Instant Pot Carrot Cake {with Cream Cheese Frosting}

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases, however this is at no cost to you. Read my affiliate links disclosure policy here.

This recipe was originally my Grandma's recipe. She used to make it every Easter and it was a hit everytime!

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.

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'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 the perfect size for 8 servings without any waste!

• 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.

• Instant Pot
• 7 Inch Springform Pan
• Mixing Bowls
• Box Grater To Grate the carrots
• Measuring Cups
• Measuring Spoons
• Hand Mixer To make the cream cheese frosting
• Wire Rack

Mix the dry ingredients. In a medium 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 and there are no more lumps. You can use a hand mixer at this point if you prefer.

Butter the springform pan well and pour the batter into the springform pan. Cover tightly with aluminum foil.

Time to steam the cake! 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.

Naturally release the pressure. 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.

Cool the cake. Once the cake has cooled for at least 30 minutes, remove from the springform pan and ice the cake to your liking.

1. Place the butter and cream cheese in a bowl and mix together with a hand mixer.
2. Add the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract to the bowl and mix until you reach your desired consistency.
3. 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.

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.

• 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.
• 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 one with aluminum foil. Fold a piece 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.

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. 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.

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

Did you make this recipe? Please RATE THE RECIPE below! It will help other hungry readers find my recipe!