INSTANT POT OR OVEN!
Cake in the Instant Pot?! Oh yes I did!
Let me preface by saying, I don’t care for chocolate or sweets. I am that odd woman who would rather have a salty, juicy bacon cheeseburger over a pastry or dessert any day – ESPECIALLY if it’s chocolate! Every few years, I will attempt to try chocolate to see if my taste buds have changed…to this date, it’s still a hard no!
That being said, I still have birthdays to bake for; and this chocolate sheet cake has been a winner for years! (even prior to the Instant Pot).
So what made me risk an experimental pressure cooker cake? The weather. The summer temps are creeping up fast here in the northeast and starting the oven was just not in the plans…especially since my air conditioners are on back order. Of course, this year I decided to switch out the window units for portable air.
Back to the cake!
This is a never fail oven sheet cake. I have also successfully made cupcakes and a layered 9″ round cake using this recipe, but keep in mind “sheet cakes” are a thinner cake. In the Instant Pot, this makes 2- 7.5″ round cakes or 1- 7.5″ round and 8 mini cupcakes!!! Using your egg bite molds or even slightly larger ramekins you can make cupcakes in the pressure cooker. They are going to be dense and slightly fudgy, but the reviewers seem to love this!
IP CUPCAKES – 18 MIN HP, 5 MIN NPR.
I used a mix of my stainless steel egg bite molds and some glass (oven safe) little tapered cups that I found in the pantry. I googled them forever but cant find a name- otherwise I would share. I do have the dimensions to give you an idea of what would work as a substitute – maybe you have something similar in your cabinets. They made the most perfect sized cupcake!
YOU CAN HAVE ABOUT 2-3 LAYERS OF MOLDS/CUPS – DEPENDING ON IP SIZE AND CUP SIZES. UNCOVERED.
Here is a link to some comparable IP safe molds for cupcakes. (This is an affiliate link to Amazon).
Stainless Steel Egg Bite Molds * I have these: https://amzn.to/2BusP3X
Silicone Egg Bite molds: https://amzn.to/2UcgQP2
Ceramic cups https://amzn.to/3dylDly
Foil cups with dome lids for bake sale https://amzn.to/2UcOUKV
7.5″ springform pan https://amzn.to/306wYpb
Dragon steam diverter: https://amzn.to/2BA5cao
QUICK RECIPE NOTES
FOR THE CAKE:
SELF RISING FLOUR IS HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. MORE SO, IF YOU ARE USING THE INSTANT POT METHOD. I HAVE MADE SHEET CAKES SUCCESSFULLY USING ALL PURPOSE FLOUR IN THE OVEN, BUT IT WILL NOT WORK IN A PRESSURE COOKER.
BUTTERMILK: DON’T HAVE IT? NOT A PROBLEM, I RARELY HAVE IT ON HAND. JUST USE MILK AND A SPLASH OF VINEGAR. TRY TO USE A FULL FAT MILK OR CREAM FOR BEST RESULTS.
USE A SPRINGFORM PAN FOR THE INSTANT POT
OR, IF YOU ARE DOING A 2 LAYERED CAKE, USE 2 SHALLOW 7″ ROUND PANS (FOR 8 QT POT). I PUT A PIECE OR ROUND PARCHMENT ON THE BOTTOM OF THE PAN AND THEN SPRAY THE WHOLE PAN AND SIDES WITH NONSTICK SPRAY!
FOR THE FROSTING:
THE RECIPE CALLS FOR FLOUR; BUT NOT TO WORRY, WE PAR COOK IT TO KILL OFF LIVE BACTERIA THAT IS NATURALLY FOUND IN RAW FLOUR! SIMPLY PLACE IN A SHALLOW DISH FOR 3-5 MINUTES IN A 350 F OVEN OR MICROWAVE FOR 1 MINUTE (STIRRING EVERY 20 SECONDS). LET COOL BEFORE INCORPORATING INTO THE FROSTING MIXTURE.
I RECOMMEND WATCHING THE QUICK VIDEO FOR THIS RECIPE
MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP FROSTING MORE YOUR THING? I’VE GOT YOU COVERED! https://driftwoodcorner.net/2020/06/04/mint-chocolate-chip-frosting/
THE PRINTABLE RECIPE!
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CHOCOLATE SHEET CAKE + COOKIE DOUGH FROSTING
Description
Instant Pot or Oven. The dreamiest chocolate sheet cake with chocolate chip cookie dough flavored frosting.
Ingredients
FOR THE CAKE:
2 Cups Self-Rising Flour
1.5 Cup Sugar (lower to 1 cup if using sweet frosting)
1 Tsp Salt
2 Sticks Butter
4 Tablespoons Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 Cup Boiling Water
1 Tsp Espresso Powder (optional) ( you can also sub ¼ cup water for brewed coffee)
½ Cup Buttermilk (or full fat milk + splash of distilled vinegar)
2 Eggs
1 Tsp Baking Soda
2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
FOR THE FROSTING
¾ Cup Salted Butter, room temperature
¼ cup light brown sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
¼ cup flour (* see notes)
2 Tsp Vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon heavy cream
Mini Chocolate Chips
Instructions
FOR THE CAKE:
In small saucepan, melt butter. Add cocoa powder and remove from burner. Add 1 cup boiling water to the mixture and set aside.
In large mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, and salt. With mixer on low, slowly add hot chocolate mixture.
In a separate cup mix the buttermilk, eggs, baking soda and vanilla. Add to mixing bowl and mix until just combined. You want to avoid over mixing this cake for best results.
INSTANT POT: Pour batter into a lightly greased springform pan
Place pan on trivet with 1.5 cups water underneath the trivet. Cook uncovered for 43 minutes HP. Allow a 10 min NPR, then QR. (18 min HP, 5 min NPR, then QR for egg bite mini cupcakes)
*** THIS RECIPE MAKES 3 ROUND CAKES – YOU CAN COOK 2 AT SAME TIME IN THE INSTANT POT USING STACKING PANS** OTHERWISE, DO EACH ONE SEPARETLY.
OVEN: Pour into lightly greased Jelly Roll baking sheet, 2 – 9” round pans (for a layered cake) or cupcake pan. Cook at 350 F approx. 18 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.
FOR THE FROSTING
To heat treat the raw flour: Cook in a 350 F oven for 3-5 minutes or microwave for 1 minute (stirring every 20 seconds). Set aside to cool.
In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter on high until is fluffy. It becomes very pale in color and takes about 5 full minutes.
Turn the mixer to low and add brown sugar, and powdered sugar (confectioner).
Add the cooled flour to the mixture and combine.
Add cream and vanilla and mix on medium speed until light and fluffy. You can add additional cream as needed for piping.
Gently fold in mini chocolate chips. If piping on cupcakes, sprinkle the chocolate chips on afterwards.
Notes
For Instant Pot mini cupcakes cook at HP 18 minutes followed by a 5 min NPR
