Chocolate cake without an oven

[mintthins]

We are mid building work, and I have just realised that we'll have both DH and DDs birthdays whilst we are without an oven. When I suggested that this year we just bought cakes, I got long faces all round, and a "but it doesn't count if it isn't home made".

I will have a huge slow cooker, and Instant Pot, a microwave and a single ring induction hob.

DD would like a chocolate brownie tower, and I have seen some recipes for those done in a slow cooker, which make sense. However, DH would like a normal chocolate cake, and whilst I can find lots of people on line saying that it is "easily done in a pressure cooker", I can't find a recipe that makes any sense to me that isn't actually either really a pudding (molten middle cakes abound) or a brownie.

Can anyone help? I have a week to try it out before the big B-day.

I know it isn't exactly what you have asked for but you could try a chocolate cheesecake in the slow cooker?!

Try this: www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1977663/microwave-chocolate-cake

I meant instant pot not slow cooker/

You can cook sponge cake just fine in the microwave. Normal recipe, grease a bowl or casserole dish and nuke until it's cooked. It won't brown but it will rise and cook. Then chocolate ganache maybe?

Sorry for being the misery guts, but in our house the options would be shop bought or nothing. You have no cooker; a grown adult doesn't get to pull a face about a cake not being home made.

Thier choices are whichever bakers or supermarkets are local to you. If they don't like that, your DH needs to get a cooker installed sharpish or they can both go without. I'm stunned that you're pandering to this.

Bloody hell CryingShame we do nice things for one another on birthdays because it is a nice thing to do, and it makes us ALL happy. I've seen people mention cakes made in an Instant Pot, and just asked for some help and direction in finding one that will work. Also I have no idea why on earth you'd think that having an oven installed is anything at all to do with DH. That is my job, and the new ovens will be installed the week after the birthdays. That can't come forward because of other work that needs to be done first. Keep your misery guts to yourself.

Others, thank you most sincerely. DD has made mug cakes in the microwave, and they have been universally disgusting. However, that's probably more to do with her than the concept, so I will indeed have a go!

What about an ice cream cake? Or buying a plain sponge and really going to town on decorating it. I find microwaved sponges have an odd texture, they're fine with custard for a pudding but I wouldn't like one sliced as a cake, ditto a slow cooker cake (my SIL made one and it was quite dense and stodgy)

Hmm yep it would he ship bought in ours too. Sound a bit entitled to me given the circumstances

Good grief there is nothing entitled about it. In the last week alone they've endured plenty (no heat or running water e.g.) and making a cake is very little effort. If I have to do it a little differently than normal, then I don't see why on earth I shouldn't. We'll figure it out. It isn't a drama, I just asked if anyone had any advice or recipes to recommend. This isn't relationships ffs.

Could you steam a chocolate cake (thinking steamed syrup sponge like puddings).
Or a chocolate refrigerator cake?

When my oven broke on Xmas Day a couple of years ago, my neighbour lent me hers (she was going out for lunch). Would a neighbour let you 'borrow' their oven for the hour or so you'd need to cook a couple of cakes? You could do them both on the same day and freeze one of them...

Alternatively, I have made chocolate microwave cakes and they turn out just fine. I've never tried to make them into a proper cake - they just get eaten out of the bowl, preferably smothered in custard , but you could make some Nigella chocolate icing (the best chocolate icing in the world IMHO ) for it and put a couple of candles in the top!! (Let me know if you need the recipe for the icing.)

Refrigerator cake might be a good idea - I once went to a party where the "big" cake was a huge square slab of Rocky road, refrigerator cake type thing that was iced with fondant and piped and decorated. It was delicious, a nice change from sponge or fruit cake.

I think the ones I've seen for Instant Pots or slow cookers are sort of steamed. I've just never done anything like that, so am being a scaredy cat. I've never even steamed a christmas pudding - always just do portions of ready made in the microwave. I did make focaccia in the slow cooker last year. It was time consuming but fantastic when it was done. I can't remember where I found that recipe though. I sort of thought there must be a similar thing for cake.

www.mumsnet.com/food/recipe/1757-All-in-one-microwave-chocolate-cake

We made this last week in a glass bowl. It tasted great and I am generally not a fan of microwave sponges.
Needed an extra minute and would benefit from some icing (I cut slices straight from the bowl).
Use beaters to make sure the flour is combined.

Thank you. I have a day off tomorrow, so I'll have a go.

not exactly what you're looking for but after weeks of dieting I 'needed' a chocolate treat and made a chocolate cake in a mug - it was very moist and totally delicious. if it wasn't for the amount of oil you have to use id be doing it all the time.. check out google for microwave chocolate cake in a mug.

chocolate biscuit cake?