It’s time to turn your world upside down – in the most delicious way possible, of course!
We’re talking having a slice of cake SO moist, SO dense and SO full of pineapple, you’ll be closing your eyes and thinking you were on the shores of Waikiki Beach.
Yes, folks – you can make some of the BEST PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE you’ve EVER had right in your Instant Pot. ?
But don’t take my word for it. Read the steps and watch the video below – you’ll see how incredibly easy it is to achieve this wondrous result.
You’ll be singing ALOHA and doing the hula when done!
Here’s How I Made It!:
Let’s start with all things pineapple. In a Kitchen Aid stand mixer or mixing bowl with a hand mixer, add in a packet of Pineapple Cake mix.
…Then take a can of pineapple slices…
… and only pour in the juice from the can (we’ll get to those pretty slices themselves later).
Add in some water…
…some canola oil…
…a packet of vanilla Instant Jell-O pudding…
…and 3 eggs.
Mix well to combine…
…so that it’s a lump-free and thick/creamy consistency when done. Let that rest there while we…
…melt some butter in the microwave…
…and add some brown sugar once melted.
Stir it up good so it’s nice and combined.
Next, you’ll spray some Pam or a cooking spray in a pan that fits in your Instant Pot (I used an Ekovana pan that is 7.5″ in diameter x 2.5″ high). If the Ekovana are out of stock, these are basically the exact same ones with the same dimensions!
Because this is an upside down cake, we will be assembling it in a reverse fashion, with the topping going on first and the cake last. So let’s start the assembly by spooning in the butter brown sugar so it covers the bottom of the pan.
Now we’ll go back to those pineapple slices and lay them on top of the butter brown sugar…
…and put a maraschino cherry within the hole of each. Fill in the other gaps with some too!
Take the batter and layer over the pineapples and cherries until the pan is halfway filled to the top.
Use a spatula to smoothen/even it out…
and then secure the pan with a lid if it came with one…
…or tin foil if it didn’t.
Put the pan in a caddy if it came with one (or play MacGyver and create a sling out of aluminum foil to easily lower and remove the pan from the Instant Pot).
Add the trivet and a cup of water to the Instant Pot, lower in the pan, secure the lid and cook at high pressure.
When done, remove the pan…
…and the lid/foil. The cake is going to look GORGEOUS already!
Give it the toothpick test (it will pass if you follow my instructions in the recipe below to a T).
Place a plate that is wider in diameter than the pan over the pan.
Now comes the upside down part. Hold securely and quickly flip. The cake will slide right out of the pan and onto the plate…
…and look like THIS when it’s done! (Ain’t she beautiful?)
Dig in and cut a slice…
…or three. And admire how beautifully that cake cooked.
Through and through moist, fluffy and dense perfection!
It was so good I had to make two!
Congrats!
You just made one of the BEST Pineapple Upside Down Cake EVER!
Also, in keeping with the pineapple theme, make it as a dessert to my Polynesian Pineapple Chicken!
Instant Pot Pineapple Upside Down Cake
I'd tell you to turn your world upside-down with this one, but one bite and you're gonna knock yourself on the floor. A huge (and simple) crowd-pleaser.
Ingredients
- 1 box of Pineapple Cake mix (I used Duncan Hines Pineapple Supreme)
- 3 extra large eggs (since 3 is an odd number, if halving the recipe use 2 small eggs)
- 20 oz can of Pineapple Rings in their juices (NOT in heavy syrup – there is a difference and the can will specify), with the rings separated from the juice. There will be 10 rings in the can
- 1/2 cup of canola oil (vegetable oil is fine too but I suggest canola for this)
- 1/4 cup of water
- 3.4 oz packet of Vanilla Jell-O Instant Pudding mix (make sure it’s “Instant”)
- 1 stick (1/2 cup) of salted butter
- 1 cup of dark brown sugar, packed
- Maraschino cherries, stem removed
Instructions
- In a Kitchen Aid stand mixer or in a mixing bowl using a hand mixer, add the cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, the juice (and only the juice) from the can of pineapple slices, canola oil and water. Blend well (on speed level 4 if using a Kitchen Aid stand mixer) until all of the lumps are out and it’s nice and smooth
- Taking pans (I am using my Ekovana pans because they are PERFECT for this) that are about 7-7.5″ in diameter and about 2.5″ high, lightly spray some non-stick cooking spray along the bottom and sides. (If the Ekovana pans are out of stock, these are basically the exact same ones with the same dimensions!)
