Instant Pot Chocolate Cake

Chocolate cake is my weakness and I think I passed it on to my kids as they are capable of making an entire cake disappear in less than half an hour! 

Now, to make sure we’re no all going to succumb to our cravings and go live in a house made of cake, I decided that we’re only going to eat sweets we cook in the house. This rule allows me to limit the sweets in our diet, but it’s also a bit of a nuisance given that the kids keep asking for chocolate cake. 

So, if you’re like me and have a bunch of little trolls talking your ear off for some cake, you may want a quick way to produce one that’s both home-made and delicious. Luckily, if you own an Instant Pot, all you need are the ingredients and you’re good to go!

My IP doesn’t have a Bake Function

Don’t be disappointed if you can’t find the Bake function on your Instant Pot – some models don’t have it. As you can see from my instructions, I use the Manual mode for baking, and the result is a soft cake that basically melts in your mouth. 

The steam from the pressure cooking setting helps speed up the process, but it also keeps the cake from drying (which can happen in the oven). So, steam is the main secret behind the softness and luxuriousness of this cake! 

Things you Should Know

If you haven’t used the Instant Pot for baking before, make sure to check these tips out (in fact, I think that the more experienced IP bakers should also give these rules a peak):

• Don’t forget the liquid – the rule remains the same – your pot needs liquid to build up pressure. Otherwise, you’ll either get an error message or you’ll wait forever to see the pot build pressure. 
• Use a 6-inch cake form lined with parchment paper – to get a fluffy and soft cake, it’s important to place the batter in a cake form that you previously lined with parchment paper. The form will be placed on the trivet (one of the IP standard accessories) which will be placed in the inner pot. The trivet is important because it keeps the cake form from touching the liquid and it will allow you to get the pan out once the cooking is done (without burning your fingers).
• Let the pressure release naturally – I know it’s difficult to wait when you can already feel the smell of chocolate goodness but, believe me, it’s worth it! If you release the steam too quickly (using the Quick Release function), you may end up with a flat cake. This can happen because the pot uses steam to heat up and raise the batter. 
• Let the cake cool down – I’m sure you already know this, but I want to make sure. The cake needs to cool down before you can add frosting or any other topping. 
• You can add a dash of espresso powder to make the richness of the chocolate really pop. However, make sure to not overdo it if you’re baking this for kids. 

Quick tip: if you don’t have a 6-inch cake form, you can find one in the nearest supermarket or online store.

Serving

Now that the cake is ready for decoration, you can let your imagination run wild. I like to alternate between chocolate frosting and whipped cream with pieces of fruit at the top. But this is the beauty of this cake! Anyone can do it their own way and you can even employe the help of the kids for this step (although be prepared to lose half of the frosting in the process).

For this recipe, I took a different approach. I simply sprinkled powdered sugar over it and served it. It was just as delicious as if it had frosting on top! It’s also a perfect solution for a birthday party or for welcoming your kids’ friends to your house.

Instant Pot Chocolate Cake

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Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

Keyword: all-purpose flour, Chocolate Cake, cocoa powder

Prep Time: 24 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 54 minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients

• ¾ cup flour
• ¾ cup cocoa powder
• ½ cup white sugar
• ¾ tsp baking powder
• ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 pinch of salt
• ½ cup melted butter
• ½ cup milk
• 3 whisked eggs
• Powdered sugar to decorate

Instructions

• Carefully line 6 inch cake form with parchment paper (also on its sides).
• In a large bowl, mix together all dry ingredients: flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, salt.
• Add melted butter, eggs, milk and vanilla extract and mix.
• Pour the batter into your cake tin.
• Cover with foil.
• Pour water (1cup) into your Instant Pot and place the trivet correctly.
• Place your cake tin onto the trivet.
• Cook at high pressure for 30 minutes.
• When cooking time ends, wait for a natural pressure release.
• Remove the foil and let your cake cool for about 20 minutes before slicing it.
• Sprinkle each slice with powdered sugar and enjoy!