Can You Bake A Cake In A Rice Cooker?

Rice cookers make for pretty strong contenders when it comes to naming the Most Valuable Appliances tucked away in our kitchens. Don't let the name fool you. These gadgets aren't just for making rice.

From cooking grains to serving up hard-boiled eggs, the list of uses for rice cookers continues to grow. In efforts to save energy and keep kitchens cool during hot summers, at-home chefs around the world are turning these appliances on and cranking out pancakes, bread, poached fruit, steamed fish, homemade baby food, and hot chocolate.

For those who live in spaces that can't quite accommodate the size of an oven, we have good news: A rice cooker can help make some of your baking dreams come true. If you haven't already made oatmeal in your rice cooker, we have another delicious and comforting culinary project for you to try, particularly if you have a sweet tooth that needs satiating. Get ready for your rice cooker to come to the rescue.

Baking cakes in a rice cooker won't yield the exact same results as a cake made in an oven, but the desserts you'll make will still taste pretty good. The texture will be a bit different — denser and less fluffy than a traditionally baked cake — but it will still be moist and sweet.

To ensure your cake doesn't stick to the pot of your machine, you can line the basin with baking paper before you pour the batter into the vessel. This can help you clean your rice cooker more easily and remove the cake without damaging the exterior of your creation. Count on baking the cake a bit longer than the amount of time you'd leave your cake in an oven, and know that the exact amount of time needed to bake the cake will largely depend on the batter you use and your machine. If you're lucky, your rice cooker will come with a cake preset, helping you nail the time needed to bake your cake to golden perfection.

Prepare yourself to reveal a finished cake that is shaped like your actual rice cooker. These rounded disks can be cut or layered to decorate as you choose, as your rice cooker won't decorate the cake for you — at least, not yet.