Instant Pot Carrot Cake (with Cream Cheese Frosting)
Instant Pot Carrot Cake is full of shredded carrots, sweet pineapple, crunchy walnuts and topped with a cream cheese frosting! This Spring, enjoy this cake without ever turning on your oven!
This recipe was originally my Grandma's recipe. She used to make it every Easter and it was a hit every time! It is one of the best desserts out there! I also updated the recipe to fit my Sourdough Discard Carrot Cake too!
Now that I have all her recipes, I love recreating them. That's the great thing about food, it's nostalgic and brings you right back to being in the kitchen together. This one is made right in the electric pressure cooker instead of the oven!
I think you will love this carrot cake! It's full of crunchy walnuts, sweet pineapple, and of course, shredded carrots. Eat this cake as it is or top it with fluffy cream cheese frosting. It is so hard not to eat this entire cake in one sitting! When you don't have time to make a full carrot cake but still want the delicious flavors, check out these carrot cake muffins!
Jump to:
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- It's easy to make! No need to break out the stand mixer for this recipe. The cake batter is made in a bowl with a whisk, and the cream cheese frosting can easily be made with a simple hand mixer.
- You don't have to turn on the oven! The oven can get pretty crowded if you are making this cake for a special occasion. No need to worry about making room for the cake, this one is made entirely in the Instant Pot!
- It's the perfect size! Sometimes, when you make 8 inch or 9 inch cakes, there is a ton leftover and often goes to waste. This cake is made in a small spring form pan and is the perfect size for 8 servings without any waste!
Instant Pot Carrot Cake Ingredients
- Flour- All Purpose Flour, unbleached
- Baking Powder and Baking Soda- to help the cake rise.
- Cinnamon- To add flavor. Your favorite pumpkin pie spice or apple pie spice can be used for even more flavor.
- Sugar- Granulated sugar and brown sugar to give a mixture of sweetness.
- Eggs-To keep the cake together and to make it more stable.
- Carrots- You'll want one cup of finely shredded carrots. That would be approximately one large carrot, two medium, or three small carrots. Grocery stores often sell shredded carrots in the produce section to make life easier.
- Crushed Pineapple- For sweetness and texture.
- Walnuts- If you have pecans, use chopped pecans instead.
- Melted Butter- To give the cake fat that adds flavor and texture. You can use vegetable oil instead if that is what you have.
Equipment You'll Need
- Instant Pot
- 7 Inch Cake Pan. Springform Pan works best
- Mixing Bowls
- Box Grater To Grate the carrots
- Measuring Cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Hand Mixer To make the cream cheese frosting
- Wire Rack
Let's Make Instant Pot Carrot Cake!
Mix the dry ingredients. In a small bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set that aside.
Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, add the melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. With a whisk, mix well until fully combined. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each egg.
Mix well. Add the shredded carrots, crushed pineapple, and walnuts to the batter. Add the flour mixture to the large bowl. Mix until fully combined. You can use a hand mixer to mix the carrot cake mixture at this point if you prefer.
Butter the springform pan well or spray with cooking spray and pour the carrot cake batter into the prepared pan. Cover the top of the pan with aluminum foil.
How To Steam the Instant Pot Carrot Cake
Add 1 cup water to your Instant Pot. Place the springform pan on the trivet insert over the cup of water. Add the trivet insert and pan into the Instant Pot. Cover the Instant Pot, make sure it is set to "sealing" and set the Instant Pot to "steam" and the cooking time to 45 minutes. If you do not have the "steam" function, use high pressure instead and set the cook time to 45 minutes.
Natural pressure release. Allow the Instant Pot to naturally release for 10 minutes. Release the remaining pressure and carefully lift out the cake and place it on a wire rack. Use a paper towel to dry any wetness left on top of the aluminum foil. Make the cream cheese frosting while the cake cools for at least 30 minutes.
Cool the cake. Let the cake cool for at least 30 minutes or to room temperature, remove from the springform pan and ice the cake to your liking.
How To Make Cream Cheese Frosting
- Place the butter and cream cheese in a medium bowl and mix together with a hand mixer.
- Add the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract to the bowl and mix until you reach your desired consistency.
- If the icing is too thin, add more powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time. If the icing is too thick, add more milk, one tablespoon at a time.
How To Bake Carrot Cake The Oven
To bake this cake in the oven, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Bake the cake for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick is inserted into the center and comes out clean.
Tips and Tricks
- This cake only uses half a can of crushed pineapple. Freeze the rest of the pineapple in an airtight container and defrost it when you are ready to use it.
