Cooker Cake | Eggless Pressure Cooker Cake

Preparation

1. First grease a 5.5 inches (diameter) and 2.75 inches (height) pan very well with some butter. Keep aside.
2. Place a mixing bowl beneath a sieve. Add all purpose flour and teaspoon baking powder in the sieve. If using unsalted butter, then you can add a light pinch of salt in the flour. Sift once.
3. Sprinkle vanilla extract or vanilla essence all over the flour. You can also choose to add vanilla extract later after mixing the batter.
4. Take a 5 to 6 litre pressure cooker. Remove the gasket (rubber ring) from the lid. Also remove the vent weight (whistle) from the lid.
5. Now take the cooker and spread 1 cup of sea salt evenly all over the bottom in one single layer.
6. Keep a heat proof stand or wired rack or trivet on the layer of salt inside the cooker.
7. Begin to heat the cooker on a low flame on a stovetop. Keep the heat to its lowest and preheat for 5 minutes.

Making batter

1. Meanwhile, in a pan, take salted butter, sweetened condensed milk, sugar and water. I used raw sugar. You can also use white sugar.
2. Place the pan on stovetop and heat this mixture on a low flame.
3. Stir with a spatula so that the butter melts. Mix everything very well with the spatula.
4. Let this mixture come to a gentle simmer on a low heat.
5. When this mixture comes to a gentle simmer, then immediately add it in the flour mixture.
6. With a wired whisk begin to mix with a light pressure, so that over mixing does not happen. 
7. While mixing you will come to know if the batter is going to be thick or too thick. The batter in this recipe is of medium consistency – neither thick nor thin. 
8. Depending on the quality of flour, you may need to add less or more water. If the batter becomes thick, then do add ¼ cup more hot water. So do keep some hot water handy.
9. Whisk to a smooth batter, but don't over do the mixing. If there are small tiny lumps in the batter, then its fine.
10. Now pour the batter in the pan. Gently shake the pan or tap the sides.

Making cooker cake

1. Place the cake pan carefully in the cooker holding the pan with a pair of tongs or using oven mitts.
2. Secure the lid firmly and tightly on the cooker. Do remember to remove the vent weight (whistle).
3. Bake sponge cake on a low flame or sim, till the cake turns golden. It took about 50 minutes for the cake to bake in the 5 litre pressure cooker I used. 
4. So consider an average time of 35 minutes to 50 minutes, depending on the size of the cooker, the size and quality of the cake pan and the intensity of the flame.
5. You can check the cake by switching off the heat and removing the lid. Take care as the cooker will be very hot.
6. The top should be golden and when you insert a bamboo skewer in the center of the cooker cake, it should come out clean or with a few cake crumbs, with no sticky batter on it.
7. Remove the cake pan carefully by holding it with a pair of tongs as the cooker will be very hot.
8. Place the cake pan on a wired tray to cool. Let the cake become warm or cool at room temperature. 
9. Then remove the cake gently from the mould. Serve cooker cake warm or at room temperature. If you want, you can also frost the cake with any icing of your choice. Refrigerate the leftovers.