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No-Oven Carrot Cake Recipe

No-Oven Carrot Cake Recipe | Easy Stovetop Carrot Cake

This no-oven carrot cake is soft, warmly spiced and baked on a gas stove using a very low flame. I made this cake for a birthday celebration at home, and you can watch the full birthday vlog at the end of this recipe card to see the cake being prepared, baked and decorated.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine kenyan, No-Oven Baking

Equipment

  • Gas stove
  • 2 × 7-inch pans
  • mixing bowls
  • Measuring cups and spoons
  • grater
  • wooden spoon or spatula
  • Baking Paper
  • Cake skewer or toothpick

Ingredients
  

  • 3 cups grated carrot
  • 3 cups all-purpose flour
  • 4½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon mixed spice
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla essence
  • 1 cup oil
  • 1 cup milk

Instructions
 

  • Prepare the pans:
    Grease and dust two 7-inch cake pans with flour, then line the bottoms with baking paper.
  • Mix the dry ingredients:
    In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, sugar, cinnamon, mixed spice and salt. Mix well and set aside.
  • Mix the wet ingredients:
    In a large bowl, add the eggs, vanilla essence, oil and milk. Add the grated carrots and mix well.
  • Combine:
    Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and mix until everything is well combined. Avoid overmixing.
  • Fill the pans:
    Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared 7-inch pans.
  • Bake without an oven:
    Place the pans on the smallest burners of your gas stove and bake for the first 20 seconds on high flame then reduce the flame and bake over the tiniest flame for about 45–55 minutes.
    If using a wider burner, reduce the flame to the tiniest possible setting. On my stove, I achieve this by turning the knob almost as though I am switching it off, until only a very small flame remains.
  • Check the cake with a skewer inserted into the centre. It is ready when the skewer comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  • Carefully transfer or invert the cake onto a suitable plate or serving platter.
  • Enjoy plain or decorate with your favourite frosting.

Video

Notes

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I bake carrot cake without an oven?

Yes. This recipe shows how to bake carrot cake on a gas stove using a very low flame. The key is to use gentle heat and allow the cake enough time to cook through.

How long does carrot cake take to bake on a gas stove?

My cakes took approximately 45 minutes to bake on the tiniest flame of my gas stove. Cooking time can vary depending on your stove, burner, pans and the amount of heat produced.

What size pans did you use?

I used two 7-inch cake pans. You can also use 1 large pan. I prefer a 10-inch pan if I'm using one pan to bake the entire cake.

Can I use a wider gas burner?

Yes. You can use a wider burner, but reduce the flame to the tiniest possible setting. As demonstrated in the video, the flame should be extremely low.

Can I frost this carrot cake?

Absolutely. You can enjoy it plain or decorate it with your favourite frosting. Cream cheese frosting pairs particularly well with carrot cake.
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