Instant Pot Apple Cake—a moist apple cake that isn’t overly sweet and has the taste of fall with cinnamon and chopped apples. There are also directions for how to bake it in the oven.
Instant Pot Apple Cake
It’s fall! And I’m loving it. I love apple and pumpkin desserts in the fall. There’s just something about the scent of cinnamon floating through the air that is cozy and satisfying.
I made this apple cake in the Instant Pot using the pot-in-pot method and demonstrated the process on my latest video. Join me on YouTube for lots of Instant Pot tips and tricks.
This recipe for apple cake isn’t overly sweet. It could be eaten as a dessert, for brunch or as a snack cake. For me, this cake was moist but not overly moist like some other Instant Pot desserts I’ve made. If you want to bake this cake in the oven you totally can. I’ve included the directions in the recipe card below.
When baking in the Instant Pot you can use a loose dome of foil over the top of the cake. This will help prevent condensation from dripping on top of the cake while it bakes.
I love using my mini bundt pan* for baking in the Instant Pot. This type of pan seems to help the cake bake evenly. I have also used it to make pumpkin breakfast cake and chocolate chip zucchini banana bread.
Recommendations
Other Instant Pot Desserts…
Instant Pot Praline Pecan Cobbler
What Pressure Cooker Did You Use?
To make Instant Pot Apple Cake I used my 6 quart Instant Pot Duo 60 7 in 1*. I love this Instant Pot because it has the yogurt making function which I use almost weekly. It has two pressure settings (high and low), and there are also little slots in the handles so that you can rest the lid there instead of putting it down on your counter-top.
Instant Pot Apple Cake
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
Description
A moist apple cake that isn’t overly sweet and has the taste of fall with cinnamon and chopped apples.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp melted butter
- 1 egg
- ½ cup milk
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp vanilla
- 1 ¼ cup flour
- 1 cup chopped apples (with or without peels)
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp salt
Instructions
- In a mixing bowl whisk together the brown sugar, butter, egg and milk until smooth. Then stir in the baking soda, vanilla, flour, apples, cinnamon and salt until combined.
- Pour the batter into a greased mini bundt cake pan*. Smooth the top. Then loosely cover the pan with foil.
- Pour 1 ½ cups of water into the bottom of inner liner of the Instant Pot.
- Place the cake pan on a trivet/sling and lower it into the bottom of your Instant Pot liner.
- Cover the Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure the valve is set to sealing. Set the manual/pressure cook button to 45 minutes. When the time is up let the pot sit for 5-10 more minutes and then move the valve to venting. Remove the lid. Let the cake sit for 5 more minutes and then invert the cake onto a plate.
Notes
You can bake this in the oven. Bake at 325° for 45 minutes. You can use the half size bundt cake pan or an 8×8 square baking dish.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Instant Pot
*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.
Made this in my 3 quart mini and it fit and came out perfect, didn’t change anything. Another winner Karen! Love your recipes thx
★★★★★
You’re welcome Diane! How did you fit it in the 3 quart? Did you have a tiny bundt cake pan?
I have the mini 3 qt flower Bundt pan.
★★★★★
Made this today for the first time as I am new to Instapot. Came out great. Seems moist. Haven’t eaten as it’s too hot and will definitely drizzle some caramel said earlier on top
Glad you liked it!
How do you store? Room temp?
Yes, or freeze it. I would just wrap tightly in plastic wrap.
Thanks for your super quick response ! Last question- I live in Florida, so it’s hot. Will it change the consistency if I refrigerate and take it out an hour prior to serving? Also can I cut it the day before or best to leave uncut?
I would take it out of the pan and place it on a platter in the fridge loosely covered with foil. I would cut the day of if possible. Then it won’t get stale.
I made this cake twice and made sure I followed the directions to the T. Both times it came out like a thick sauce. I’m confused. Any suggestions? TYIA
It will be thick but should not be a sauce. It should be cooked through. Did you use a bundt cake pan?
I have a 6 qt instant pot and used a bundt pan. Don’t understand why both times it came out like a sauce. Followed time exactly like the recipe
That is so weird! I have no idea either. I’m sorry!
Could you use the silicone egg bite mold pan for this recipe?
Hi Terri, I bet you could do that and that it would be tasty. One thought is that there would be more cake batter than room in the egg bite molds. You may need 2 molds or perhaps halve the recipe. I would pressure cook for 15 minutes.
Hi Karen,
I just made the apple cake in a springform pan ,but I covered the pan tight with foil…My cake came out very dense…I followed exactly as written…any reasons why mine came out so dense…It was still good…but I would like it more moist….
So it was dense but not moist? Weird! Cakes in the Instant Pot are definitely not the same as cakes in the oven. You may prefer the oven version of this recipe instead 🙂
Made this today cause I wanted something sweet, had some apples, and didn’t want to turn on the oven. Took only 1 large apple. I actually peeled and sliced 2 apples so hubby and I split the remainder since it was more than 1 cup chopped. I used 1 Granny Smith and I mystery one that was red.
Next time I make it I’ll add some chopped crystallized ginger, a bit more cinnamon and some nuts. Great recipe though. My husband loved it.
★★★★★
I love the idea of the ginger! yum!
First cake in instant pot. So rubbery. Hope not all baking in the instant pot is like this. I bake a lot in convention and don’t have many flops. This is a flop.
★
Baking in the instant pot is really more like steaming so it won’t be like the oven. You will probably not like many instant pot cakes/desserts unless it is cheesecake.
Love your revipes! Question, if I use a standard bunt pan in oven , would i double or triple recipe? What degree, the, same oven degree and time?
I would double it and bake at 325 for 45 minutes.
I just made this a little while ago and couldn’t wait for it to cool before tasting. Oh is it good!!! Thank you so much for a scrumptious apple cake!!! This is a ‘keeper’ that I’ll make when we have guests over!! YUMMMMM
★★★★★
You’re like me! Sometimes I burn my mouth lol.
What size instant pot does this fit in?
I used my 6 quart Instant Pot
Hi Karen! Thanks for so many beautiful recipes. I can’t wait to start trying some. I have a springform pan that fits in my IP. would that work instead of the bundt – or would there be too much batter to fit in the springform? Also – what kind of apples did you use?
I used apples off a tree that my mother in law gave me…I’m not sure what kind they were. Honeycrisp, granny smith or gala would all be tasty. I think the springform pan would work okay.
Hello, do you put the pressure on low or high when you set the manual/pressure cook button to 45 minutes? Thank you.
I always use high.
I just made this cake today and it was delicious!! It was so moist and tasty. I had a bottle of reduced sugar caramel sauce, so I drizzled a bit of that on my slice. Caramel-apple cake! Yum!!
★★★★★
Okay now I need to make this again and put caramel on the top! That sounds so good!
Would you please be more specific on pan size, I have 3 bundt sizes. 12 cup, 6 cup and 3 cup. Mini to me would be the 3 cup. Is that what you mean here cause if I click on the pan above it goes to Amazon and the 6 cup. LOVE you recipies tho
Hi Elaine, it’s the 6 cup bundt cake pan 🙂
If baking it in the oven (as I don’t yet have a pot to fit inside my IP) would you still cover with foil?
No need to cover in the oven.
Made this for my husband and he loved it. I was aware however that it is like a steamed cake so was not expecting light and fluffy. Am putting it in my recipes!!
Glad you liked it Susan!
Would this work in a round pan. I don’t have a small bundt pan. Would the cook time increase?
I would try it as is written for the 45 minutes and then check. Will you let me know?
If you would add nuts to this recipe how much would you use? Thanks!
I would use 1/3 cup of chopped nuts.