Name: Vegan Double Chocolate Instant Pot Cake
Prep time: 30 min
Total time: 2 h
Ingredients: 1⅓ cup unsweetened plant milk; 1½ teaspoons ground flaxseeds; 1½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar; 2½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract; ¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour; ⅔ cup pure cane sugar; ⅔ cup + ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, divided; ¼ cup almond flour; ½ teaspoon regular or sodium-free baking powder; ¼ teaspoon baking soda; ⅛ teaspoon sea salt; ½ cup Date Paste; 1 tablespoon almond butter; Fresh berries (optional)

Prep-time: 30 minutes / Ready In: 2 hours
Makes 1 cake
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Multicookers such as the Instant Pot aren’t just for soups and stews: They can make delectable, luscious desserts, too. This incredibly moist vegan Instant Pot cake steams in a 6×3-inch springform pan inside a multicooker. If you don’t have a springform pan, you can easily substitute a 6-inch regular cake pan lined with parchment paper.

By Darshana Thacker Wendel, Mar 12, 2019

Ingredients

1⅓ cup unsweetened plant milk
1½ teaspoons ground flaxseeds
1½ teaspoons apple cider vinegar
2½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¾ cup unbleached all-purpose flour or whole wheat pastry flour
⅔ cup pure cane sugar
⅔ cup + ¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder, divided
¼ cup almond flour
½ teaspoon regular or sodium-free baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
⅛ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup Date Paste
1 tablespoon almond butter
Fresh berries (optional)

Instructions

Fill a 6-qt. Instant Pot multicooker with 1 inch water; add steamer rack. Set cooker on Sauté setting and allow to heat on Normal temperature 10 to 15 minutes or until water starts to steam.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine 1 cup of the plant milk, the flaxseeds, vinegar, and 1½ teaspoons of the vanilla. In a medium bowl stir together the all-purpose flour, sugar, ⅔ cup of the cocoa powder, the almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Stir milk mixture into flour mixture until combined. Pour batter into a 6×3-inch springform or round cake pan.
Place filled cake pan on rack in cooker. Lock lid in place; set pressure valve to Venting. Set cooker on Slow Cook setting and High temperature and cook 90 minutes. Open lid carefully. Turn off cooker and let cake stand in cooker 10 minutes or until steam subsides.
Using oven mitts, lift out cake. Cool on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove sides of springform pan or remove cake from cake pan; cool completely on rack
Meanwhile, for frosting, in a blender combine the Date Paste, ⅓ cup of the plant milk, ¼ cup of the cocoa powder, the almond butter, and 1 teaspoon of the vanilla. Cover and blend until smooth.
Generously spread top and sides of cake with frosting. Chill 20 minutes or until frosting is set. Serve immediately or chill until ready to serve. If desired, serve with berries.

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22 Comments

Comments (22)

(5 from 6 votes)

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christine dean4 weeks ago

Love it i leave sugar out and add 1 cup date paste
I also make it gluten free with buckwheat flour

LuAnn2 months ago

Sounds delicious- however I have tree nut allergy/ celiac so what substitutes do you recommend for the flour. I really want to try with a fresh raspberry topper. Thanks

Karen3 months ago

I have a regular 8 quart pressure cooker – not an instapot. I do have a steamer rack that sets into the pressure cooker. How would I cook the cake without the slow cook setting?

Courtney Davison2 months ago

Hi Karen,

We reached out to the chef, Darshana Thacker Wendel, to ask about your question. Darshana said that she has only tried the recipe using the Instant Pot so unfortunately can’t offer input on making it in other pressure cookers. If you do experiment with it in your pressure cooker, please let us know how it turns out!

Thank you,

Courtney
Editor, Forks Over Knives

Susie3 months ago

I made this beautiful cake today and was so impressed! It was the first time I had cooked a cake in my Insta-Pot and I sense that the slow, steaming was the reason it was so beautifully moist. It could rival my previous non WFPB chocolate cake recipes. I have to take a cake to work in a couple of days for a ‘bake-off’ and this will be my entry! I did end up adding about a tablespoon of maple syrup to the frosting recipe as I felt it needed to be a little sweeter but am sure that it is down to personal taste. I didn’t have medjool dates and just used ordinary ones which may have reduced the sweetness of the frosting. My Mum who is not WFPB was also very impressed. So pleased to have a recipe for a lovely cake that I can produce for an event or special occasion. Many thanks!