- Frost this carrot cake with 3 ingredient cream cheese frosting.
- Make sure to butter the springform pan well. Even though things say "nonstick" I still butter it. Better to be buttered and not need it than to have the cake stick to the pan.
- If you don't have a trivet with handles for your Instant Pot, you can make a foil sling with aluminum foil. Fold a sheet of aluminum foil into a long strip. Place the springform pan in the middle of the aluminum foil strip and fold the rest of the aluminum foil up to create handles.
Frequently Asked Questions
This happened to me the first time I made this cake. It happened because my cake was not baked fully. I had only set the timer for 30 minutes, so the outside was done, but the middle was not. The next time I made it I increased the time. Another reason it might have sunk is because the pressure was not released slow enough. If the pressure is released too quickly, it can cause the carrot cake to sink in the middle.
Grab a second cake pan and double the recipe. If your Instant Pot is big enough, you can stack the pans on top of one another and cover them with aluminum foil.
To freeze this carrot cake, allow the cake to cool completely. Then wrap the cake in plastic wrap and place it in a gallon Ziploc bag. The carrot cake will last in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Other Recipes To Try!
Did you love this delicious Instant Pot Carrot Cake? If you did, don't forget to tag me on social media here on Instagram or Facebook and share this recipe on Pinterest! Thanks for sharing this journey with me and enjoy these delicious recipes!
- More Instant Pot Recipes
- Instant Pot Chicken Drumsticks
- Instant Pot Dinner Rolls
- Creamy Instant Pot Feta Pasta
- Instant Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip
- Homemade Bagels- Proofed in the Instant Pot
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- Box Grater To Grate the carrots
- Hand Mixer To make the cream cheese frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup All purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Cinnamon
- ¼ cup Sugar
- ½ cup Brown Sugar
- ½ cup Melted Butter Unsalted
- 2 Eggs
- 1 cup Carrots Finely Shredded
- ½ cup Walnuts Chopped
- ½ cup Crushed Pineapple Drained
For the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 Stick Butter room temperature
- 8 oz Full Fat Cream Cheese Room Temperature
- 2 tablespoon Whole Milk
- 2 cups Powdered Sugar
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set that aside.
- In a large bowl, add the melted butter, granulated sugar, and brown sugar. With a whisk, mix well until fully combined. Add the eggs one at a time and mix well after each egg.
- Add the shredded carrots, crushed pineapple, and walnuts to the batter. Mix well.
- Add the flour mixture to the large bowl. Mix until fully combined and there the flour is fully combined.
- Butter the springform pan well and pour the batter into the springform pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
- Add 1 cup of water to your Instant Pot. Place the springform pan on the trivet insert. Add the trivet insert and pan into the Instant Pot. Cover the Instant Pot, make sure it is set to "sealing" and set the Instant Pot to "steam" for 45 minutes.
- Allow the Instant Pot to naturally release for 10 minutes. Carefully lift out the cake and place it on a wire rack. Make the cream cheese frosting while the cake cools for at least 30 minutes.
- Once the cake has cooled for at least 30 minutes, remove from the springform pan and ice the cake to your liking.
Cream Cheese Frosting
- Place the butter and cream cheese in a bowl and mix together with a hand mixer.
- Add the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract to the bowl and mix until you reach your desired consistency.
- If the icing is too thin, add more powdered sugar a tablespoon at a time. If the icing is too thick, add more milk, one tablespoon at a time.
Notes
- Run a knife around the outside of the cake to help it easily release from the springform pan.
- For the cream cheese frosting, make sure the butter and cream cheese are both at room temperature. This will ensure the consistency is smooth and lump free.
I have the IP Pro. I have steam & bake function. I used the bake function for box brownie mix, really good. Next box mix I used the pressure cook function, they were more dense, like fudge! Can you tell me the difference between steam & bake on my pot. I haven't made carrot cake in years. Which pot do you cook in?
Hi! I have the Instant Pot Duo, 7 in 1, so I'm not familiar with the bake function, unfortunately. This carrot cake is essentially steamed in the Instant Pot
Looks great and I would love to try it but my Instant Pot does'nt have a 'steam' function. What else can I try? I have the Duo.
You can just set the Instant Pot to "High" pressure. The key is to make sure you have at least 1 cup of water at the bottom of the Instant Pot so it can steam.
Can I make a double batch using two spring form pans and do a double layer cake?
Sure! I don't know if two pans would fit in the Instant Pot at the same time, you might need to do it in two batches.