The Omnia Oven: 5 Simple Cake Recipes for Baking

What is an Omnia Oven?

The Omnia Oven is an ingenious stove top oven that allows you to cook virtually anything on just a hob. It costs a fraction of the cost of a traditional oven as well as saving space in your van.

How does the Omnia Oven work?

The base plate sits on the hob and the heat radiates up through the central hole then drops into the middle tray where the food is cooking. It’s a very simple but clever design!

How to Bake a Cake in an Omnia Oven

It really is very simple. You just scoop or pour the cake mixture into the Omnia and then pop it on top of the hop.

We have 2 bits of advice for baking cakes in an Omnia oven:

1. Cook on a much lower flame than normal to prevent burning the base!
2. Use a silicone liner. It saves time greasing the Omnia, makes it easier to get the cake in and out, and also keeps your Omnia clean.

5 Simple Cake Recipes for Baking in an Omnia Oven

We thought we would share 5 cake recipes that have been super simple and absolutely delicious that we have bakes whilst travelling in our campervan. We are vegans so have used vegan ingredients but we have also listed non-vegan options next to these too.

Easy Coffee Cake

Ingredients

• 225g vegetable oil
• 125g dark brown sugar
• 100g white sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 225g plain flour
• 2 tbs instant espresso dissolved in 1 tbs boiling water
• 4 tsp egg replacer (Or 4 eggs)
• 10 tbs water

For the icing:

• 250g icing sugar
• 100g vegan butter or margarine (or unsalted salted butter)
• 1.5 tbsp instant coffee dissolved in boiling water

Method

1. Grease the Omnia or liner 
2. Mix the brown and white sugar, baking powder and plain flour in a mixing bowl.
3. Preheat the Omnia on a low flame
4. Make a well in the centre and add the vegetable oil, espresso, egg replacer (or eggs) and water and mix thoroughly until you have a smooth batter
5. Place the mixture to the Omnia/liner and bake for 60 minutes or when a skewer comes out clean.
6. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and then remove from the Omnia onto a plate or cake tin to cool completely.
7. Whilst the cake is cooling you can make the icing. Beat the icing sugar and butter until light and fluffy then add the dissolved coffee whisk and keep somewhere cool until the cake is ready for it to be spread on top.

Apple & Cinnamon Cake

Ingredients

• 120g vegan butter or margarine (or unsalted butter)
• 120g light brown sugar
• 1 tsp egg replacer (or 1 egg)
• 230g Self-raising flour
• 2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 7-8 tbsp soya milk (or milk)
• 230g of cooking apples peeled, cored and diced
• 2 tbs of brown sugar
• 50g walnuts chopped
• Icing sugar (option for decoration)

Method

1. Grease the Omnia or liner
2. Preheat the Omnia oven on a low flame
3. Mix the flour and cinnamon in a mixing bowl. Add the butter and rub together with the flour to make fine breadcrumbs
4. Stir in the light brown sugar, add the egg replacer along with 1 tbs of water (or a beaten egg) and 7-8 tbs of milk. This should resemble a thick batter.
5. Add in the apples and chopped walnuts and combine.
6. Place into the Omnia, level out and sprinkle the brown sugar over the top
7. Cook in the Omnia for 30-40 minutes until a skewer comes out clean
8. Allow to cool for 15 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack.
9. Drizzle icing sugar over the top for decoration if desired. Best served with custard.

Carrot and Walnut Cake

Ingredients

• 230ml vegetable oil
• 200g plain flour
• 1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
• 280g light brown sugar
• 3 tsp egg replacer (or 3 eggs)
• 8 tbs water
• 3 tsp ground cinnamon
• 250g grated carrots
• 100g chopped walnuts (or pecans)

For the optional topping

• 150g vegan cream cheese (or cream cheese)
• 75g caster sugar
• 50g vegan butter (or unsalted butter)

Method

1. Grate the carrots and chop the walnuts/pecans into small pieces. Leave 6-8 whole walnuts/pecans for the topping
2. Add the vegetable oil, flour, bicarbonate of soda, sugar, egg replacer & water (or eggs) and cinnamon to a bowl and mix
3. Add in the carrots and walnuts/pecans
4. Place in the omnia on a low flame for 50-60 minutes.
5. Meanwhile mix the cream cheese, sugar and butter in a bowl. Whisk until all the lumps have gone and leave somewhere cool
6. Once the cake has cooked and skewer comes out clean remove from the omnia and allow to cool
7. Once cooled spoon on the cream cheese and arrange whole walnuts/pecans

Fruit Scones

Ingredients

• 40g caster sugar
• 75g vegan butter or margarine (or unsalted butter)
• 225g self-raising flour
• 50g raisins or sultanas
• 1 tsp egg replacer + 1 tbs water(or 1 egg)
• 3-4 tbs of milk

Method

• Mix the flour and sugar in a bowl. Rub the butter into the mixture until it looks crumbly.
• Add in the raisins/sultanas, egg replacer and water (or egg) and 3 tbs of milk.
• Mix the dough with a knife to start with then start to use your hands. The dough should be soft rather than sticky. If the dough seems too dry then add more milk just a little at a time.
• Make the dough into a ball and then put it onto a floured working surface
• Using a rolling pin roll the dough out to 3cm thick
• Using a pastry cutter cut out as many as you can. Re-knead the dough and repeat.
• Put the scones in a greased omnia or liner and dust each scone with flour. Bake for 12-15 minutes on a low flame.

Sticky Golden Syrup Cake

Ingredients

• 150g margarine
• 64g caster sugar
• 380g self-raising flour
• Pinch of salt
• 600ml of golden syrup
• 450ml boiling water

Method

1. Grease the Omnia / liner
2. Combine all ingredients together in a large bowl until smooth (The mixture will be quite runny)
3. Add the mixture to the Omnia/liner on a low flame for 40-50 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
4. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes then flip onto a bowl or cake tin
5. Drizzle with extra golden syrup and it’s best served with custard or cream

We hope you enjoy having a go at baking using an Omnia oven. We have purposely shared easy recipes to get you started but once you are confident you can get really creative baking with it and can virtually bake anything you would in a standard oven.

Do you have a favourite cake you have baked in an Omnia Oven? Share it with us @go_van_com on Instagram using #govanmovement or email us at hello@solutionsangulaires.com

Text and photos provided by Laura and Jacqui of @brownbirdandcompany. Learn more at www.brownbirdandcompany.co.uk