Make a quick and delicious Instant Pot Cake with a simple box mix and some fresh apples!

Instant Pot Apple Cake uses a ready muffin mix to create an elegant dessert in no time at all, without heating up your kitchen.

Why You'll Love This Instant Pot Cake Recipe

Fast. Made in less than 30 minutes.
Easy. A simple pour and cook cake made in your Instant Pot.
Versatile. Use whatever flavor combinations you love the most to make your favorite Instant Pot cake.
Delicious. Rich, luscious, and packed with flavor.

In an attempt to make a delicious Instant Pot Cake recipe without dirtying my entire kitchen, I came up with a delicious Apple Spice Cake recipe.

This recipe is not at all keto or low carb but what it's lacking in low carb greatness, it makes up for in flavor. I made this by just using a quick ready muffin mix.

What Is The Cake Setting On The Instant Pot?

The cake setting on the Instant Pot is simply a preset on the electric pressure cooker that has a customized time and pressure setting.

Not all Instant Pots have this setting, so don't panic if yours doesn't have it. The great news is that you won't even need the cake setting on your Instant Pot to make this Instant Pot Cake recipe! You'll cook this Apple Spice Cake recipe under high pressure instead.

Can I Bake In My Instant Pot?

I don't know that I would technically call it baking since your cake isn't being cooked under a heating element as you would in a traditional oven.

Nonetheless, you are still cooking a delicious cake in your Instant Pot, so I won't be picky about what you call it and I doubt anyone that gets to eat it will either!

Are Cakes In The Instant Pot Good?

In my opinion, yes. The texture of an Instant Pot Cake is slightly more dense than a cake baked in the oven because it is cooked under pressure without additional air circulation to keep it light and fluffy.

I like the change in texture because it makes this Apple Spice Cake seem more decadent.

How To Make This Instant Pot Cake Recipe

Oil a 6-inch round pan.
Into the pan, layer thinly sliced apples along the bottom, and up the sides a little. Don't worry about this being perfect, just make sure you're overlapping slices so you have the bottom and a portion of the sides covered in apples.
Sprinkle the apple pie spice on the apples.
Prepare the muffin mix according to the directions, combining it with the milk.
Pour the mix on top of the apples. Cover this bowl with foil or a silicone lid.
In the inner liner of your Instant Pot, place two cups of water, and a steamer rack. Place the foil-covered pot on the rack.
Cook the cake on high pressure for 20 minutes and let it NPR for 10 minutes.
Remove them carefully and let them cool for 5-10 minutes before overturning them carefully.

How To Brown The Top Of The Apple Spice Cake

Turn on your oven broiler and sprinkle the overturned cake with sugar.
Broil until the sugar melts and caramelizes, about 5-7 minutes.

Expert Tips And Tricks For Making Instant Pot Cake

Use Pot In Pot cooking (I explain this a little more below) so you get the perfect Instant Pot cake texture.
Slice your apples very thin so they cook completely.
Use your favorite flavor of muffin mix and toppings to make this YOUR perfect Instant Pot Cake.
You can skip the broiling step at the end of the recipe, but it does reduce the sweetness and overall aesthetic of the Apple Spice Cake.

What Is Pot In Pot Cooking?

This is just a fancy way of saying you'll be placing some water in the inner liner of your Instant Pot.
Then, you're going to place a steamer rack in the liner, with the water below it.
You'll use a smaller pot that can fit inside your Instant pot to place the apples and the muffin mix into.
You're going to cover this cake pot with either silicone or foil to keep the condensation out and place it on top of the steamer rack.
Now you have liner +water + steamer rack +cake pan+lid.

This is a very useful technique for either cooking multiple things together, or for slowing down cooking for things like Shrimp, fish or vegetables that might overcook if cooked directly in the pot.

More Apple Recipes You'll Love

German Apple Pancakes with Ice cream on top, Side view, served on a white platter

Two Glasses of Juice with an Apple beside it.

If you're looking for more great apple recipes, check out my Air Fryer German Apple Pancakes!
My Mulled Apple Cider in the Instant Pot is low in sugar but high on flavor!
Looking for a healthier alternative to traditional apple pie? Try my Keto Apple Pie Filling. This sugar-free recipe tastes just like the real thing and you can feel good about eating it!
Another fantastic apple dish is my Baked Apple Recipe! They're deliciously sweet, tangy, and very easy to make!

If you love this Instant Pot Cake recipe as much as I do, make sure you share it with your friends on Facebook and Pinterest so they can make it too.