Easy No-Bake Chocolate Cake in a Jar Recipe

This easy no-bake chocolate cake in a jar steams on the stovetop and gets a warm chocolate soak, ready in about 45 minutes. Each jar makes 1 cake from egg, flour, cocoa and chocolate chips, so you can scale it up for guests without turning on the oven.

Why This Recipe Works

Steaming does the job of the oven here. The jars sit in hot water, so the heat around the batter stays gentle and even. That gives you a soft, moist crumb and keeps the edges from drying out.

The cakes are mixed right in the jar, with the lids on while they cook. The lid holds in moisture, so the crumb stays tender. You also skip the bowls, and there is almost nothing to wash up.

The chocolate soak finishes the cake. Poking holes with a toothpick lets the warm milk and chocolate run down into the crumb, not just sit on top. Every bite tastes of chocolate and stays moist.

Easy No-Bake Chocolate Cake in a Jar Ingredients

For each jar

• 1 large egg, room temperature
• 2 heaping tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar
• 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon chocolate chips

For the chocolate soak

• 1 cup milk (or heavy cream)
• 2 ounces (50 to 60 g) milk or dark chocolate

How To Make Easy No-Bake Chocolate Cake in a Jar

Mix and steam the cakes

1. Mix the batter: Put the egg, sugar, oil, milk, flour, baking powder, vanilla sugar, cocoa powder and chocolate chips into each jar. Stir until the batter is smooth, so there are no dry pockets of flour.
2. Close the jars: Screw the lids on each jar. The lid keeps steam out of the batter and the cake stays moist.
3. Set up the pot: Choose a deep pot and stand the jars inside it. Add boiling water until the jars sit in it a bit past the halfway mark.
4. Steam the cakes: Cover the pot and bring the water back to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium and cook for 25 minutes with the lid on.

Make the sauce and finish

5. Warm the milk: While the cakes cook, heat the milk in a small saucepan. Don’t let it boil, or it can scorch and turn grainy.
6. Melt the chocolate: Add the chocolate to the warm milk. Stir until it melts into a smooth sauce.
7. Cool the jars: Lift the jars out of the pot with care, since they are very hot. Open the lids with a cloth and let the cakes cool a little.
8. Soak the cakes: Prick the top of every cake several times with a toothpick, so the sauce can reach the crumb below. Spoon the warm chocolate sauce over each one and let it sink in.

Recipe Tips

• Use a room-temperature egg: A cold egg can leave the batter lumpy and the cake a little dense. Set the egg on the counter while you measure the rest.
• Fill the jars only partway: The batter rises as it steams. Leave room at the top of each jar so the cake doesn’t push against the lid.
• Use heatproof jars: Pick jars made for canning or hot water. Thin or cracked glass can break when it goes into boiling water.
• Keep the water level right: Check the pot while the cakes cook. If the water drops a lot, add more boiling water, never cold, so the heat stays steady.

What To Serve With Easy No-Bake Chocolate Cake in a Jar

Serve the cakes warm, straight from the jar with a spoon. A scoop of vanilla ice cream or a handful of fresh raspberries goes well with the chocolate.

How To Store

• Fridge: Keep the cakes in their jars with the lids on in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Reheat: Warm a jar in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds with the lid off, until it is warm all the way through.
• Make ahead: Steam the cakes a day ahead and make the chocolate sauce just before serving, so the cake stays fresh and the sauce is warm.

FAQs

Can I make this chocolate cake in a jar without an oven?

Yes. The cakes steam in a covered pot of hot water, so you only need a stovetop. The gentle steam cooks the batter through and keeps it moist.

Can I use a different kind of milk?

Yes. Any milk works in the batter, and heavy cream makes a richer soak. A dairy-free milk will work too, but the cakes are not dairy-free as written, since the chocolate and the soak may contain dairy.

Can I freeze these cakes?

You can freeze the steamed cakes without the soak for up to 2 to 3 months. Thaw them in the fridge, warm them, then add the fresh chocolate sauce before serving.

Why is my cake dense or rubbery?

Most often the batter was stirred too long or the cake steamed too long. Mix only until smooth and watch the 25 minutes. Also check that the baking powder is fresh, since old baking powder won’t lift the cake.

Nutrition

Estimated per serving (1 of 1), worked out from the ingredients.

• Calories: about 520 kcal
• Total Fat: 28g
• Total Carbohydrate: 58g
• Dietary Fiber: 3g
• Protein: 10g

Easy No-Bake Chocolate Cake in a Jar

Recipe by Paula

0.0 from 0 votes

Servings

1

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

35

minutes

Total time

45

minutes

Single-serve chocolate cakes steamed in jars on the stovetop, then soaked in warm chocolate sauce. Each jar makes 1 soft, moist cake with no oven needed.

Ingredients

• For each jar

• 1 large egg, room temperature

• 2 heaping tablespoons granulated sugar

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 2 tablespoons milk

• 3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1 teaspoon vanilla sugar

• 1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder

• 1 teaspoon chocolate chips

• For the chocolate soak

• 1 cup milk (or heavy cream)

• 2 ounces (50 to 60 g) milk or dark chocolate

Directions

• Mix the batter: Put the egg, sugar, oil, milk, flour, baking powder, vanilla sugar, cocoa powder and chocolate chips into each jar. Stir until the batter is smooth, so there are no dry pockets of flour.
• Close the jars: Screw the lids on each jar. The lid keeps steam out of the batter and the cake stays moist.
• Set up the pot: Choose a deep pot and stand the jars inside it. Add boiling water until the jars sit in it a bit past the halfway mark.
• Steam the cakes: Cover the pot and bring the water back to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium and cook for 25 minutes with the lid on.
• Warm the milk: While the cakes cook, heat the milk in a small saucepan. Don’t let it boil, or it can scorch and turn grainy.
• Melt the chocolate: Add the chocolate to the warm milk. Stir until it melts into a smooth sauce.
• Cool the jars: Lift the jars out of the pot with care, since they are very hot. Open the lids with a cloth and let the cakes cool a little.
• Soak the cakes: Prick the top of every cake several times with a toothpick, so the sauce can reach the crumb below. Spoon the warm chocolate sauce over each one and let it sink in.