Easy Instant Pot Chocolate Cake

Ingredients 

For the cake

• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup hot coffee (or use boiling water)
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup milk (or use almond milk, soy milk, etc.)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

For the frosting

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 1/2 ounces semi-sweet chocolate 
• 1 tablespoon milk
• a pinch of salt

Instructions 

For the cake

1. Grease an 7 or 8-inch spring form pan with butter, and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper. Set it aside.
2. In a large bowl add the cocoa powder and butter, and pour the hot coffee over them, whisking as the butter melts and the cocoa dissolves in the liquid.
3. Whisk in the brown sugar, milk and vanilla until the mixture is smooth and well combined.
4. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
5. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and combine them until the mixture is smooth and no streaks of flour remain.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and cover with a double layer of aluminum foil, folding the sides of the foil tightly around the edge of the pan to form a seal.
7. Pour 3/4 cup of water into the bottom of the Instant Pot, place the cake pan on a trivet and lower it into the Instant Pot. Close the lid and turn the valve to sealing, setting the Instant Pot to cook on high pressure for 50 minutes.
8. Once the 50 minutes is up, let the Instant Pot release pressure naturally for 10 minutes, then release the remaining pressure manually and remove the pan from the Instant Pot. Remove the foil lid and let the cake cool in its pan on a wire cooling rack for about 10-15 minutes, and then remove it from the pan and place on the wire cooling rack until cooled completely.

For the frosting

1. While the cake cools, add the butter and powdered sugar to a mixing bowl and mix them together until smooth with a hand mixer.
2. Melt the chocolate in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl, on 50% powder for 30-second increments just until the chocolate is melted.
3. Let the chocolate cool for a few minutes before drizzling it into the butter and powdered sugar mixture while the mixer is running.
4. Continue mixing on medium-high speed as the frosting becomes fluffy, adding the milk as you mix.

Assembly

1. When the cake has cooled completely (remove it from the pan after about 10-15 minutes to a wire rack to cool completely), place it on a plate and spread the frosting over the top of the cake.
2. Slice and serve.

Notes

This cake keeps well in an airtight container for up to 3 days after baking. 

The cake (s) baked for this blog post were baked in an 8-quart Instant Pot Duo in an 8-inch springform cake pan. 

It’s possible to make this cake in a 7-inch round pan if you have a smaller Instant Pot (6 quart) and an 8-inch pan won’t fit in your Instant Pot. You shouldn’t have to adjust the pressure cooking time.

I recommend using a spring form pan for this recipe because they have higher sides than most regular cake pans (this prevents overflow as the cake rises as it bakes), and they also make for easy removal of the cake after it cools.