Rice Cooker Cake is a fluffy Japanese-style sponge cake made proper within the rice cooker. Its superb, springy crumb and delicate taste rival these of oven-baked truffles, and its easy methodology has been profitable over residence cooks in Japan for many years.
What’s Rice Cooker Cake?
Rice Cooker Cake is a comparatively new addition to Japanese residence baking. Its precise origins are unknown—nobody can say who first made it or when—but it surely’s simple to think about that the concept emerged naturally. In most Japanese households, a rice cooker is at all times sitting on the countertop, prepared to make use of, and that on a regular basis comfort possible sparked the creation of this distinctive cake.
The electrical rice cooker was invented in Japan about 70 years in the past, and for a very long time it served a single goal: cooking steamed rice. Over time, nevertheless, producers started including new features to make the equipment extra versatile and interesting. As a result of built-in ovens should not frequent in Japanese kitchens, many individuals don’t personal a full-sized oven in any respect. Rice Cooker Cake supplied an answer—a cake that anybody may make at residence utilizing an equipment they already had.
Individuals shortly took discover of how simple it was to make a cake with out an oven. And relatively than being launched by rice cooker manufacturers, the recipe appears to have developed organically as residence cooks experimented and thought, “Perhaps I can bake a cake with this?” By the early 2000s, residence rice cookers started together with devoted settings for baking bread and even truffles. The unfold of those bread-making features additional inspired individuals to strive baking truffles of their rice cookers, serving to the concept acquire much more reputation.
The attraction of Rice Cooker Muffins lies of their simplicity and flexibility. You simply combine the elements, pour the batter into the rice cooker, and press a button—no difficult steps required. They’re additionally arduous to mess up: there’s no want to manage the temperature, and burning is much much less possible. Utilizing pancake combine, which turned in style across the identical time Rice Cooker Muffins emerged, makes the method even simpler and opens the door to infinite variations. At present, the phrase “rice cooker cake” is totally acquainted in Japan, and new recipes proceed to look day-after-day.
Nevertheless it’s not solely the comfort that makes Rice Cooker Muffins so beloved—they’re genuinely scrumptious. They aren’t fancy or elaborate, however their heat, homey high quality appeals to many individuals in an age of ever-more indulgent connoisseur desserts. The sponge has a fluffy but elastic texture, and its gently “steamed” crumb stays smooth and moist. The evenly candy taste additionally makes it simple to decorate up with fruit, sauces, or any favourite toppings. It’s virtually the perfect on a regular basis cake—easy, comforting, and completely suited to any dessert.
Suggestions for making Rice Cooker Cake
Rice Cooker Cake is supposed to be very simple, however there are a number of suggestions price understanding earlier than you begin. These will assist you perceive what to anticipate and make sure the cake seems effectively.
- Completely different rice cookers include totally different features. Some fashions embrace a “Cake” mode, which makes the method particularly easy. On this recipe, we used Zojirushi NS-TSC10 5-1/2-Cup (Raw) Micom Rice Cooker, which has a cake mode.
In case your cooker doesn’t have a cake mode, don’t fear—you’ll be able to nonetheless make an incredible cake. Right here’s what to remember:- Run one full cycle on the common rice-cooking setting. When it finishes, verify the cake by inserting a toothpick into the middle. If it comes out with batter on it, cook dinner the cake a bit longer.
- Some rice cookers gained’t begin a second cycle straight away. If that occurs, shut the lid and let the cooker calm down barely, then run the common rice-cooking mode once more. That is normally sufficient to cook dinner the cake via.
- As soon as the cake is finished, cool it the wrong way up—similar to a chiffon cake—to stop it from sinking. After it has cooled fully, gently loosen the sides and take away it from the bowl.
Learn how to adorn Rice Cooker Cake?
There are lots of easy and scrumptious methods to decorate up a Rice Cooker Cake.
- Slice the cake and serve it with sweetened whipped cream, contemporary berries, or any lower fruits you want.
- For a layered cake, slice the entire cake horizontally and unfold whipped cream or jam between the layers.
- You can too frost your complete cake with whipped cream or your favourite frosting, then end it with shaved chocolate, fruit, or sprinkles.
Extra recipes like Rice Cooker Cake
A smooth and fluffy Japanese-style sponge cake made within the rice cooker.
Cake
- 1 cup cake flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 5 eggs
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup water
- 1/4 cup oil
To serve with (non-obligatory)
- whipped cream
- contemporary berries
-
Sift cake flour, baking powder and salt collectively a few occasions.
-
Separate egg whites and yolks.
-
In a bowl of stand mixer, beat yolks 1/4 cup sugar, vanilla, water and oil collectively for a minute. Add flour combination and whip at excessive velocity for a minute. Put aside.
-
In a clear bowl, beat egg whites including 1/2 cup sugar in 3 elements till medium to arduous peak.
-
Fold in 1/4 meringue to yolk combination. Then add remainder of meringue and blend, taking care to not deflate foam.
-
Pour the cake batter into the bowl of the rice cooker. In case your cooker has a Cake mode, use that and comply with the equipment’s directions.
-
If it doesn’t, cook dinner the batter utilizing the common white-rice setting. When the cycle finishes, run the identical setting as soon as extra.If the cooker gained’t begin a second cycle straight away, shut the lid and let it relaxation for about quarter-hour to chill down the cooker barely, then begin the cycle once more.
-
Flip the bowl up facet down on a cooling rack. No have to take away the cake at this level. When cooled fully, take away the cake from the bowl.
-
Slice a cake and serve with whipped cream and berries.
