This Instant Pot Apple Cake is packed with fresh apples, cinnamon flavor, and tastes amazing. So easy to make for breakfast or dessert!
If you love baking with apples, you’ve got to try our delicious applesauce cake. Or give our easy caramel apple cheesecake bars a try next.
Apple Cake Recipe
It doesn’t matter the time of year, our fruit crisper drawer is always filled with fresh apples.
If it’s true what they say, an apple a day keeps the doctor away, then my family should be safe and sound. We all love to crunch on a delicious apple.
But sometimes I get carried away at the grocery store and stock up a little TOO much. Which means it’s time to bake an apple dessert!
As you know, Instant Pot desserts can be amazing. I’ve already made this Apple Crisp and my family LOVED it.
You can also make brownies, chocolate cake, and cheesecake! And now, add this Apple Cake recipe to the list!
Don’t forget to pull out your slow cooker and try this easy crock pot apple crisp recipe too!
Ingredients Needed
Apples.
- You may be wondering, what kind of apples are best?
- My preference for baked goods is to choose something sweet and tangy, yet holds up well without getting mushy.
- I choose Granny Smith Apples for almost all my baking!
Instant Pot. I make all my recipes using a 6qt Instant Pot. I don’t use any of the fancy settings…just “pressure cook” for today’s recipe.
Trivet or Sling.
- You’ll be using the “pot in pot” method for today’s cake recipe.
- This means you will make the cake in a “pot” and insert that “pot” into the main Instant Pot. To do this, you’ll need a trivet or sling to keep the pot/pan elevated and out of the water.
Cake Pan. There are several options when making today’s apple cake recipe.
- I used the Fat Daddio’s 7×3-inch push pan. It’s the same one I used when making Cornbread in the Instapot.
- You could also use a springform pan or bundt cake pan as long as they fit. Make sure that there is room between the pan and the Instant Pot once it’s inserted.
How to Make Apple Cake
Cake batter.
In a mixing bowl, combine oil, orange juice, sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Whisk by hand until blended.
Add in flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. Mix by hand until combined. The batter will be very thick at this point.
Prepare. Grease a 7×3-inch push pan with baking spray (or use my homemade cake release).
Spread half of the cake batter in the bottom of the cake pan, using an offset spatula. Top with half of the apple mixture.
Repeat layers and cover the top of the pan with foil.
Pressure Cook.
Pour 1 cup of water in the bottom of pressure cooker. Place cake pan on sling and lower into the Instant Pot.
Secure the lid and make sure the valve on top is set to “SEALING.”
Select HIGH PRESSURE and a cook time of 60 minutes.
When cook time ends, do a quick release of pressure by moving the valve on top to VENTING.
Remove cake by lifting the sling out of the Instant Pot. Remove the foil carefully.
Serve and enjoy warm with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.
How to serve Apple Cake
First, this cake is best eaten warm. Whether you’re enjoying it right after cooking, or heated up the next day, the cinnamon apple flavor is best when warm.
I like to add a generous amount of powdered sugar to the top of this cake! Then of course a scoop of ice cream is amazing too.
You can also top this with homemade whipped cream and/or butterscotch sauce.
More Easy Desserts:
- Slow Cooker Apple Cake
- Lemon Pudding Cake
- Lemon Curd
- Peanut Butter Cake
- Rice Krispie Treats
- Cranberry Cake
Instant Pot Apple Cake
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Apples:
- 3 Granny Smith apples diced (about 2 1/2 cups)
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 2 Tablespoons sugar
For the batter:
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- 2 Tablespoons orange juice
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs
- 1 ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine diced apples with cinnamon and sugar. Set this aside!
- In a mixing bowl, combine oil, orange juice, sugar, vanilla, and eggs. Whisk by hand until blended.
- Add in flour, baking powder, and kosher salt. Mix by hand until combined. The batter will be very thick at this point.
- Grease a 7×3-inch push pan with baking spray (or use my homemade cake release).
- Spread half of the cake batter in the bottom of the cake pan, using an offset spatula. Top with half of the apple mixture.
- Repeat layers and cover the top of the pan with foil.
- Pour 1 cup of water in the bottom of pressure cooker. Place cake pan on sling and lower into the Instant Pot.
- Secure the lid and make sure the valve on top is set to “SEALING.”
- Select HIGH PRESSURE and a cook time of 60 minutes.
- When cook time ends, do a quick release of pressure by moving the valve on top to VENTING.
- Remove cake by lifting the sling out of the Instant Pot. Remove the foil carefully.
- Serve and enjoy warm!
Notes
- First, this cake is best eaten warm. Whether you’re enjoying it right after cooking, or heated up the next day, the cinnamon apple flavor is best when warm.
- I like to add a generous amount of powdered sugar to the top of this cake! Then of course a scoop of ice cream is amazing too.
- You can also top this with homemade whipped cream and/or caramel sauce. ENJOY.
Nutrition
Easy Instant Pot Apple Cake loaded with fresh apples and cinnamon. You’ll love this delicious breakfast cake, for dessert too!
I’ve made this in the IP and it was good. This time I want to make it in the IP, but using the bake function on the fryer lid instead of pressure. I don’t know time or temp though. Is that located anywhere?
I followed all directions carefully but the cake did not cook completely in 60 minutes. Instead of putting it back in my Instant Pot, I baked it in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees. It was delicious and will be added to my dessert recipe file. I will change the timing on the Instant Pot to maybe 70-80 minutes, since the top of the cake was completely raw still after cooking for 60 minutes. My husband wasn’t a fan, but the rest of the household loved it!!
This recipe is a WINNER! Comes out moist and delicious! I did 1 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp cardamom instead of just cinnamon. And topped with whipped cream and another dash of cardamom. Will be a regular in our house for sure!
Easy and delicious in the instant pot with a non stick pan. Cooks while we’re eating dinner.
A great cake tasting identical to the IKEA apple cake! The cake needs more time though, maybe 1.5 hours instead of one.
I also used mixed spice, which works great. For those in the USA, UK mixed spice is pretty much USA pumpkin spice 🎃 (but we have it year round)
Sorry for a silly question, should the water be poured in to the bottom of the metallic insert? And the Pan should be lowered onto the trivet?
Can all these instant pot recipes be cooked in the oven.
Hi! I have an 8 qt IP. Is it ok to use that n any changes needed as its bigger? Thank you for the many delic recipes.
I think with an 8qt you should add more water to the bottom, otherwise if you’re using the same size pan, I believe the cooking times should be the same.
Will my electric pressure cooker act the same as an Instant Pot?
I’ve made this in the IP and it was good. This time I want to make it in the IP, but using the bake function on the fryer lid instead of pressure. I don’t know time or temp though. Is that located anywhere?
I don’t have an instant pot. Is there a way to make this cake in the oven? Thank you.
I don’t have a Instant pot can i make this in the oven