The change of seasons means apple harvest time!
The air is now crisp and chilly, the trees are starting to turn beautiful red, orange, and yellow hues, and cozy sweaters are a must. You know, it’s the time of year when you want to curl up with a blanket, hot tea, and a piece of apple cake!
That’s my idea of self-care at its finest — 15 minutes of alone time and all the flavors of fall wrapped up in a cake.
Juicy apples paired with sweet and spicy aromatics… Mmm. Just like sourdough apple cinnamon rolls, this Instant Pot Chai Spiced Apple Cake is so versatile that it can be served at a harvest party, a weekend brunch, as a holiday dessert, a special afternoon snack, or simply for a little YOU time.
Instant Pot Chai Spiced Apple Cake {grain-free & dairy-free!}
This heavenly, deliciously spiced, super moist apple cake is full of wholesome, nourishing ingredients and the idea of making holiday desserts in my Instant Pot is magical for me.
It’s a family favorite during the fall and winter months! Let’s talk about two of the star ingredients in this dessert.
#1 — Homemade Applesauce
Is there anything cozier than homemade applesauce in the fall? I love traditional applesauce (here’s how to make it)… but my all-time special favorite is pear applesauce (here’s how to make it). Either way, the scent of it cooking fills your home with a beautiful aroma. My favorite way to make applesauce is in the Instant Pot, of course!
Would you rather not cook your applesauce? Raw works in this Instant Pot Chai Spiced Apple Cake, too! Simply peel and core 2 organic apples. Add them to a food processor and pulse until they become fully pureed “applesauce”. 2 medium-size apples usually yield about 1 cup of applesauce.
#2 — Chai Spice
Chai originated in India and has become very popular worldwide. And for good reason, it’s delicious! There are so many different variations, including aromatic spices such as cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, clove, fennel seed, black pepper, nutmeg, and star anise. I love to make caffeine-free immune-boosting chai tea, or if I really want to spice things up, chai hot chocolate!
This Instant Pot Chai Spiced Apple Cake has just the right amount of chai spice. They nicely complement the sweet apple flavor while not being overpowering.
Here are a few other chai recipes for you to enjoy:
- Chai Chocolate Truffles
- Chai Hot Cocoa
- Vanilla Ginger Chai Tea {with a nourishing gelatin boost!}
- Chai Chocolate Chip Ice Cream
Instant Pot Chai Spiced Apple Cake {grain-free & dairy-free!}
This heavenly, deliciously spiced, super moist apple cake is full of wholesome, nourishing ingredients. It's a family favorite during the fall and winter months!
Ingredients
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce homemade
- 1/3 cup raw whole milk or dairy-free milk of choice
- 2 organic or pastured eggs
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup avocado oil or melted ghee or grass-fed butter
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup cassava flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon ground fennel seed optional
- 1/16 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 pinch ground cardamom optional
Instructions
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Grease a 1-1/2 quart casserole dish that fits in your pressure cooker (preferably one with a glass lid). Then line the bottom of the dish with parchment paper -- it just needs to cover most of the bottom. Set aside.
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Place all ingredients in a high-powered blender, such as a Vitamix, in the order listed. Blend on low speed until smooth.
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Then pour the cake batter into the greased parchment-lined dish.
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Add 1 cup of water to insert pot of pressure cooker and place trivet inside. Cover casserole dish with fitted glass lid or a piece of parchment paper that covers the top, then a layer of foil to secure it. Carefully place the casserole dish on top of the trivet.
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Then cover the pot, checking the seal and components to make sure all is well. If using an electric cooker, such as an Instant Pot, set to high pressure for 20 minutes. If using a stove-top cooker, bring to high pressure and maintain for 20 minutes.
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When cycle is complete, unplug cooker or remove from stovetop. Allow to naturally release pressure for 15 minutes. Then quick release remaining pressure.
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Carefully remove cooker lid. Be careful not to drip condensation on the cake.
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Then test cake for done-ness with a toothpick. It should come out clean with no more than a few moist crumbs. If not done, cover and cook for another 3 minutes, then quick release pressure.
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Carefully remove casserole dish. Let cake rest at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving.
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Finally, serve with ice cream (vanilla or cinnamon are especially lovely!), caramelized apples, whipped cream, or cream cheese frosting.
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Keep in an air-tight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator or freeze for later use.
Recipe Notes
- This Instant Pot Chai Spiced Apple Cake is so versatile that it can be served at a harvest party, a weekend brunch, as a holiday dessert, a special afternoon snack, or simply for a little YOU time.
