Instant Pot Shirley Temple Cherry Cakes

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Here’s a fun recipe for Shirley Temple Cherry Cakes made in a pressure cooker! These mini cakes will capture the cherry and citrus flavors of the Shirley Temple drink while being quick and easy to cook.

Shirley Temple Cherry Cakes in a Pressure Cooker

Ingredients

For the cakes:

• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp salt
• ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
• ¾ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup milk
• 2 tbsp grenadine syrup
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 cup maraschino cherries, chopped (reserve a few whole cherries for garnish)

For the frosting (optional):

• 1 ½ cups powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp grenadine syrup
• 2 tbsp softened butter
• 1-2 tbsp milk (to reach desired consistency)
• Maraschino cherries (for garnish)

Instructions

Prepare the batter:

• In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• In a separate large bowl, beat the softened butter and sugar together until light and fluffy.
• Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract, milk, grenadine syrup, and lemon zest.
• Gradually mix in the dry ingredients until fully combined. Fold in the chopped maraschino cherries.

Prepare the pressure cooker:

• Add 1 ½ cups of water to the bottom of the pressure cooker. Place a trivet or steaming rack in the bottom.
• Grease small heatproof bowls, ramekins, or silicone cupcake molds. Pour the cake batter into each mold, filling about ⅔ of the way.

Cook the cakes:

• Cover the bowls or molds with foil to prevent water from dripping onto the cakes.
• Arrange them on the trivet or steaming rack in the pressure cooker (you may need to cook in batches if they don’t all fit).
• Close the pressure cooker lid and set the valve to sealing. Cook on high pressure for 12 minutes.
• Once cooking is done, allow the pressure to release naturally for 5 minutes, then carefully do a quick release to release any remaining pressure.

Cool and frost (optional):

• Remove the cakes from the pressure cooker and allow them to cool in the molds for 10-15 minutes. Then, gently remove them from the molds and cool completely on a wire rack.
• If frosting, mix the powdered sugar, grenadine syrup, and butter together until smooth. Adjust with milk to reach your desired consistency.
• Drizzle or spread the frosting over the cooled cakes and garnish with whole maraschino cherries.

Serve and enjoy!

• These little Shirley Temple Cherry Cakes are sweet, fruity, and soft. Perfect for any occasion!

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The pressure cooker will make these cakes super moist and soft while still retaining the bright flavors of the cherries and grenadine.