This delicious carrot cake “bakes” in the Instant Pot and is topped with a cream cheese frosting glaze. It’s filled with pecans and pineapple, making it an easy yet impressive dessert!
You’ll love this easy Instant Pot carrot cake–it’s made with a cake mix, canned carrots, crushed pineapple, and pecans!
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Carrot cake is one of those desserts that I love, but I used to rarely make. Instead, I saved this indulgence for visits to a restaurant.
This is partly due to the fact that shredding carrots is kind of a drag. Despite carrots being a popular vegetable, carrot cake never struck me as a “quick and easy” dessert recipe, you know?
But then I discovered how to make a canned carrot cake from scratch, using canned carrots, and all of that changed.
Recently, I’ve been making a lot of Instant Pot cake recipes, so I decided to make an Instant Pot carrot cake.
And this pretty bundt cake is even easier to make than a layered carrot cake!
Why You’ll Love this Instant Pot Carrot Bundt Cake
Perhaps one of the best things about this cake is that it starts with a doctored-up cake mix, so it’s super easy and practically foolproof!
It uses some boxed carrot cake mix, some canned carrots, crushed pineapple, and pecans. So it tastes like it’s made from scratch, only it isn’t!
And can we just talk about the cream cheese glaze for a minute? {swoon} It’s just the right amount of sweetness drizzled over the cake!
More Instant Pot Cake Recipes You’ll Love:
- Instant Pot Red Velvet Cake
- Instant Pot Chocolate Bundt Cake
- Instant Pot Rainbow Bundt Cake
- Instant Pot Mint Chocolate Lava Cakes
- Instant Pot Pumpkin Spice Bundt Cake
- Instant Pot Lemon Poppy Seed Bundt Cake
- Instant Pot Mint Chocolate Cake
- Instant Pot Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake
How to Make Carrot Cake in the Instant Pot with a Cake Mix
Making a carrot cake in the Instant Pot is actually really easy, so it doesn’t take much effort to enjoy a delicious dessert!
It’s a perfect springtime treat, and would make a lovely addition to your Easter table!
Check out my list of more delicious Instant Pot Easter recipes!
Ingredients You’ll Need for the Cake:
- 1 1/2 cups dry carrot cake mix (about half a box of mix)
- 15-oz can sliced carrots, drained
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 eggs
- 4-oz (half an 8-oz can) of crushed pineapple, drained
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans, plus more for garnish
Ingredients You’ll Need for the Cream Cheese Frosting:
- 2 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 Tbsp butter, softened
- 1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
- 3-5 Tbsp milk
How to Make the Cake:
(Full printable recipe is available below)
Prep the Pan. First, use cooking spray to grease a 6-cup bundt pan that fits in your Instant Pot. Pour 1 1/2 cups of water into the insert pot of your Instant Pot and put the trivet in place.
Puree. Using a blender, immersion blender, or food processor, you’ll blend together the carrots, vegetable oil, water, and eggs.
Mix the Batter. Next, you’ll beat together the cake mix and the blended wet ingredients. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase speed to medium-high and beat for two minutes.
Add Pineapple and Pecans. Add the drained pineapple and chopped pecans, stirring only until these are combined into the batter. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Pressure Cook. Cover the bundt pan tightly with foil, then use a foil sling or silicone sling to lower the pan onto the trivet.
Cook at high pressure for 26 minutes. Allow a full natural release of pressure. Remove the cake pan, cool slightly and invert the cake onto a plate to cool completely.
Prepare the Glaze. In a small mixing bowl, beat together the cream cheese, butter, and confectioner’s sugar until smooth. Gradually add in milk, beating until desired consistency is achieved.
You want the glaze to be thin enough to drizzle, but thick enough that it won’t drip right off of the cake.
Notes and Adaptations:
- I used this aluminum bundt pan. If you are using a dark nonstick bundt pan, you will likely need to increase the cook time by a few minutes.
- Feel free to leave out the pecans if you need this to be nut-free.
- I like the addition of pineapple, but this can be omitted if preferred. You can also use the entire 8-oz can if you want more pineapple in the cake.
Recommended Equipment:
- Bundt Pan that fits in the Instant Pot
- Trivet (I use the one that came with the Instant Pot)
- Silicone sling or foil sling
Instant Pot Carrot Cake
This easy Instant Pot carrot cake starts with a cake mix, then is doctored up to be a gorgeous and delicious dessert! Dotted with pineapple and pecans, then topped with a dreamy cream cheese frosting, this is a dessert you won't want to miss out on!
Ingredients
- For the Cake:
- 1 1/2 cups dry carrot cake mix (about half a box of mix)
- 15-oz can carrots, drained
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 eggs
- 4-oz (half an 8-oz can) of crushed pineapple, drained
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans, plus more for garnish
- For the Cream Cheese Glaze:
- 2 oz cream cheese, softened
- 1 Tbsp butter, softened
- 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
- 3-5 Tbsp milk
Instructions
- With cooking spray, grease a 6-cup bundt pan that will fit in your Instant Pot. Pour 1 1/2 cups of water into the insert pot of the Instant Pot and lower the trivet into place.
- In a large measuring cup or small mixing bowl, use an immersion blender to puree the carrots, oil, water, and eggs together (you can also use a blender or food processor for this).
- Use an electric mixer or stand mixer to beat together the cake mix and the pureed liquid ingredients. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then increase speed to medium-high for 2 more minutes.
- Add the drained pineapple and pecans, stirring just until combined.
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil and use a sling to lower the pan onto the trivet in the insert pot.
- Close lid and set the vent to the sealed position. Select a cook time of 26 minutes at high pressure.
- When cook time is complete, allow a natural pressure release. After the pressure has released and the valve has dropped, carefully remove the lid.
- Use the sling to lift out the pan and remove the foil. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for a few minutes before inverting it onto a serving plate.
- While the cake cools, prepare the glaze by beating together the cream cheese, butter, and confectioner's sugar in a small bowl.
- Gradually add milk, beating until desired consistency is achieved. You want the glaze to be thin enough to drizzle but thick enough to stay on the cake.
- Top with additional pecans, if desired, and serve!
Notes
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
10Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 304Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 11gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 138mgCarbohydrates: 36gFiber: 3gSugar: 28gProtein: 4g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and is not guaranteed for accuracy.
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