes to Blogging marathon #78 under the theme "No Baking Desserts for Lazy Days". Check out the page to read what other marathoners are cooking.

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