This Instant Pot Chocolate Cake recipe makes the most fudgy, moist and creamy chocolate cake you’ve ever had and I am going to tell you how to make the perfect instant pot cake (and you use a box mix!)
Instant Pot Chocolate Cake is a great, alternative way to make the best chocolate cake you’ll ever taste. Plus, with the prep and bake time being around 40 minutes and one bowl, and the result being about 4-6 servings of chocolate cake, this is an easy alternative to your classic oven-baked chocolate cake recipe.
I love making cakes for occasions, like holidays or birthdays! But this Instant Pot Chocolate Cake has quickly become one of my most requested!
It’s easy enough that I can whip it up for dessert on any night of the week! The cake itself is so rich and creamy, and the chocolate ganache on the top is the perfect final touch to this amazing chocolate cake recipe.
What is an Instant Pot?
Instant pots are becoming more and more popular, and once you own one you will see why! But, maybe you don’t own one yet, or the one you bought has been in the cupboard collecting dust because you’re still not quite sure of what it can do!
An Instant Pot is a kitchen accessory that looks very similar to a crockpot. However, it’s much more powerful than that! It is capable of doing the job of a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, and more!
Instant Pots come with preset programs that are designed to cook your food to perfection. They can cook a huge variety of foods. They are seriously like a magic gadget that makes your life in the kitchen so much easier.
Is an Instant Pot Worth Buying?
This is totally up to you, but with all of the benefits listed above and the versatility of this one appliance, I would say yes! I have found it to be a major bonus to have an Instant Pot around in my home. I can make so many recipes easily using this one appliance!
Why Make a Cake in the Instant Pot Rather Than the Oven?
I have found that making a cake in the instant pot using a box mix, comes out much less spongelike and has a more homemade taste than when you bake it in the oven.
You will find it has a much fudgier textured than when baked it in the oven.
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup of butter (softened)
- 1 box of chocolate cake mix (15.25 ounces) Note: no pudding in the mix. I used Pillsbury for this post!
- ¼ cup of sour cream
- 1 cup of whole milk
For the Chocolate Ganache:
- ¼ cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup of heavy whipping cream
How to Make Instant Pot Chocolate Cake
- PREPARE bundt pan (use Baker’s Joy or a cooking spray which has flour in it)
- MIX together the cake ingredients in a large mixing bowl
- BAKE in the Instant Pot on MANUAL and HIGH PRESSURE for 35 minutes (see details in the recipe card below)
- POUR homemade ganache over the cake
TO BAKE IN THE OVEN: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Prepare cake as directed above STOPPING AT STEP 4 in the instruction recipe card below. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes. All ovens bake differently so a few minutes before 25 minutes, insert a toothpick in the center and if it comes out mostly clean (no wet batter) it is done. If it is not done, just check again every few minutes.
Equipment Used
- 6-Quart Instant Pot
- 6-cup Bundt Pan (if you don’t have a bundt pan, a springform pan that fits in the Instant Pot should work fine as well)
How to Make Homemade Ganache
Step 1: Place the chocolate chips into a heat-safe bowl.
Step 2: Place the heavy cream in a microwave-safe glass measuring cup and heat on high in the microwave for one minute. Watch it so it doesn’t boil over!
Step 3: Carefully remove the cream from the microwave and pour over the chocolate chips. Let the chips and cream sit for 2-3 minutes. Then, stir slowly. Begin to stir and continue stirring until combined and creamy. Let this sit for about 30 minutes before using it as a glaze. Let it sit longer if you want to use it as frosting!
Tips for Making Instant Pot Chocolate Cake:
Tip 1: You can make a sling out of foil to put under the pan with the handles on either side to lift the cake out! Fold a long piece of foil lengthwise into a 3-4 inch wide strip to use as this band.
Tip 2: Make sure your Bundt pan fits into your Instant Pot before using it!
Tip 3: If your Bundt cake comes out with a “puffy bottom” you can take a thin string-like quilting thread or unflavored dental floss. Wrap it around the very bottom of the cake right below the edge and hold each end of the string in each hand. Crisscross the string and pull the strings out away from the cake until it “cuts” off the bottom to be flatter. OR you can cut it off with a knife, though it’s harder to get it straight this way.
