This Instant Pot 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 5 minutes.
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 this Instant Pot cake again and again.
Definitely use this Instant Pot chocolate cake recipe for a quick and easy dessert. I know I sure do!
This recipe is also perfect for when you don’t want to use your oven, like in the summer, you can still have cake!
What if my Instant Pot 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 cooker setting helps keeps the cake from drying out (which can happen in the oven). So, steam is the main secret behind the softness and luxuriousness of this cake!
More Tricks and Tips
If you haven’t used the Instant Pot for baking before, check out these tips:
- Don’t forget the liquid – for ALL instant pot recipes, including baking, your pot needs enough 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 – if you don’t have a 6-inch pan, you can easily find one online. The cake pan is 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 pan from touching the liquid directly 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 the cake needs to cool down before you can add frosting or any other topping. Otherwise it will melt and slide right off!
Adjustments
If you don’t have a 6-inch cake pan, a 7-inch cake pan can be used as long as it fits in your pressure cooker. A bundt pan can also be used. You should not need to adjust the time for any of these options.
If you have a smaller Instant Pot, you should still be able to make this recipe, as long as you find a cake pan that fits your model. You may need to adjust the amount of water.
If you’d like to make this recipe gluten-free, you can substitute a gluten free all-purpose cup-for-cup flour blend. You could also use almond flour, though it may change the texture a bit.
To take this cake up a notch, I like to add a dash of espresso powder to the batter. It brings out the richness of the chocolate. However, make sure to not overdo it if you’re baking this for kids!
If you really want to diversify, try this delicious Instant pot chocolate lava cake.
Serving
Personally, I like to alternate between chocolate frosting and whipped cream with pieces of fruit at the top. But that’s the beauty of this cake! Anyone can do it their own way and you can even employ the help of the kids for this step (although be prepared to lose half of the frosting in the process).
This time I simply sprinkled powdered sugar over it and served it. It was just as delicious as if it had frosting on top!
- 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
- 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!
Can a bundt pan be used . Time adjustment?
Yes I did today and it was amazing. Did spray with conola oil
I mean – with pressurization time, cook time, and natural release time, this actually takes longer than in the oven, for a relatively small cake – no? Am i missing something? Is the quality of the cake itself better, making it worth it? I might try it just as an experiment, so I’m confident in it, in case the oven is in use (nice to have the option). But is it really faster?
Hi Dave
You are right it’s not that faster, but it’s a great alternative for someone who doesn’t have an oven or don’t want to use it.
Thank you
I currently don’t have an oven and with the world wide epidemic stores are closed where I reside. So I’m unable to get it fixed or get a new one. This will work for me, thank you!
Like me I have no oven.
Learning how to cook in a Instant Pot
Yes! I have a dodgy oven and need to invest in a new one so thank you for this recipe!
Or sometimes, on very hot sticky days, you just don’t want to heat up your house with your oven. Great alternative, thanks for the recipe
It comes out much moister than an oven bake.
No heating of kitchen.
Yes, the quality is worth the extra time (in my opinion). Your cake will always rise nicely and will always be moist and springy. If that’s the texture of cake you enjoy then you’ll find yourself using the pressure cooker instead of the oven to make your cakes and you may find yourself adapting other cake recipes to pressure cooking (as I do).
Doubt it’s faster as 30 min cooking plus 10-15 min. natural release (up to 45 minutes!). It is supposed to be wonderfully moist though. As I have a tendency to forget when I’m baking this might work for me 😉
I don’t have an instant pot but I do use a stove top pressure cooker. Can I do the chocolate cake in that?
Many thanks
Jo
I’m trying this recipe now, so I can’t vouch for it — but as with all things pressure cooked, the steam must make a difference in the moistness of the cake. Additionally, I put it in and don’t have to worry about it again… It’s more time, but also more hands off while you do other things around the house…
Using the IP allows you to bake a cake without heating up your whole kitchen or house by using your large oven. Also, it is dump and go with the IP = no need to stay nearby while it bakes.
It’s my birthday on Saturday and my oven is out of commission for the inability to get out two screws from the bottom. I want chocolate cake! 🙂 thanks for making a poor birthday week more joyful.
Happy birthday! I’m so glad you still get to enjoy chocolate cake thanks to the Instant Pot 🙂
I have seen recipes where the pan is cover with alumin foil, do you know the difference
I made this cake! Wonderful! It will be so handy to do baked goods like this in my RV instant Pot, which I have yet to buy. Thank you for this recipe!
You are welcome Ellen!
Ellen, I’ve made Pillsbury’s Cinnamon Rolls with Icing in my Instant Pot. They are delicious
Sounds delicious! I will make on this weekend. I made a cheesecake for Morher’s Day in my instant pot! Wow! I was impressed if I have to say so myself. lol My family said it was delicious.
Does the foil cover the cake while it is cooking?
Is there a time adjustment for a 7″ pan?
Same time.
Has anyone tried this using 1 to 1 gluten free flour?
Is it plain flour or SR please
Plain flour is used in this recipe.
Does the foil cover the cake when cookin?
Yes.
Can you use almond or coconut flour in place of white flour? If so, what amounts?
To be honest I didn’t try but I don’t see any reason why not. Same amount.
Cake was not baked in the middle and overall was too dense. This recipe needs a bit of work to improve the outcome.
Have you followed the recipe properly?
