Instant Pot Box Cake. How to make an instant pot cake with cake mix. Let me show you how to make a box cake in the instant pot. This chocolate cake is gooey like a chocolate fudge and one slice of this cake is simply not enough!
Instant Pot Box Cake
Yesterday, when I shared with you our air fryer box cake, what I didn’t tell you, is that I made instant pot box cake on the same day.
We all stood in the kitchen and watched over the air fryer and the instant pot, anticipating what would be best and how got to try which one first.
Our kitchen is not the biggest. In fact, it is rather small and 5 bodies in there plus the dog at the gate, all waiting for cake is a stretch.
I wanted to be able to compare instant pot box cake with air fryer box cake and share with you which one was the best gadget to cook it in.
I also wanted to see how it compared with our instant pot lava cake, as I know many of you would like to know if you can make lava cakes with box mix in the instant pot.
Can You Make Cake In Instant Pot?
Yes you can. Remember that many people use pressure cookers to steam desserts and the same rule can apply to making a cake in the instant pot.
I have made many desserts in the instant pot and always been impressed by how light they are and how good they taste.
Whether it is old school desserts like instant pot spotted dick or more modern desserts like an instant pot strawberry cheesecake. It has never failed not to impress.
Can I Cook A Cake Mix In An Instant Pot?
I am sure what you want to know first, is if it is possible to do a cake mix in the instant pot? Well the answer is a big fat YES.
Often cake mix cakes don’t taste as good as real homemade cakes, but both types can easily be cooked in the instant pot.
Or consider this theory into instant pot cakes…. If an instant pot can make meat tender, why can’t it make cake that is not meant to be that moist, into the moistest cake you have ever tried?
Well that is certainly the theory I am putting to the test today!
Instant Pot Cake Pan
To achieve an instant pot cake, you will need to purchase an instant pot cake pan. There are many different ones to choose from.
But the most important thing to consider is that the cake pan you use will fit in the instant pot or the brand of pressure cooker that you own.
Or even better, go with a spring form pan as then it is easier to release your cake from the cake pan after cooking.
How Do You Make A Box Cake Moist?
By pressure cooking it of course! The instant pot and other pressure cookers do a fantastic job of perfectly cooking a cake.
We also have the perfect formula of other ingredients added in to help make your cake even more moist. Such as eggs, milk, and extra virgin olive oil.
One of the secrets of cake making is to use extra virgin olive oil as it gives amazing moisture to cakes.
If you ever wondered why that cake you had on vacation in Spain or Italy is 100 times better than your own, well that is the reason.
Also, ideal, if you are not good at baking and your cake is always dry! I love baking cakes, but many others don’t.
You might be under pressure to do a cake for a party and know that it will be a disaster. Instead go with an instant pot box cake!
How To Make A Box Cake In An Instant Pot?
The quick version of baking a box cake in instant pot goes as follows:
- Load box cake mix into a mixing bowl.
- Add in extra ingredients.
- Mix with a hand mixer.
- Pressure cook + eat!
There is a little more to it than that, but those are the simple basics!
Air Fryer Box Cake Vs Instant Pot Box Cake
As you know, we have made air fryer box cake and instant pot box cake on the same day.
There was always going to be a time when we would compare notes and give it a family vote of which one was better.
Would it be team air fryer or team instant pot?
Well we ALL agreed that instant pot box cake was the most amazing box cake we had ever tried in our lives.
It was like the most amazing fudgy and gooey cake and like a lava cake that we had eaten in quality restaurants.
But it easily collapsed like you see below:
BUT the air fryer box cake was okay. It didn’t have the wow factor. However, it was easy to slice up and would look pretty if serving at dinner parties.
The takeaway from this, is that do you go with looks or do you go with amazing taste?
Instant Pot Cake Function
If you have an older instant pot, such as the instant pot duo, you are probably wondering about the instant pot cake function.
Here in the Milner kitchen we have two instant pot duos. Neither has an instant pot cake function and instead we simply hit the manual button.
It’s no big deal not to have the cake function button as its just a pre-set to make it easier for you.
If you asked many people that have been instant pot cooking for a while, they will tell you that they just hit manual 95% of the time.
Instant Pot Box Cake
Ingredients
Kitchen Gadgets:
Instant Pot Box Cake Ingredients:
- 1 Box Cake Mix vanilla or chocolate
- 100 ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 250 ml Skimmed Milk
- 3 Large Eggs
Instructions
- Add your box cake mix into a bowl and load in your other ingredients.
- Using a hand mixer, thoroughly mix your ingredients until you have a cake batter. Watch for kids stealing the batter!
- Spray your spring form pan with olive oil to stop it sticking. Load your cake batter into a floured springform cake pan. Cover the top of the cake with silver foil.
- Place the tall trivet in your instant pot. Add a cup of water to the bottom and place your cake pan over it. Place the lid on the instant pot and set the valve to sealing. Pressure cook for 25 minutes using either the manual or the pressure cook button.
- When it beeps use quick pressure release and manually release pressure. Allow to cool for about 5-10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Nutrition
Can’t make it now? Then pin it for later!
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I have a 6oz springform pan. Will that be big enough to accommodate a box mix, or should I divide it in two?
Hi Kristina,
We used one pan and it turned out lovely because we had the gooey centre, but if you want it more cooked in the middle then dividing it between 2 pans it should be well cooked 🙂
I leave out one egg and replace with flavored yogurt, bake in a fluted pan, comes out moist, I e lemon in yogurt, in yellow, strawberry or raspberry in chocolate, or any flavor you like
hi, I am making the bites and your recipe for bites says 12 minutes and 10 minutes natural release. but here you said you do bites same as the cake 25 minutes,,,,well I will see in 10 minutes lol
Help what am I doing wrong???
First cake never cooked in the middle after1 1/2 hours. Second one too dense. I read and read all over internet.
Hi Sherry,
For your first cake did you check to make sure the instant pot or pressure cooker actually came to pressure as this is a common problem where it does not actually come to pressure?
Your second cake could be the actual box mix you are using. We used one like you can see in the recipe that is like a lava cake in the middle so we found it to be lovely and the timings were correct for the box mix we were using.
Also make sure it is cooking on full pressure not half as this can sometimes effect how the cake comes out 🙂
I also can’t ever get a cake to bake all the way through in 25 or 35 minutes. I always set my instant pot to Pressure Cook High for 55 min and do a 10 min hold then release. And I cover my cake pan with a paper towel trimmed to a 1/4 inch past the pan edge and tin foil, trimmed
Wow the cake is so light it reminds me of a lava cake. SIMPLY THE BEST.
The best box cake ever. 5/5.
Great idea thank you for sharing. I have tried it in the air fryer too and do find that the box cakes made in the instant pot are better.
Can you stack these on top of each other to decorate or just one bye one
Hi Rhonda,
Yes you could, if the cake came out more firmer, ours was lovely and gooey inside so we just decided to go with the one layer 🙂