Easy Instant Pot pineapple upside down cake that turns out so moist! Easy pressure cooker dessert recipe that’s fun to make with the kids too!
Yes we are one of many who are obsessed with our new pressure cooker device called the Instant Pot! We use it almost daily because a normal meal that might take 6-8 hours in our crockpot will be done in an hour or less and tastes SO good! Not only is it great during the Summer months when you don’t want to turn on your oven, it is the perfect size for everyone in the family to have just 1 piece, AND it comes out incredibly moist too. This easy Instant Pot pineapple upside down cake is now added to our long list of Instant Pot recipes, it’s now one of our favorite pressure cooker desserts. Here’s the recipe. (affiliate links present, originally published 3/17)
- Of course we began with dinners, and then transitioned to making desserts like our peanut butter filled pressure cooker brownies and this Instant Pot pineapple upside down cake!
I first used my recipe for 6 cupcakes which makes just enough cake batter to fill a 6″ springform pan halfway. I share this version at the very bottom, but updated it using twice this amount and used my Instant Pot bundt pan which I love!
In the bundt our Instant Pot pineapple upside down cake came out super pretty.
If you want it smaller the directions for that are at the bottom.
This is a handy recipe to keep around because then you can make other cakes in there just using different flavors. Want a chocolate cake, just use it with chocolate cake mix (maybe add some chocolate chips inside) and the same method below to cook your cake in the Instant Pot will work just great.
We did just that with our Instant Pot chocolate pudding cake and it was delicious.
This is what you’ll need to make our Instant Pot pineapple upside down cake (bundt cake version).
- Instant Pot 7″ bundt pan – this one is by far the best
- Trivet – I like this one with handles
- Can of pineapple tidbits – you will use the juice too
- Maraschino cherries
- Yellow cake mix – if you use pineapple cake mix it’s even better
- Eggs
- Oil
Why do I love baking in a pressure cooker?
- Dessert is done in a fraction of the time
- It keeps my oven free if I’m using that to cook dinner
- I don’t have to heat up my house during the summertime
- I can make desserts that are the perfect size for the 5 of us
How to get the best results when cooking this Instant Pot pineapple upside down cake:
- Use the pineapple juice out of the can instead of water
- Make sure the foil on top of your pan is tight so no water can get in
- Allow the pot to naturally release most of the steam after it is done
- Use a pan that is nonstick (and the nonstick actually works, hasn’t washed off over the years)
- Let the cake cool quite a bit before attempting to flip it over
What you can use for frosting:
- Melt 1 cup of vanilla frosting in a tub
- Whisk together 1 c. of powdered sugar + a few tbsp. of water until it reaches the consistency you want
Here are a few other Instant Pot dessert recipes you might like after you make this easy upside down cake.
- Instant Pot rice pudding recipe
- Great Instant Pot chocolate cake
- Creamy Instant Pot oreo cheesecake is a winner too
If you’d like to make a similar cake in your oven try our pineapple angel food cake recipe too.
If you’d like to make a smaller version of this cake in a round pan, the directions for that are below this recipe card for the bundt cake version.
Instant Pot Pineapple Upside Down Cake
Ingredients
- 2 c yellow cake mix or pineapple cake mix
- 2 eggs
- 6 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2/3 c pineapple juice or water
- 6 maraschino cherries
- 6-8 pineapple tidbits
- 1.5 c water for inside of IP
- vanilla frosting melted - optional
Instructions
- Mix together cake mix, egg, oil, and pineapple juice until smooth.
- Lay halved or whole cherries and pineapple tidbits down in a pattern on the bottom of your bundt pan.
- Pour cake batter on top. Cover with foil.
- Put trivet at bottom of Instant Pot. Pour 1.5 c. water around it to create steam when it is closed.
- Put pan with cake mix ingredients on top of trivet.
- Close IP and steam valve. Set to pressure, high, for 25 minutes. When done do a natural release for 10 min. Then release rest of steam.
- Open foil and allow to cool until sides pull away from pan.
- Flip pan over carefully and serve. Can melt a bit of vanilla frosting and pour over top if desired.
To make this smaller version of our Instant Pot Pineapple Upside Down Cake using a round springform pan, here are the directions:
Here are a few items you will need to make this Instant Pot cake:
- Instant Pot or pressure cooker
- Wilton 6 x 2 3/4 round pan
- Small glass cup or trivet
- Aluminum foil
- 6 Pineapple tidbits
- 6 Maraschino cherries
- 1 c. Yellow cake mix
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp oil
- 1/3 c. pineapple juice – use the juice from the canned pineapple
Directions
- Put cherries and pineapple into the bottom of your pan
- Mix together cake mix, egg, oil, and pineapple juice
- Pour cake mixture on top
- Cover top with foil
- Make sling out of foil and put under pan
- Put trivet in bottom of Instant Pot
- Pour 1.5 c. water into bottom of pot
- Lower cake pan on to trivet
- Close lid and steam valve
- Set to high pressure for 15 minutes
- Allow to naturally release for 5 minutes
- Release steam
- Lift pan out
- Take foil off
- Allow to cool
Of course you could make your own homemade frosting to top this pineapple cake but I like easy and melting vanilla frosting right out of the tub did the trick.
Plain is tasty too right out of the pot, or with a bit of vanilla ice cream on top….yum!
This size is perfect just for a bit of dessert for 3-4 people. A little slice of sweet is really all we need and if I pop it in when we are sitting down to eat dinner it is ready right when we are done!
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