Instant Pot Pear Cake
You don’t need an oven to make this moist, delicious pear cake. The cake is cooked to perfection in the Instant Pot pressure cooker.
If your oven is full—or you just don’t want to turn it on—this Instant Pot pear cake is the perfect solution. Moist, warmly spiced, and dotted with juicy pear pieces, it’s an easy dessert that feels like fall comfort in every bite. All you need is a 6-cup Bundt pan and your pressure cooker. Top it with a drizzle of caramel, butterscotch, or a simple dusting of powdered sugar. No one will guess it didn’t come from the oven!
?Recipe Variations
- Swap pears for apples or a mix of both
- Add chopped walnuts or pecans to the batter for crunch
- Use pumpkin pie spice instead of individual spices for a shortcut
- Fold in 2 to 3 tablespoons of toffee bits or chocolate chips
- Add a tablespoon of dark rum or bourbon for a deeper flavor
?Tips
- Grease the Bundt pan thoroughly to ensure an easy release
- Dice the pears small so they bake evenly into the batter
- Let the cake cool for at least 5 minutes before inverting
- Use a foil sling or silicone bake sling for easy removal from the Instant Pot
- Check doneness with a toothpick if unsure—it should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs
Storage and Reheating
Room Temperature:
Store the cooled pear cake at room temperature in an airtight container or covered cake plate for up to 2 days.
Refrigerator:
For longer storage, refrigerate the cake in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before serving or warm individual slices in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds.
Freezer:
Wrap the cooled cake or slices tightly in plastic wrap and then foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator or at room temperature for several hours.
This baked apple cake is another excellent fall dessert, or you might like this pear upside-down cake.
Instant Pot Pear Cake
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup brown sugar, packed
- 4 tablespoons melted butter
- 1 large egg
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cups flour, 5 3/4 ounces
- 1 cup diced pears
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- Pinch nutmeg
- Pinch allspice
Instructions
- Prepare the Pan and Instant Pot: Grease a 6-cup Bundt cake pan. Place the trivet in the Instant Pot inner pot and add 1 1/2 cups of water.
- Make the Batter: Combine the brown sugar, butter, egg, and milk in a bowl with an electric mixer; beat until smooth. Add the baking soda, vanilla extract, flour, cinnamon, salt, nutmeg, and allspice; mix on low speed until well blended. Fold in the diced pears.
- Fill the Cake Pan: Spread the batter in the prepared cake pan and cover it loosely with foil.
- Place the Pan in the Pot: Place the cake pan on a foil sling or baking sling and lower it onto the trivet.
- Pressure-Cook: Secure the Instant Pot lid and turn the steam release valve to the sealing position (this is automatic on many newer models). Choose the manual or pressure cook button (high pressure) and set the timer to 45 minutes. When the time is up, let the pressure come down naturally for 10 minutes and then move the valve to the venting position.
- Invert the Cake: Transfer the cake to a rack and remove the foil. Let the cake stand for 5 minutes, then carefully invert it onto a plate and drizzle with syrup, if desired.
- Serve and Enjoy: Slice the cake and serve it on dessert plates. Enjoy!