And check out our other delicious fall dessert recipes on the blog…
- Soaked Pumpkin Muffins With Cream Cheese Filling
- Sprouted Apple Pumpkin Breakfast Cookies
- Grain-Free Apple Pie Shortbread Bars With Crumb Topping
- Pumpkin Sourdough Cinnamon Rolls With Cream Cheese Frosting
- Pumpkin Pie Panna Cotta: The Elegant, 5-Minute, No-Bake Thanksgiving Dessert
- Sourdough Apple Cinnamon Rolls With Cream Cheese Frosting
- Allergy Friendly Apple Cranberry Crisp (Use Your Instant Pot!)
- Soaked Apple Cinnamon Muffins
- Probiotic Apple Panna Cotta w/Caramel Apple Drizzle
Will you serve this seasonal cake at a holiday party or for a weekend brunch?
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Cassava flour substitutes??????
What adjustments, if any, for standard oven baking?
Hi Tanya, I haven’t tried this with other flour substitutes yet, so I can’t say for sure. It’s possible it could work with an all-purpose gluten free blend or maybe even Einkorn or sprouted flour – but I’m not positive and wouldn’t know if any adjustments would need to be made. I also haven’t baked this in the oven. I would assume it would do okay baked at 350 degrees F. I would probably try checking it for doneness around 20 minutes to gauge how much longer you will need to bake it. I hope that helps! 🙂
I’m curious if this fits at all within the THM plan. It looks lovely!
Hi Tina, thanks! 🙂 I’m not sure. I’m not as familiar with THM as some of the other ladies here are. Maybe one of them can chime in?
Hi Tina,
This would not fall in the THM category without a fair amount of tinkering. That said, should you give it a try I’d love to hear how it turned out. Here’s where you’d need to make some adjustments:
-Milk of choice would need to be very low fat (and a nut milk such as almond or cashew), as the applesauce in this recipe makes it an E. You could also try water?
-Use egg whites instead of whole eggs
-Replace the maple syrup with stevia or erythritol. You probably need to increase the liquid in the recipe since you’re subbing with dry ingredients
-Avocado oil, ghee, or grassfed butter are all on plan, however you need to keep the amount used to within plan guidelines, for an E, per serving, also taking into account the fat in your milk of choice
-Cassava flour is not on plan, and I am not really sure what you could substitute for it. I’ve not had any experience with it so I don’t know how it “behaves” in a recipe
Quite a lot of tinkering, now that I’ve gone through it and typed this out! Please do come back and share if you try to THM-ify this, I’d love to know what you do and how it turns out!
We travel in our Rv for 6 months at a time and the IP is my fave appliance. We are not gluten sensitive and with limited space, I only carry organic regular flour. Has anyone else tried this recipe with all – purpose flour?
TIA!
Hi Layla! I love that the IP is your favorite appliance. It’s the best isn’t it? 🙂 I’m sure it’s so helpful to have while you’re traveling in the RV. I haven’t tested this with regular organic all-purpose flour, but it’s possible it could work. Cassava flour tends to be the closest “gluten free flour” to AP flour in *most* baked goods. I wish I could say for sure. If you try it, let us know how it goes.
Hi! I tried this with sprouted wheat flour, and it turned out okay. A bit moist, so I will try it with less liquid, not sure if I’ll reduce milk or applesauce (by probably two tablespoons). And it stuck to the sides of the souffle container (the bottom was fine because of the parchment). I also had to cook it longer than 20 min. 23 to 25 min is probably ideal.
Was going to ask that myself.
I have arrowroot, Oat fiber, chickpea but no cassava. Would like to make today.
Hi Therese, I hope you get to make it! 🙂 I haven’t tried this with other flours but it’s possible it could work with an all-purpose gluten free flour blend. I don’t think arrowroot would work all by itself, but maybe a blend of the flours you have on hand would work. I haven’t worked with chickpea flour before though, so I’m not sure. I hope that helps!
Hi Tina! This is not a THM-compatible recipe due to the cassava flour, syrup, and fats in the eggs and oil.
Hi Tanya, I haven’t tried making this in a standard oven yet. Most baked cakes tend to do well around 350 degrees F, so I would guess you could try baking it at that temperature, but I’m not sure what the baking time would be. Maybe test around 20 minutes and try to gauge how much longer you would need to cook it. As far as the cassava flour goes, I haven’t tried this with other flours. It’s possible it could work with an all-purpose gluten free flour blend and/or maybe Einkorn, but I haven’t tested it with either. I know for sure coconut flour will not work since it usually needs more liquid and eggs. I hope that helps!
hello, I am wondering is it possible to cook the cake in a normal oven? instead of the IP?
Sounds soooo good… I can’t wait to try it!!!
Hi! I haven’t tried baking this in the oven yet, but I would assume it would do okay baked at 350 degrees F. I would probably try checking it for doneness around 20 minutes to gauge how much longer you will need to bake it. Hope that helps! 🙂
thank you!!! will try it!!!