Instant Pot Pecan Chocolate Chip Cake is a doctored up box cake mix that you can cook in the Instant Pot® electric pressure cooker. It’s fun to make pressure cooker cake!
Instant Pot Pecan Chocolate Chip Cake
Well this takes the cake! I was playing around with my Instant Pot and wanting to make a cake in it. I had a boxed cake mix, and thought I’d jazz it up a bit. It turned out pretty good! I made a lemon one, and then a yellow cake with pecans in it. That one had the better flavor.
The next time I made one I wanted to use the yellow cake mix again, but add in some chocolate chips. I tried it using the whole box of cake mix, using my 7″x3″ Fat Daddio’s push pan, but I didn’t like how much it rose out of the pan. It was REALLY dense, and it was too much cake for just Paul and me.
So, the next time I experimented with only using half of the mix, using my 6 cup bundt pan. I liked the size of the cake much more, the texture was lighter, and the addition of chocolate was very good. Then I figured it would look pretty with a ganache topping, so here you have it: Instant Pot Pecan Chocolate Chip Cake!
A cake made in the Instant Pot, whether from a box mix or from scratch, will never be the same texture as a cake baked in the oven, as it will be a bit denser and moist.
Instant Pot Banana Bread
Instant Pot Dulce de Leche Caramel
Instant Pot Apple Butter Recipe
Instant Pot Strawberry Sauce
Instant Pot Pecan Chocolate Chip Cake is fun to make! These cakes taste good, and don’t heat up your kitchen in the cooking process!
Instant Pot Pecan Chocolate Chip Cake is a doctored up box cake mix that you cook in the Instant Pot electric pressure cooker. It has a denser texture and a great flavor!
- 1/2 15.25 oz Boxed Yellow Cake Mix* (with pudding in mix) About 1 3/4 cups of the mix
- 1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
- 1/4 cup Cold Water
- 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1/3 cup Sour Cream
- 2 Eggs
- 1/2 cup Chopped Pecans
- 1/2 cup Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
- 1/2 cup Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips
- 1-3 Tbsp Heavy Cream, room temperature
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Mix all ingredients except pecans and chocolate chips in a mixing bowl. Note that this recipe uses 1/2 of the boxed cake mix.
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Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 1 minute.
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Fold in the pecans and chocolate chips.
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Pour batter into a greased/sprayed 6 cup bundt pan or similar volume pan that is suitable for the electric pressure cooker.
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Cover the pan with a paper towel, and then with foil. Crimp the foil around the edges to seal it.
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Put 1 cup of water into the inner liner of your Instant Pot.
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Put in the trivet that came with the pot.
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Use a sling to lower the cake pan into the pot. Leave it in the pot as you will need it there to remove the cake from the Instant Pot.
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Put the lid on the pot and set the steam release knob to the Sealing position.
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Press the Pressure Cook (or Manual) button, and the +/- button to select 25 minutes.
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When cooking cycle ends, let it naturally release pressure for 10-15 minutes.
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Release the remaining pressure manually, and when the pin in the lid drops, open the lid.
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Gather up the ends of the sling and very carefully lift the cake from the pot and set it on a rack to cool. Watch out for any hot water that might have accumulated on top of the foil. It could drip onto you and burn you!
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Gently remove the foil and paper towel. Check to make sure the cake is cooked through. If not, put it back in for a few minutes and do a natural release again.
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Let cool in pan, then turn onto a plate and drizzle with the chocolate topping.
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Melt the chocolate chips and 1 Tbsp of the heavy cream (I put them in a small dish in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds).
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Stir or whisk very well (Keep stirring until it all blends together and it looks smooth and glossy.) If you want it thinner, add more heavy cream and stir well.
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Drizzle chocolate over the cake.
Serve.
*This recipe uses half of the box cake mix. I have not tested this exact recipe doubled. If you want to make the whole box, prepare it per the box instructions, and just add in some pecans and chocolate chips. Cook for 35-40 minutes. You can add some sour cream, but I don't guarantee that 2/3 of a cup will be the correct amount.
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This cake will have a denser texture as it is not being baked in an oven, which is a dry environment. It is closer to a pound cake consistency, if I had to compare it to a baked cake.
Resources to Make This Recipe
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Vicki J.
Sandy, what size instant pot did you make this cake in? I have the 3 qt. mini instant pot. Will this work in it as written?
Sandy
I made it in the 6 qt. Using a small bundt pan.
Tracy
Can this be baked in the oven? I love making cake in the instant pot but don’t have a bundt pan that will fit inside.
Sandy
Yes, just follow the package time if making a whole mix, and if making a half mix, reduce the time, but keep an eye on it as I don’t have an exact time to give you for a half mix in the oven.
Kristie
I’ve made this several times and it comes out great. Although I do need to transfer it to my oven to brown it up a bit after cooking. You may want to indicate that the topping won’t mix well when the chocolate chips are warm and the whipping cream is cold. I’d warm up the cream first. I learned this the hard way twice trying to make it and ruining the chocolate.
Andi
This is an awesome recipe.