I just made it. I too thought it was very heavy. Was cooked the whole way thru no problem there.
It is meant to be rich and chocolatey. Try serving with fresh whipped cream and fruit to lighten it up!
I made this twice and turned out great. Did not have the baking soda, so used SR floor and still great.
Also as a try as could not get any answer’s I have made the throw it all together type sponge ie 8 OZ SR flour, Sugar ( works with granulated) butter/margerine & should be 4 Eggs, but seems to be ok with 3 and a good couple of tablespoons of Coco powder. Mixed up with whisk or by hand put in a greased sandwich pan, cup of water, 22 mins & NPR done it covered in foil & not with foil. Either way seems good. The family munch it up on its own or with custard ice-cream etc. Would not win any prizes, but that is not what it is about is it? I have a severely disabled daughter who needs everything done 24/7 so every min saved is good. And having arthritis I prefer not bending to the oven. In fact I have not used my oven since I got my IP about 3 years ago!!!! Obviously use air fryer & Air fryer oven plus the microwave and that is it plus some things on the job occasionally!
Just got my Instant Pot yesterday and this is the first thing I made in it, it was delicious, and so quick to make. The cake is rich, and moist and because it’s only 6 inches, no guilt about making a cake.
So happy to see your comment!! I wish you will make many more delicious Instant Pot recipes!
If I make this in the 8qt do I need to do anything different? Or just add more water since it’s the 8qt?
Just add more water 🙂
This is the first thing I made in my instant pot, it was really good. It’s a quick to throw together cake.
Glad you like it ^_^
hi i am probably going to be using this recipe for my science fair project (im 12) and i hope it works out great 😀
LOL Did it work?
my curriculum for school is a bit different so we will be doing the hard stuff like the procedure hypotheses etc. this semester but the experiment next semester therefor, i have not done it yet:)
What do you mean by 6 inch form? Do you mean a cake tin?
spring form pan, the kind that has a fastener on the side that opens the pan up for easy removal of the cake.
Came out perfect in my mini. Just what I was looking for! First cake I tried in it. Thx so much. This will be my go to recipe.
So glad you like it Diane :]
Can you also use packaged cake mix, or perhaps cornbread mix.
Yes, absolutely! You will just need to alter the instructions on the box.
Wonderful! First time doing an instant pot cake. I had read other recipes which indicated that the cake did not cook and was goopy. I finally decided to try a recipe and I am glad I choose this one. This dense, rich, and beautiful cake cooked well and my family loves it! I live at high altitude and appreciate that no high altitude adjustments are needed when “baking” with the instant pot.
Thank you!
So glad you like the recipe Janie 🙂
That’s such a great point about the high altitude, that’s wonderful! I’m glad you and your family loved the recipe 🙂
Do you let the ip go into the keep warm cycle or turn off the pot after the 30min cook time and let it NR?
You can let it go into the keep warm cycle as it completes the natural release.
My husband said this was really good. Dense and on the dry side but not crumbly. I added a little expression powder which added to it. I like it more moist but he likes it on the dry side. My question is how long should I natural release. It went past 25 minutes and the pin still didn’t go down so I quick released the little pressure that was left. I thought maybe that was why it was dryer.
For a true natural release, you should wait the full amount of time until the pressure is released. This can take a while, but it does help the end result. Glad you and your husband liked the recipe!
I only have an 8in spring form pan. What adjustments would need to be made for the size? Still figuring this IP out.
As long as the pan you have fits in your Instant Pot, you shouldn’t need to adjust the cook time. An 8-inch pan should still work for this recipe.
Made it today….FABULOUS! Except one thing. I am never one to moan…BUT…I have to make it again tomorrow! My pack of people ate the LOT. Thank you!
Ha! I am so glad you all loved it 🙂
so I made this last night. My question is I made it in a 7.5 spring form pan in an 8qt crockpot express (crockpots brand of IP). It came out very dense is that how it was suppose to be? Was 1 cup of water enough or should i have added more? Can this be made in a regular cake pan? My daughter loved it though and had fun mixing the ingredients together.
It is fairly dense, but to lighten up the texture next time, make sure you are not over-mixing the ingredients. That should help. Glad you and your daughter had fun making it though! 🙂
I’d like to make a double sized cake with this recipe. May I stack two pans in at a time?
If you have two cake pans that fit stacked, it might work, though I haven’t tried it. I would cover the bottom pan with foil so that water doesn’t drip into it. You can also try making one cake and then slicing it in half horizontally to create 2 layers.
I don’t have parchment paper. I have the parchment rounds that came with cake pan for instant pot. Can I just wrap in tin foil bottom and top?
You can use the parchment rounds for the bottom. And I would cut parchment out of those for the sides too for best results, but lining the sides with foil may work too.
I have a 7 inch pan so I’m assuming the cake won’t rise as much. Do you think it would help to separate the eggs, beat the whites to stiff-ish peaks and fold them in?
Yes that may help with the rise, good idea!
I forgot to ask you – probably a silly question since no one else asked it, but how do you get the parchment paper stay on the sides of the pan?
That’s a good question! I like to butter or grease the sides of the pan first, and then the parchment will stick without a problem. You don’t need to do this, it can just loosely line the pan and then it will stay once you add the batter in, but I think it’s a helpful trick.
Do you think I could substitute almond milk for regular milk? (it’s what I have one hand)
Thank you kindly.
Yes, that should work fine.