- Place the butter in a bowl and melt in the microwave for 60 seconds. Then add the brown sugar and mix together well. This amount is meant for two pans, so equally distribute the butter brown sugar mixture into each pan so that it coats the bottom of each
- Lay in the pineapple rings and put a cherry in the hole of each filling in any other spaces with more cherries
- Pour HALF of the batter into each pan. Assuming you’re using a 2.5″ height pan, it should not go much higher than half height of the pan (it’s okay if it goes a LITTLE over)
- Cover the pan(s) with tin foil (or, if using the Ekovana pans, secure the lid and fasten one of them in the caddy it comes with)
- In the Instant Pot, add the trivet and a cup of water. Rest the foil/lid covered pans on top of it. If using a pan other than the Ekovana, make a sling out of aluminum foil to easily get the pan out of the Instant Pot when done cooking. If you don’t feel like making a sling, just be careful when you lower the pot and be very careful when removing it after cooking
- Secure the lid and cook in one of two ways: Either on “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” for 50 minutes on High Pressure with a 30 minute natural release -OR- for 40 minutes on High Pressure with a FULL natural (no quick) release (about 40 minutes). Either way will work perfectly fine
- When done, carefully remove the pan from the Instant Pot and let cool for about 5 minutes. Place a plate larger than the pan’s diameter over the top, hold together securely and quickly flip it upside down. The cake will simply slide RIGHT out of the pan and transfer beautifully to the plate.
- Serve right away or a few hours away – whenever you want! After your first slice (because, let’s face it, you’re not going to be able to wait) if you keep it at room temperature for a while the cake will begin to soak in that INSANE brown butter sauce and the experience will be taken to the next level!
- ENJOY! ?
Jeffrey's Tips
This recipe calls for making TWO cakes. For proper (and truly amazing) results, only ONE cake may be cooked in an Instant Pot at a time in a separate pan using a pot-in-pot method. If you have two Instant Pots, you can make them simultaneously. If not, you can make one after the other OR just cut the recipe in half and save the rest of the cake mix for another day!
Don’t have those special pans and don’t plan on getting them (even though you so totally should)? Just use any (including a cheap disposable aluminum one) and cover it with foil! Just make sure it’s at least 7-7.5″ in diameter and about 2-2.5″ deep.
If the Ekovana pans are out of stock, these are basically the exact same ones with the same dimensions!
Want to make it boozy? Sub 1/4 cup of rum for 1/4 cup of water.
Want to take it further? Serve with some pineapple or vanilla ice cream!
In keeping with the pineapple theme, make it as a dessert to my Polynesian Pineapple Chicken!
Kathryn Carbone
I’m a bit unclear about the stacking pans. Can you cook both at once or should you still cook them one at a time?
BrendaDembowski
desserts that are sugar-free would be helpful I don’t tolerate sugar well and I’m sure there are plenty of diabetics out there who would appreciate delicious desserts too
Linda L Warkentin
I tried your pineapple upside down cake tonight as a test run before making it on a campout. It turned out amazing. Now I want to know what other cakes I can make.
Nancy
1st time making a pineapple upside down cake. This recipe what was awesome! Delicious & moist. I will definitely make again.
Nancy
This recipe is awesome. The cake is delicious and moist. I will definitely make it again.
Krista
Can you make the second cake and freeze it? Does it freeze well?
Judy Neville
Can you use a 7” instant pot springform pan?
Judy Neville
Wondering if I can use my 7” Instant Pot springform pan?
Stephanie Vanhoose
Can I make the cake in the instapot with using a second pan?
TR
Can I use a yellow cake mix instead?
Jeffrey
Sure!
Marci Camenisch
Will this recipe work in egg molds for cake bites?
Mark S.
Jeff-you’ve made a convert!! My mother was very skeptical of “baking” a cake in an Instant Pot. She thought it was delicious!! One thing -I tried this recipe once using the 40 minute “bake” and full Natural Release. When I opened the IP, there was still liquid batter present. Possibly I slightly overfilled the Ekorna-or maybe my IP (6 qt. Duo) heating is on the weak side. I’ve sometimes had to increase cooking time on large pieces of chicken to make sure they are done. This time I used a 53 minute cook time with the 30 minute Natural Release, and everything worked great!!
I love your site and am glad I met you at your recent Dallas Cookbook Signing.
Jeffrey
So glad it worked out and you enjoyed!