Super Easy Instant Pot Applesauce Cake
Instant Pot Applesauce Cake is bursting with warming fall flavors for an easy Instant Pot spice cake that’s out of this world.
A little help from a boxed cake mix and your Instant Pot makes this applesauce spice cake a dream to make.
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If you are looking for a super simple dessert loaded with flavor, you are in the right place.
I have a recipe for a delicious applesauce bundt cake with caramel sauce, but it’s made from scratch and baked in the oven. While not too difficult, it does require a little more time in the kitchen.
So I borrowed some tips and tricks from my Instant Pot pumpkin spice bundt cake and developed this easy Instant Pot applesauce cake recipe that you will love.
Cool weather calls for warm spice cake, and applesauce spice cake is a classic, seasonal flavor that everyone will gobble up. It’s the perfect dessert following a fall hayride, a trip to the pumpkin patch, or for serving with Thanksgiving dinner.
If you are a fan of Instant Pot apple recipes like apple sauce and apple butter, this easy pressure cooker apple bundt cake recipe is one for the books! In fact, it made the cut on my list of the best Instant Pot cake recipes!
More Instant Pot Cake Recipes:
Instant Pot Applesauce Bundt Cake
Baking in my pressure cooker is so easy, and the results are phenomenal. Plus, bundt cake looks so fancy, everyone will think you spent all day in the kitchen.
You can spread the good news or keep the secret for yourself!
The best thing about this pressure cooker applesauce cake is that all the flavor is contained within the cake, so it doesn’t even need frosting.
To make it gorgeous, I sprinkle my applesauce spice cake with a bit of powdered sugar to give it that wow factor, but it’s amazing just as it is. You could also sprinkle it with cinnamon sugar if you’d like!
It reminds me of an apple cider donut, with the sugar on top. So good!
This really is a no-fuss cake that’s perfect for the season.
How to Make Instant Pot Applesauce Cake
It’s really easy to make Instant Pot Spice Cake. We’ll “doctor up” a cake mix for a delicious dessert (or breakfast!) that comes together quickly.
Ingredients You’ll Need:
- Boxed Spice Cake Mix (approx. 1 3/4 cups dry mix)
- Water
- Vegetable Oil
- Eggs
- Applesauce
- Ground Cinnamon
- Ground Nutmeg
- Ground Cloves
- Optional: Powdered Sugar
How to Make It:
(Full printable recipe is available below)
Make the batter. First, you’ll combine all of the ingredients in a stand mixer and mix until well combined.
Prepare a bundt pan. Next, you’ll grease a 6-cup bundt pan that fits inside your Instant Pot. Pour in the prepared batter.
Cover the pan tightly with foil. Pour 1 1/2 cups of water into the Instant Pot and add the trivet. Lower in the bundt pan using a foil sling.
Cook. Then, you’ll seal the Instant Pot and cook for 28 minutes at high pressure, followed by a 10-minute natural release. Carefully lift out the pan using the foil sling, then remove the foil.
Serve. Last, you’ll remove the bundt pan and allow it to cool for 5 minutes before inverting it on a plate to cool completely—then dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes and Adaptations:
- I think this cake is delicious with just a dusting of powdered sugar, but you could also sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the cake if desired.
- If you’d prefer to have frosting to drizzle over the cake, mix together 2 ounces softened cream cheese, 1 TBSP softened butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and 3 TBSP milk and spoon over the cake.
- I use a Nordic Ware aluminum bundt pan. If you are using a heavier dark, nonstick pan, you will likely need to increase the cook time. Although I have not personally tested it in a different pan, I’d recommend increasing the cook time by at least 5 minutes, as the heavier dark pans don’t conduct heat quite as quickly.
Recommended Equipment:
- Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker
- Bundt pan that fits in your Instant Pot (I use this 6-cup pan)
Instant Pot Applesauce Cake
This delicious applesauce spice cake cooks in your Instant Pot, for a simple dessert (or breakfast!).
Ingredients
- 1/2 of a 15.25-oz boxed spice cake mix (approx. 1 3/4 cups dry mix)
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- Optional: Powdered sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Use cooking spray to grease a 6-cup bundt pan that fits in your Instant Pot.
- Combine all ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed for about 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 more minutes.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil.
- Pour 1 1/2 cups of water into the insert pot of the Instant Pot and set the trivet in place. Use a foil sling to lower the pan onto the trivet.
- Lock lid in place and set the vent to the sealed position. Select a cook time of 28 minutes at high pressure.
- When the cook time is complete, allow a 10 minute natural release followed by a quick release of remaining pressure.
- When the valve has dropped, carefully remove lid and lift the pan out using the foil sling. Remove the foil from the pan.
- Allow cake to cool in the pan for about 5 minutes before inverting onto a serving plate. If desired, dust with powdered sugar before serving.
Notes
- I think this cake is delicious with just a dusting of powdered sugar, but you could also sprinkle cinnamon sugar over the cake if desired.
- If you'd prefer to have frosting to drizzle over the cake, mix together 2 ounces softened cream cheese, 1 TBSP softened butter, 1/2 cup powdered sugar, and 3 TBSP milk and spoon over the cake.
- I use a a Nordic Ware aluminum bundt pan. If you are using a heavier dark, nonstick pan, you will likely need to increase the cook time. Although I have not personally tested it in a different pan, I'd recommend increasing the cook time by at least 5 minutes, as the heavier dark pans don't conduct heat quite as quickly.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 393Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 7gCholesterol: 47mgSodium: 496mgCarbohydrates: 72gFiber: 1gSugar: 45gProtein: 4g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.
Delicious! I have a darker pan, so increased the time to 35 minutes and it was perfect. Thank you!
Wonderful! Thank you so much for letting us know that the increased time worked well for you. I’m glad you enjoyed it! 🙂