Maybe you don’t have an oven, it’s broken, or there’s no electricity to run it. Whatever it is, an oven is already out of the question, so what do you do?
Well, for starters, you’re going to need these ingredients and their corresponding measurements
- You’ll need 4 eggs
- Powdered sugar (one cup)
- Flour (one cup)
- Baking powder (one tsp)
- Salt (1/4 tsp)
- Melted Butter (half cup)
- Vanilla essence
- Oil
- Pots, pans, and a small stand.
Table of Contents
How do you then make tasty vanilla sponge cake without an oven?
- Get a bowl,
- Crack four eggs and pour it into the bowl
- Whisk the eggs thoroughly and then add one cup of powdered sugar
- Mix the eggs and the cup of powdered sugar thoroughly and then add a cup of flour
- Add a tsp of baking powder and 1/4tsp of salt, after which you’ll mix it thoroughly till the lumps vanish
- Add half a cup of melted butter
- Whisk thoroughly until the batter is smooth, and then add half tsp of vanilla essence
- Mix the batter thoroughly.
- The next step is to get a pan. The pan shouldn’t be too big because you’re going to eventually place it in a much bigger pot.
- Grease up the pan with butter
- Add one tsp of flour into the greased up pan and then shake it around to ensure the flour touches everywhere inside the pan
- Remove any excess flour that didn’t stick to the pan
- Pour the cake batter into the pan
- Shake and gently tap on the batter to remove any air bubble
- Get the larger pot where you’ll place the smaller pan
- Add 3 tbsp of oil into the bigger pot and let it heat up for 5 mins in medium heat
- Place the small stand inside the bigger pot, it could be anything. The point is that it prevents the smaller pan from touching the bottom of the bigger pot.
- Gently place the smaller pan containing the batter on the stand and then cover the bigger pot
- Set the heat to low, and in 50 minutes, your cake will be ready.
To be sure, stab the cake with a toothpick, if it comes out clean, your vanilla sponge cake is ready.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I need to whisk the eggs?
This is actually a common question which doesn’t only apply to this vanilla cake. It’ll shock you to know how many people don’t know why exactly they need to whisk eggs, they just know that they should do it. So why?
Well, when you whisk eggs, the process traps air molecules inside the substance, giving it a bit more volume and making it lighter and fluffier when you fry or bake.
I don’t like eggs, are there any viable substitutes?
Actually, yes, there are. If you don’t want to use eggs, you can use buttermilk or yoghurt. However, if you want to use yoghurt, ensure its plain because if it’s flavored or sweetened, it could change the taste of your recipe
You can use 60 grams of buttermilk or yoghurt for each egg you want to replace. These alternatives work best for cupcakes, cakes, and muffins.
Apart from oil, what else can I place in the larger pot?
You’re probably referring to the part where you’ll pour the oil in the pot, heat it up a bit, and then place the smaller pan inside right? Well, sand can be a good alternative to oil, the point is to trap as much heat as possible to turn the pot into a makeshift oven.
If you’re going that route, ensure you use river sand and also, be careful so you don’t get your cake ruined with sand.
Can I use vegetable oil as a substitute for butter? Also, what other substitutes are there for butter?
Yes, you can use vegetable oil in place of butter. You just need three-quarters of a cup of vegetable oil for every cup of butter needed.
Some other substitutes include
Buttermilk
Use half cup of buttermilk for every cup of butter that’s needed. This works well for a lot of recipes except pie crust, which ends up changing the consistency of the dough, making it crumbly.
Avocado
Mashed avocados are a great alternative to butter. Use the same measurement of butter needed for the avocado. For example, if the recipe calls for one cup of butter, use one cup of avocado.
Coconut oil
Coconut oil to some extent shares some of the properties of butter (solid when cool, liquid when warm) so it’s already off to a good start. The measurement is same as the avocado, if the recipe calls for a cup of butter, use a cup of coconut oil.
Coconut oil works best for cakes, cupcakes and muffins
Olive oil
Olive oil can be used as a substitute for butter. All you need to do is add three-quarters of a cup of olive oil for every cup of butter that’s needed. Olive oil has a strong taste so it could affect the flavor of sweeter foods like cookies, and cakes. It works for baked goods like biscuits though.
In other words, since we’re talking about vanilla cake here, olive oil won’t be a good option.
Greek yogurt
Greek yogurt works very well here because, not only is it a good substitute for butter, it also gives your cake a protein boost, and a velvety texture. Use half the amount of greek yogurt for every measure of butter required.
Applesauce
You can replace butter in baking recipes by using applesauce, unsweetened applesauce to be more specific. Use half the amount of applesauce as the measure of butter demanded in the recipe.
It’s a great alternative if you’re watching your calorie intake, or you’re looking for a great source of fiber. Applesauce as an alternative works best for cakes, banana bread, and zucchini.
Note: All these substitutes work best for baking as opposed to other cooking methods like frying.
Conclusion
I hope you were able to learn how to make tasty vanilla sponge cake without an oven. Ensure to share among your friends to learn this too.