Jan3 months ago

Can you substitute carob for the cocoa?

Courtney Davison2 months ago

Hello, Jan,
Yes, feel free to substitute carob powder for cocoa powder, though it will give the cake a somewhat different flavor. Let us know how it goes!
Thanks,
Courtney
Editor, Forks Over Knives

Chris3 months ago

In have a 3 quart, do I just cut the recipe in half? Thanks!

Courtney Davison2 months ago

Hi Chris,
If a 6-inch cake pan will fit in your 3-quart Instant Pot, then follow the recipe as directed, without cutting the measurements in half. If a 6-inch cake pan won’t fit in your Instant Pot and you want to try using a smaller pan and cutting down the volume of ingredients—we can’t vouch for the final product, as we haven’t tested it that way. So if you do give it a go, please let us know how it goes!
Thank you,

Courtney
Editor, Forks Over Knives

Deb E3 months ago

I have an 8 qt pot with a bake setting, can I use that? I’m very new to this appliance.

Courtney Davison2 months ago

Hi Deb,
We haven’t tested this recipe using the “Bake” setting of an Instant Pot. If you have the “Sauté” and “Slow Cook” settings available, we recommend using those as instructed in the recipe. If you experiment with the “Bake” setting, please let us know how it goes.

Thank you!

Courtney
Editor, Forks Over Knives

Elaine Boyd4 months ago

Can you bake this in a steam oven?

ANN C.4 months ago

If. I make it I swill have to substitute the sugar ( I will use date sugar) and almond or oat flour to comply with my dietary needs. HAS ANY ONE ELSE TRIED THIS RECIPE using THOSE FLOURS OR SUGARS ?

Jim8 months ago

Can I use chickpea flour instead of almond flour?

Jody1 year ago

I’m impressed with this cake. First instant pot cake I ever made. So easy. Bake the full 90 minutes without checking, it will come out perfect. It is hard to get the lid off without some water drips on cake, just have a paper towel ready. I subbed in coconut sugar and date syrup for the regular sugar, and added some ground espresso and orange zest for a little extra flavor. I didn’t try the frosting recipe, instead put big dallops of a cashew cream I made. Whole family enjoyed.

Jen1 year ago

How do you think this would work with a 1 to 1 gluten free flour?

Kellie1 year ago

It should be fine. I have celiac disease and have been baking GF for 12 years. I was just looking at the recipe too!

Stefany2 years ago

Delicious! Mine had a tiny spot that didn’t cook well due to the steam vent being open and dripping down but it wasn’t a big deal to me. The glaze recipe is a bit bitter but would be great with a scoop of WFPB nice cream.

Denise A Diener2 years ago

How can I make this without an instant pot?

Cathy Jardine3 months ago

Can I bake this in the oven as I don’t have an insta-pot?

Forks Over Knives3 months ago

Hi Cathy,
You can bake it in the oven at 350℉ for 30-35 minutes, but it likely won’t be as moist as in the Instant Pot. If you give it a try and it turns out well let us know!

Vb2 years ago

I can’t see why we couldn’t Just put it in oven and bake it. 350F check it at 30 min if done in middle. Use parchment lined pan.

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about the author

Darshana Thacker Wendel

Darshana Thacker Wendel is a whole-food, plant-based chef and former culinary projects manager for Forks Over Knives. A graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute, she is the author of Forks Over Knives: Flavor! She created the recipes for Forks Over Knives Family and was a lead recipe contributor to the New York Times bestseller The Forks Over Knives Plan. Her recipes have been published in The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook, Forks Over Knives—The Cookbook, Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health, and LA Yoga magazine online. Visit DarshanasKitchen.com and follow her on Instagram for more.

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