How to Bake a Cake Using a Jiko

Co-authored by Jessica Gibson Reviewed by Marrow Private Chefs

Last Updated: November 18, 2024

If you don't have access to an oven, you can still make a cake in your jiko. Mix up your favorite batter such as whole-wheat cinnamon or vanilla and chocolate zebra. Light the charcoal in your jiko and place the sufuria on the coals to preheat a little. Set a sufuria filled with batter on the jiko and then cover it with a lid. Spread hot coals over the lid and bake the cake until it's completely cooked.

Ingredients

Whole-Wheat Cinnamon Cake

3 cups (360 g) of whole-wheat flour
2 tablespoons (15.5 g) of cinnamon
3 eggs
1/2 cup (100 g) of brown sugar
1/2 cup (100 g) of margarine
1 tablespoon (12 g) of baking powder
1 pinch of salt

Makes 1 round cake

Marble Cake ^{[1]
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1/2 cup (100 g) of margarine
1 cup (200 g) of sugar
3 eggs
1 cup (125 g) of all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon (4 g) of baking powder
1 pinch of salt
2 tablespoons (30 ml) of vanilla
2 tablespoons (30 ml) of milk
2 tablespoons (14 g) of cocoa powder

Makes 1 round cake

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Making Whole-Wheat Cinnamon Cake

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Get out a large bowl and put 3 cups (360 g) of whole-wheat flour into it. Whisk or stir in 2 tablespoons (15.5 g) of cinnamon, 1 tablespoon (14.8 ml) (12 g) of baking powder, and 1 pinch of salt. Set the dry ingredients aside.
2
Cream the margarine and brown sugar for 3 to 5 minutes. Put 1/2 cup (100 g) of margarine into a separate bowl and add 1/2 cup (100 g) of brown sugar. Use a sturdy spoon or electric mixer to beat the margarine and brown sugar until it's light and fluffy.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl every once in a while, especially if you're using an electric mixer.
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3
Beat in 3 eggs 1 at a time. Turn the mixer to low or stop beating if you're doing it by hand. Crack 1 egg into the margarine and brown sugar mixture. Then beat it in until it's combined. Add the remaining 2 eggs 1 at a time.
- The eggs will mix into the batter easier if they're at room temperature.
Slowly stir in the dry ingredients and beat the batter until it's completely smooth. Ensure that you stir the sides and bottom of the bowl.
Fill the upper part of the jiko with charcoal and open the air inlet at the base. Place some of the slightly used charcoal from the last time you used the jiko into the chamber at the bottom. Light the charcoal and then fan the base so the coals heat up.
6
Grease a sufuria and spread the batter in it. Brush the bottom and sides of the sufuria with margarine to prevent the cake from sticking. Pour the whole-wheat cinnamon batter into the greased sufuria.
- To help the cake bake flat, spread the top of the batter so it's level.
Set the lid on the sufuria and carefully scoop 3 to 5 large chunks of coal on top. Place the coals evenly on the top of the lid so the heat is distributed across the entire cake.
8
Put the filled sufuria on the jiko and bake the cake for 30 minutes. Very carefully lift the hot sufuria and set it down on the hot coals of the jiko. Bake the cake until it's completely cooked.
- To test if the cake is done, insert a fork or skewer into the center. The fork or skewer should come out completely dry.
9
Remove the sufuria from the jiko and cool the cake in the sufuria. Once the cake is finished baking, carefully lift the sufuria off of the jiko and set it aside. Remove the lid and coals from the top of the sufuria, but leave the cake inside the pan. Cool the cake completely before you turn it out of the pan.
- If you try to remove the cake while it's still warm, it will fall apart.
10
Serve the whole-wheat cinnamon cake. Dust the top of the cake with powdered sugar or cover the cake with your choice of frosting. For example, coat the cake with a chocolate frosting or whipped cream. Slice and serve the cake.
- You can store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for about 2 days.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Baking a Zebra Cake

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1
Cream the margarine with sugar for 1 to 2 minutes. Put 1/2 cup (100 g) of margarine into a large mixing bowl and add 1 cup (200 g) of sugar. Use an electric mixer to beat the margarine with sugar on medium speed until it's light and fluffy.
- If you don't have an electric mixer, use a sturdy spoon to beat the mixture by hand.
2
Beat in 3 eggs 1 at a time. Crack 1 egg into the margarine and sugar mixture. Then beat it on low speed until the egg is incorporated. Add the remaining 2 eggs 1 at a time so they're completely combined with the wet batter.
- Use a spoon to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3
Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt. Turn off the mixer and add 1 cup (125 g) of all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon (4 g) of baking powder, and 1 pinch of salt. Stir the batter until the flour is incorporated.
- You shouldn't see any lumps in the batter.
4
Mix in the vanilla and milk. Pour 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of vanilla and 2 tablespoons (30 ml) of milk into the bowl and use a spoon to stir them in. If the batter is too thick to stir easily, add a splash or two of milk to loosen it.
- If you'd like to just make a vanilla cake, you can use this batter without making the chocolate swirl.
5
Stir in cocoa if you'd like to make the swirled marble cake. To make a marble or zebra cake, scoop out about 1 cup (240 ml) of batter and put it in a separate bowl. Set it aside and stir 2 tablespoons (14 g) of cocoa powder into the batter that's left in your original bowl.
- The chocolate batter should become completely brown once you've mixed it enough.
6
Grease the smaller sufuria. Dip a paper towel or pastry brush into a little margarine and spread it over the bottom and insides of a small sufuria. The margarine will prevent the cake from sticking and make it easy to remove from the sufuria.
- The sufuria with the cake batter should be able to fit into a larger sufuria that will hold the stones.
7
Alternate the vanilla and chocolate batter in the pan to make stripes. Dip a ladle into the chocolate batter and pour a scoopful into the greased sufuria. Take another ladle and dip it into the vanilla batter. Then spoon a scoopful directly onto the chocolate batter in the pan. Spoon another scoop of chocolate batter and then another scoop of vanilla.
- Continue alternating the chocolate and vanilla batter until you've spooned all of the batters into the sufuria.
8
Heat the jiko. Put charcoal into the upper part of the jiko and open the air inlet near the base. Place slightly used charcoal from the last time you used the jiko into the chamber at the bottom and light it. Blow or fan the base to heat the coals.
- Lighting slightly used charcoal will eliminate waste and make the jiko heat up faster.
9
Heat the larger sufuria for 5 to 10 minutes. Set a large, empty sufuria on top of the jiko once the coals are ashy and hot. Put 3 stones in the sufuria or pour about 1 in (2.5 cm) of sand into it. Put the lid on the sufuria and let it heat up for 5 to 10 minutes.
- If you use stones, choose flat stones so you can place the cake pan on a level surface.
Set the pan full of cake batter down into the sufuria so it's resting on the stones. Put the lid on the larger sufuria and carefully put hot coals evenly across the top of the lid.
If the coals look like they're burning up before the cake's done, add more coals halfway through the baking time. Insert a skewer or fork into the center of the cake to test if it's done. The tester should come out clean once the cake's finished baking.
12
Take the sufuria out of the jiko and cool the cake in the sufuria. Carefully lift the sufuria off of the jiko and put it aside. Lift the lid and coals from the top of the sufuria, but keep the cake inside the pan. Let the cake cool completely before you turn it out.
- The cake will fall apart if you try to remove it while it's still warm.
13
Serve the zebra cake. Consider dusting the top of the zebra cake with powdered sugar before you serve it. Or let the cake cool completely and frost it with your favorite icing.
- Store leftover cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days.