CUSTARD CAKE IN A COOKER

There’s a certain kind of magic in old-school bakery cakes — soft, yellow, speckled with colourful tutti frutti, and carrying that sweet, vanilla-custard aroma that instantly transports you to childhood birthday parties, tea-time moments with family, or trips to the local bakery with your parents. This Eggless Custard Cake in A Cooker brings all of that nostalgia to life — but with a twist. Because this cake? It’s made entirely in a pressure cooker. No oven, no eggs, no fuss — just simple ingredients and homely techniques that anyone can follow.

This recipe is close to my heart because it brings back memories of the kind of cakes that didn’t need fancy frostings or elaborate layers to feel special. The soft, golden crumb. The gentle hint of vanilla from the custard powder. The pop of tutti frutti in every other bite. It’s everything a comfort cake should be — warm, humble, and completely satisfying.

And the best part? You don’t need an oven to make it. Whether you’re a college student baking in a shared kitchen, someone just starting out, or a home cook in love with old-school methods — this cake is for you. All you need is a regular pressure cooker, a handful of pantry staples, and a bit of patience. The cooker acts like a mini oven when preheated with salt, giving you an even, gentle bake — without the stress of timers or pre-set temperatures.

I’ve tested and re-tested this recipe with small tweaks to get it just. Every step has been simplified so even first-time bakers can follow along with ease.

So if you’re someone who misses the taste of bakery-style tutti frutti cakes or just wants to bake something warm and nostalgic without switching on an oven, this recipe is going to be your go-to. Let’s bring back the charm of no-fuss, no-oven baking — and celebrate the fact that something so simple can still feel so special.

WHAT YOU’LL LOVE ABOUT THIS RECIPE

• Nostalgic
• No-oven
• Eggless
• Easy to make

INGREDIENTS USED IN CUSTARD CAKE IN A COOKER

• Milk

Milk provides just enough moisture to help bring the batter together. This allows the ingredients to bind smoothly, creating a cohesive batter. Milk provides the main liquid base for the batter, allowing all dry ingredients to combine smoothly into a pourable consistency. The proteins in milk (like casein) help set the cake’s structure as it bakes, working alongside flour and leaveners. When combined with vinegar, it forms buttermilk and the mild acidity softens the texture, activates the baking soda, and makes the cake extra tender.

• Vinegar

Vinegar is acidic and reacts with baking soda to produce carbon dioxide gas, which helps the cake rise and become fluffy. The acid also helps break down gluten slightly, resulting in a softer, finer crumb. When mixed with milk, vinegar curdles it slightly, making a quick version of buttermilk, which is ideal for tender cakes.

• Oil

Unlike butter, which solidifies when cool, oil stays liquid — this helps the cake remain soft and moist for days. Oil coats the flour particles and prevents too much gluten from forming. This results in a softer, more delicate texture, especially important in cakes that don’t use eggs. Sunflower oil has a light, neutral taste, so it doesn’t overpower the custard or tutti frutti. It blends quickly with sugar and liquids, helping create a smooth batter with minimal effort.

• Sugar

Caster sugar has finer crystals than regular sugar, so it dissolves faster and more evenly in the batter.This ensures that your cake has a balanced, smooth sweetness throughout — no gritty or patchy spots. When whisked with wet ingredients, caster sugar helps incorporate air — this contributes to a light, airy texture when combined with leavening agents. Sugar helps create that golden, bakery-style crust on the outside through the Maillard reaction and caramelization.

• All Purpose Flour

All-purpose flour , when combined with liquid (milk) and mixed, the proteins in flour form gluten. This provides the structural framework that helps the cake hold their shape during and after baking. Flour absorbs the butter and milk, binding all the ingredients together into a cohesive batter. It forms the main volume of your batter — everything else (milk, oil, sugar, tutti frutti) is built around the flour.

• Custard powder

Custard powder is primarily made of cornstarch, flavoring (usually vanilla), and sometimes a hint of color. It imparts a subtle, sweet, and creamy custard flavor that elevates the cake. Custard powder contains cornstarch, which acts like a mild thickening agent in the batter. It contributes to a softer, silkier crumb and slightly dense (but moist) texture — similar to a pudding-cake or bakery loaf. It supports structure while keeping the crumb tender.

• Leavening agents

Since the cake is eggless, you’re relying entirely on chemical leavening for fluffiness. Baking soda needs an acid to activate — in this recipe, the vinegar does the job.  Without it, your cake would be dense, gummy, or sunken in the middle. Baking powder and baking soda release gases (mainly carbon dioxide) when they react with liquids and acids in the batter. These bubbles expand in the heat of the cooker, making the cake rise and become light and airy instead of dense or flat.

• Tutti frutti

Tutti frutti is a nostalgic Indian bakery staple — its presence instantly connects the cake to memories of birthday parties, sweet shops, and old-school confectioners. Tutti frutti adds sweetness and a slight chew to each bite. It gives the cake a fruit-candy flavour that pairs beautifully with the vanilla custard base — nostalgic and very bakery-style. I have used these tutti frutti to make my custard cake.

 EQUIPMENT USED FOR MAKING CUSTARD CAKE IN A COOKER

This recipe comes together quickly and hardly needs any special equipment.

Measuring Cups and Measuring Spoons. are an integral part of any baker’s kitchen and it’s very important to measure ingredients with precision. I make the batter in my glass mixing bowls.

A spatula and a whisk help to bring in the dough together. The parchment paper I use to line my cake pans are linked here.

For the no-oven setup, you will need a large cooker to put the loaf pan in.

HOW TO MAKE THIS CAKE IN AN OVEN

This cake bakes perfectly well in an oven. All you need to do is preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius for 10 mins and then bake the cake for 35-45 mins or till a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

OTHER RELATED RECIPES FROM THE BLOG

• JELLY CUSTARD TRIFLE

• THANDAI CUSTARD CUPS

• NO-OVEN EGGLESS CUSTARD COOKIES

TIPS TO MAKE CUSTARD CAKE IN A COOKER

1. You can use butterscotch custard powder for a twist.
2. For extra flavour, add a drop of vanilla essence if your custard powder isn’t very strong.
3. Milk, vinegar, and oil should all be at room temp. Cold ingredients can mess with the texture and emulsification.
4. Always sift the flour, baking powder, and baking soda together — it helps distribute everything evenly and avoids clumps.
5. Toss the tutti fruit in some flour so that they don’t sink in the batter.
6. Try not to check too early. Wait until at least 35 minutes before opening to check for doneness.

If you like my Custard Cake In A Cooker recipe and happen to make them in your kitchen, do tag me on Instagram and share pictures with me using #Bakewithshivesh. Happy Baking!