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