Don’t have an instant pot, but want to make a super-duper delicious chocolate cake? Try our Melting Chocolate Lava Cake! You will not be disappointed!
More Instant Pot Recipes
The Best Instant Pot Lasagna | Instant Pot Chicken Wings | Instant Pot Monkey Bread Recipe | Instant Pot Chili | Instant Pot Loaded Baked Potato Soup
Instant Pot Chocolate Cake
Ingredients
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup butter softened
- 1 15.25 ounce box chocolate cake mix no pudding in the mix Pillsbury was used for this post
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 1 cup whole milk
Chocolate Ganache:
- ¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
- ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Prepare your 6-cup Bundt pan by greasing the inside really well with butter or shortening and coating with cocoa powder or spray well with Baker’s Joy (which has flour in it, don’t use regular spray coating). Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl on high speed mix together the softened butter and eggs until smooth, 2-3 minutes.
- Add the cake mix, sour cream and milk. On slow speed mix until starting to combine and then increase the mixer speed to high and beat for 2 minutes.
- Pour the batter into the Bundt pan to about half an inch from the top of the pan.
- Lay a paper towel over the top of the pan. Next place a piece of heavy duty foil over the top of the pan. Don’t pull it down tight, almost leave like a little puff tent in the middle. Pinch the foil around the edge of the pan to seal.
- Place 1 ½ cups of water into the bottom of your Instant Pot.
- Set the covered Bundt pan onto the handled trivet that came with your Instant Pot and lower into the Instant Pot using the trivet handles.
- Place your Instant Pot lid on and set the vent valve to SEAL.
- Hit the Manual button and high pressure and set the time for 35 minutes.
- Now make your ganache (see instructions below).
- At the end of the 35 minutes when the Instant Pot beeps put a towel over the vent valve and release the steam. Once all the steam has been released and the safety pin by the vent valve has dropped you can open the lid.
- Carefully remove the Bundt pan using the handles and a towel (because it will be hot still).
- Let the cake sit for about 5 minutes and then remove the foil and paper towel.
- Place your cake plate on top of the Bundt pan and give it a quick flip over to release the cake onto the pan.
- Pour the thickened ganache over the top of the cake.
Instructions for ganache:
- Place the chocolate chips into a heat safe bowl.
- Place the heavy cream in a microwave safe glass measuring cup and heat on high in the microwave for one minute. Watch so it doesn’t boil over.
- Carefully remove the cream from the microwave and pour over the chocolate chips. Let the chips and cream sit for 2-3 minutes. Then stir slowly begin to stir and continue stirring until combined and creamy. Let it sit for 30 minutes before using as a glaze. Let it sit longer if you want to use it as frosting.
Jenn's Notes
- You can make a sling out of foil to put under the pan with handles on either side to lift the cake out! Fold a long piece of foil lengthwise into a 3-4 inch wide strip to use as this band.
- Make sure your Bundt pan fits into your IP before using it!
- If your Bundt cake comes out with a “puffy bottom” you can take a thin string like quilting thread or unflavored dental floss. Wrap it around the very bottom of the cake right below the edge and hold each end of the string in each hand. Criss Cross the string and pull the strings out away from the cake until it “cuts” off the bottom to be more flat. OR you can cut it off with a knife, though harder, to get it straight this way.
The cake after 40 minutes in ip, in bundt pan, trivited, and foil covered came out undercooked. Didn’t get to the ganache.
Will try 50 minutes next time?
i love this yum yum
I have a 3qt pot can I just 1/2 the baking time to cook it cuz then i can do 1/2 of the recipe at a time.
I followed the recipe for instant pot and used a spring form pan. I put on high pressure for 35 min as directed. It came out oozing out the top uncooked any thoughts as to what went wrong?
I got goo cake after 40 minutes in bundt pan, covered, on trivet. Will try 50 minutes next time?
I have a recipe similar to this that I bake in the oven. It calls for using a cake mix WITH pudding in the mix and an additional box of pudding mix. May I ask why you can’t use a cake mix WITH pudding added in the IP?
This is just the type that I used! Give it a try! I’m sure it will be delicious!
Ok! Great! I was just worried there was a reason you couldn’t use the pudding mix kind and wanted to double check first. 🙂 Thank you!