Instant Pot Pumpkin Chocolate Cake

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This dense, moist Instant Pot Pumpkin Chocolate Cake with pumpkin puree, pumpkin spice and chocolate chips melts in your mouth and has the perfect apple cider glaze.

Cake in an Instant Pot

This easy pressure cooker cake recipe made with pumpkin puree came to me from my friend Laura Finson. She is a fabulous cook who always has the best recipes. 

I love how deliciously tender this cake with an Instant Pot is. It melts in your mouth and is wonderful served with a big cup of freshly brewed coffee.

The pressure and the moisture from the Instant Pot really make this cake super dense and rich.

I was a bit skeptical when Laura first mentioned this Instant Pot cake with pumpkin and chocolate chips.

But after just a single bite, I was a total convert. The two are absolutely delicious together, especially when you add the cider glaze—talk about heavenly!

Ingredients

• Flour
• Butter: I like to use unsalted butter for all my cooking and baking.
• Eggs
• Canned pureed pumpkin: When you purchase the canned pumpkin, make certain you aren’t picking up canned pumpkin pie filling, by accident. 
• Chocolate chips: We prefer semi-sweet chocolate chips in this pumpkin pound cake, but you could use milk chocolate or even white chocolate. If your family doesn’t like chocolate chips you can leave them out or substitute raisins.
• Dark brown sugar: I love the deep molasses flavor in the dark brown sugar which lends itself nicely to the flavor of pumpkin in this cake.
• Pumpkin pie spice
• Granulated sugar
• Cinnamon
• Salt
• Baking soda
• Baking powder

For the Glaze:

• Apple cider: May substitute apple juice.
• Unsalted butter: melted
• Confectioner’s sugar
• Pinch of kosher salt

How to make Instant Pot Pumpkin Chocolate Cake

To make the cake: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the flour, spices, salt, baking soda and baking powder; set aside. 

Using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter with both sugars until fluffy, 2-3 minutes. 

Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.  Add the pumpkin; mix until batter is just combined (batter will be very thick.)

Use a mixing spoon to fold in the chocolate chips. 

Spoon the prepared batter into an 7-inch (6 cup) bundt pan that has been well sprayed with non-stick spray.

Cover bundt pan tightly with foil. Punch the edges of the foil and the cake pan to make sure it’s well sealed.

Pour 1 cup of water into the Instant Pot, adding the silicone sling/trivet to the bottom of the pot. 

Place the foil-covered bundt pan down into the pot, setting it onto the trivet. Secure the silicone handles together over the top of the bundt pan.

Lock the Instant Pot lid into place, selecting the high pressure setting for 25 minutes. Bring the Instant Pot to full pressure.

When the timer sounds, use a natural pressure release for 10 minutes. Then perform a quick pressure release to remove any remaining pressure from the Instant Pot.

Using the silicone sling/trivet, carefully lift the bundt cake out of the Instant Pot, onto a wire rack to cool. 

Leave the bundt pan covered for 10 minutes, then remove the foil.  After 10 minutes uncovered, invert the bundt cake onto a cake stand or cake plate. It should remove itself from the pan.

Cover the cake and the platter with plastic wrap. Make sure to allow the cake to cool completely before glazing and slicing to serve.

Please note that cooling this cake entirely will allow it to finish cooking and not be gooey. Don’t skip letting this cake rest and cool!

Make the glaze: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the melted butter with the powdered sugar and salt.

Add the cider a little at a time, whisking until glaze is glossy and smooth, reaching the desired consistency.  

If the glaze is too runny, add more powdered sugar. If the glaze is too thick, add a bit more apple cider.

When the pound cake has cooled, remove the plastic wrap and drizzle the prepared cider glaze over the the top. 

Or, if preferred, drizzle the glaze over individual slices placed onto dessert plates when ready to serve.  

Moist and Dense Instant Pot Cake

Once the cake is fully cooled, it will no longer be gooey in texture. It will be moist and dense, just as it should be. 

Don’t eat this cake straight out of the Instant Pot while it’s still warm. Let it fully cool, and then slice it.

Can you bake in an Instant Pot

Yes, you can bake in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker! And you should.

This cake is the perfect example.

What is the cake setting on an Instant Pot

The best cake setting on an Instant Pot or any electric pressure cooker is the high pressure setting.

What size is a Instant Pot cake pan

I like to use a 8-inch metal or glass bundt pan with a 6-cup capacity. It is the perfect size pan for a 6-quart Instant Pot.

Any brand of electric pressure cooker works great.  I especially like the Cuisinart electric pressure cooker because it’s so simplistic and efficient – much easier to use than my Instant Pot, in my opinion.

Troubleshooting a Soggy Cake

If you don’t have a cover (in foil) over the bundt pan, you’ll wind up with a very soggy cake. Ths is because the liquid that’s circulating is able to get directly into the pan as it does so.

Since an Instant Pot works under pressure, liquid inside the pot has to be able to circulate to create steam.

Does this cake freeze well

Yes, I love to wrap individual slices of this cake in plastic wrap and put them all in a freezer bag. 

This allows me to pull out 1-2 slices (or more!) at a time for enjoying with a cup of coffee. It’s also a perfect treat for packing in my husband’s lunch as a treat.

If you’re freezing the entire cake (whole) wrap it well in lots of plastic wrap, then in heavy-duty foil to protect it.  You can thaw the cake on the counter when you’re ready for it.

DIY Pumpkin Spice

Pumpkin pie spice is no more than cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves combined.

Whip up a big batch all at once and give the pumpkin pie spice as gifts during the holidays – people always love getting gifts they can use in the kitchen when cooking for their families.

Other tools I use

Silicone sling/trivet – Use this  handy-dandy tool for lifting the bundt pan out of the Instant Pot after the cake has finished cooking. 

This tool will also keep your bundt pan elevated above the flat bottom of the Instant Pot, allowing the moisture in the pot to circulate, creating the steam that forms the pressure.

Other Recipe Favorites to Enjoy

• Golden S’mores Cookie Bars
• Instant Pot Apple Cake with Rum Sauce 
• Air Fryer Churro Stix
• Cheese-Cake Stuffed Baked Apples 

Originally published December 28, 2016. Updated September 20, 2024.