Here's How To Bake A Cake In A Toaster Oven

From microwave pasta to air fryer meatloaf, people can make a substantial number of hearty meals without an oven. And with people moving into smaller spaces and downsizing, ElectraFix raises the question, "Does the full-size oven have a place in the modern home?" While the answer is circumstantial, some might find themselves answering, "No." This may be due to the fact that older ovens, particularly ones that run on gas, can be costly and take up too much space. According to Forbes, a gas stove costs $2,800 to install on average. This makes smaller, electric appliances like toaster ovens, more appealing.

Though many may associate using a toaster oven with smaller tasks (such as heating up leftovers or defrosting frozen meals) there are a handful of full-blown dishes to make in this handy machine. In fact, if a person is limited on equipment, a toaster oven can actually be helpful to bake a cake.

That's right, there's no need to run to a bakery to buy an overpriced cake if there's a toaster oven in the kitchen. A post on Simply Called Food details a list of ways to prepare conventional oven dishes in the machine's smaller, electric form. One food item that the blog lists as completely doable in a toaster oven is a cake.

This might be surprising, with cake baking commonly thought of as a more expensive hobby. Some people spend thousands of dollars alone on supplies such as spiral mixers and layering machines (via Reddit). For instance, this spiral mixer costs around $18,000, according to ACityDiscount.com. However, this doesn't have to be the case. Many cooks online demonstrate how to make popular baked goods in nothing but a toaster oven. For the most part, there's only really a need for a sturdy tin that will fit inside the smaller machine. In addition, Foods Guy also recommends becoming familiar with the oven's "hot spots," which will help the cake bake evenly.

Simply Called Food also warns the baker to be mindful of the temperature and time variations. Things cook differently in a toaster oven versus a more conventional oven. Furthermore, while it may be difficult to make a three-tiered cake with just a toaster oven, baking a smaller cake in a toaster oven comes with less clean-up and less prep time. Who says who can't have your cake and eat it too?