Instant pot cake, brownies, bread? Well yes!
Do you think CAKE all the time? If you are a cake, brownie or bread lover like me.. read on or even better rush to your pantry, may be local grocery even. It’s time to redefine baking with the ease of boxed cake mixes and the convenience of hands-off Instant Pot cooking.
I recently got the new Instant Pot DUO-60 that comes with a preset cake program. I was excited to try some basic cakes and decided to put some of our favorite boxed mixes to test.
I made Pillsbury funfetti cake, Duncan Hines dark chocolate fudge brownies and Trader Joe’s cornbread mix all in this 7 inch X 3 inch fat daddio’s cake pan.
Pillsbury funfetti cake was the very first cake I made, because it is CAKE and it is FUN to look at and eat! This is one cake that always takes me back to my childhood growing up vanilla cake that my mom made with rainbow swirls on top!
Instructions for Funfetti cake mix:
- Grease all sides of the cake pan.
- Add 1 cup of water to the Instant Pot insert.
- Beat cake mix, 1 cup water, 1/2 cup oil and 3 whole eggs in a bowl.
- Pour the batter in the greased cake pan.
- Gently cover the cake pan with a paper towel. Using a piece of aluminum foil, cover the paper towel and gently secure the paper towel around the rim of the pan.
- Place the cake pan on the trivet and carefully place the trivet inside the Instant Pot.
- Press the “Cake” button and set the mode to “Less”. Adjust the cook time to 50 minutes.
- Allow Natural Pressure Release.
Next we made Duncan Hines dark chocolate fudge brownies with the brownie mix. Why? Because we get brownie requests at random times in my house! I must confess that I never turn down a brownie request. Instant Pot came in handy during hot summer evenings, when heating up the entire kitchen was not a good idea.
Instructions for dark CHOCOLATE fudge brownies(Fudgy version):
- Grease all sides of the cake pan.
- Add 1 cup of water to the Instant Pot insert.
- Stir in brownie mix, 1 egg, 1/3 cup water and 1/2 cup oil in a bowl until well blended.
- Pour the batter in the greased cake pan.
- Gently cover the cake pan with a paper towel. Using a piece of aluminum foil, cover the paper towel and gently secure the paper towel around the rim of the pan.
- Place the cake pan on the trivet and carefully place the trivet inside the Instant Pot.
- Press the “Cake” button and set the mode to “Normal”. Adjust the cook time to 46 minutes.
- Allow Natural Pressure Release.
Third boxed cake mix put to test was Trader Joe’s cornbread Mix! I always tell myself that this is a healthier bread{cake} and pretend to ignore the 15 grams of sugar per serving. I think this method is going to come in handy for Thanksgiving this year when the ovens are stuffed with turkey!
Instructions for Trader Joe’s cornbread mix:
- Grease all sides of the cake pan.
- Add 1 cup of water to the Instant Pot insert.
- Beat cornbread mix, 1 egg, 1/2 cup oil and 3/4 cup milk in a bowl until moistened. Do not over mix.
- Pour the batter in the greased cake pan.
- Gently cover the cake pan with a paper towel. Using a piece of aluminum foil, cover the paper towel and gently secure the paper towel around the rim of the pan.
- Place the cake pan on the trivet and carefully place the trivet inside the Instant Pot.
- Press the “Cake” button and set the mode to “Normal”. Adjust the cook time to 45 minutes.
- Allow Natural Pressure Release.
I hope you will enjoy the Instant Pot cake, brownies and bread!
To summarize and here is a rough formula for Instant Pot cake, brownies, bread:
- For all three, start with the MAX cook time on the box for 8″ X 8″ pan. Since I am using the 7″ X 3″ cake pan, add 5 mins to this cook time.
- For lighter cakes like the funfetti, add extra 7 mins since it is cooking under “Less” mode. So the total cook time is 38+5+7=50 mins
- For fudge brownies, add extra 7 minutes of cook time. In my initial attempts, the brownie was bit moist and so adding the extra time helped. Brownies will not be crunchy but more moist/cake like. Total cook time is 34+5+7=46 mins
- For dense breads just adding extra 5 mins to account for the cake pan size worked well. Total cook time 40+5=45 mins
Hope this is helpful guide for you to start experimenting boxed mixed with the Instant Pot. Do you have better cook times for Instant pot cake, brownies, bread? Please let me know, I will try them for sure.
Still hungry for more? Try this delicious zucchini bread in Instant Pot and put those summers best zucchinis to a good use!
Author: Archana
Hey there! I am a techie turned recipe developer, cooking instructor, and food blogger. I love food and enjoy developing easy and healthy recipes for busy lifestyles. I live in New Jersey with my husband and two sons.
LKMarshall says
I have made many box cake or cornbread mixes in my 6-quart multi-cooker (Fagor brand, 6-quart) and have never needed more than 30 minutes of actual cook time on high pressure (excludes time coming to pressure and natural release time) or needed any covering (paper towel or foil). My finished products have been great, never too moist or at all dried out, never wet with condensation. ???????
Archana says
I do not have Fagor brand, but its great if you can make them in under 30 minutes. As far as the covering that is optional. When I open the Instant Pot lid many times I end up dripping the excess water inside on the cake pan, so I prefer closing 🙂
Rachel says
What if I have a regular insta pot that doesn’t have a cake button… can I still make cakes/brownies in my insta pot
Archana says
Yes you can use the pressure cook option instead.
Michelle Combs says
I’m going to try a recipe that I have had for years, It’s a gooey caramel apple cake. I would like to use my 8 quart IP to make it. It is a very dense cake. I’ll be using my 7 inch spring form pan. Have never used the cake setting on this IP yet. Just wondering what would be the best temp and time for a dense cake using the cake setting. Any advise would be appreciated. Thank you.
Archana says
Check out the timings in my apple cake. I think it will work great! https://ministryofcurry.com/apple-cake-instant-pot/
Michelle Combs says
So I should use the manual button instead of the cake function? I will try that first at the 60 mins. And see how it turns out. Thank you!!! Will let you know how it turns out.
Camille says
Can you use two cake pans with two trivets inside at the same time?
Archana says
Yes as long as they fit and the lid can be closed properly.
Leah says
One whole box of cake mix or brownie mix fits into this fat diddio one u suggest? Because I have tried to make cakes and I have to cook 2 cakes at 2 different times w one box of mix in a spring pan. If this fat diddio pan wholes a whole box of mix-IM SOLD!! And will order today. Also when I’ve made a cake in a spring pan,it turns out not cake like but more like ummm the middle of a Starbucks cake pop…in a bad fall apart too moist rubbery flex kind of way lol. Do u know why? Thanks so much! Can’t wait for your reply! On amazon now from your link!
Archana says
Hi Leah, I find that some box mixes, like the ones I have used in this recipe work well. But you are right about the textures, it a a bit more moist rather than dry oven baked texture. So you want to use box mixes that will taste good if they “steam baked” in the Instant Pot