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Apricot Cherry Upside Down Cake – Made in a Pressure Cooker/Air Fryer

This Apricot Cherry Upside Down cake is the summer cake of your dreams. It’s rich, sweet, and tangy… And you make it without even turning on your oven.

Apricot Cherry Upside Down Cake

Apricot Cherry Upside Down Cake

OK, you can turn on your oven if you want to or if you don’t have a pressure cooker. But consider this a voice from a future scorchingly hot summer day telling you, You don’t want to turn on your oven.

As it turns out, many modern-day countertop appliances such as electric pressure cookers and air fryers allow you bake surprisingly well. We made this recipe with the Ninja Foodi pressure cooker on the “TenderCrisp” function, so it is generally geared toward that appliance.

However, you could also use an air fryer, which is basically the same thing. (It circulates the hot air with a fan and emulates a convection oven.) You could also use a pressure cooker such as the Instant Pot using high pressure and a small amount of water. (Always follow your pressure cooker recommendations.)

Last but not least, you could still turn on the oven and make this cake.

The end result is this brilliant red-orange cake that we think of as a Beach Sunset Cake. (Is it too late to change the name?)

Apricot Cherry Upside Down Cake Recipe

Apricot Cherry Upside Down Cake

A pretty sweet and tart summer cake, made in a pressure cooker/air fryer

Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword air fryer, apricot, cherry, pressure cooker, upside-down cake
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Total Time 1 hour
Servings 8

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup butter (divided)
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp corn starch
  • 3 tbsp granulated sugar
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3 eggs
  • 4-5 small apricots, pitted and sliced
  • 10 cherries, pitted and halved

Instructions

  1. Set your pressure cooker on the SEAR/SAUTE function at MD:HI. (Alternatively, you can use a pan over a medium flame.) In the large bowl of the pressure cooker, melt 1/2 cup of the butter, along with the lemon juice, corn starch, and granulated sugar, whisking to keep lumps from forming. When the mixture begins to thicken and look syrupy, remove it from heat (take the bowl out of the pressure cooker) and set it aside to cool.

  2. Meanwhile, melt the remaining half cup of butter and set it aside to let it cool. Place the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl and stir to combine. In a larger mixing bowl, combine the butter, brown sugar, and eggs. Slowly add the flour mixture and stir to combine.

  3. Return to the pressure cooker pot with the corn starch mixture. (If you have used a pan to make this mixture, now pour the mixture into the bottom of the pan you will be using to make the cake.) Carefully place the sliced cherries and apricots in the pot, spreading them evenly over the bottom of the pot. Next, pour the batter over the fruit and make sure it is evenly distributed.

  4. Cook the cake on the "TenderCrisp" function or in the air fryer at 325 degrees F. for 35 to 40 minutes. If using a pressure cooker, seal and cook on high for 35 minutes. If cooking in an actual oven, bake it at 350 degrees F.

  5. Remove the pan from your appliance and let it cool for about 30 minutes. Place a plate on top of the cooking pan or pot, then gently flip it upside down so the cake lands on the plate with the fruit side up. Serve warm or at room temperature. Serves 8.

Questions? We’ve got answers.

What is the cake going to look like while you make it? Here’s a view of the pot lined with fruit, and then a top view of the cake when it’s done (before you flip it over).

Fruit lined up at the bottom of the bowl/pan

Top view of the cake after it’s finished baking.

Can you make this in the oven? Yes. Make the cornstarch slurry in a cast iron or other oven-proof pan, then add the fruit to the pan, pour the cake batter over it, and then bake it in that pan. Bake it at 350 degrees F., rather than 325.

How do you make this in a regular electric pressure cooker (without an air fryer function)? We’d recommend making the cornstarch slurry in a regular pan first, then pouring that into the bottom of your cake pan. Then add the batter. Next, make a foil “cross” for lifting the cake pan in and out of the pressure cooker. Use the recommended amount of water for your pressure cooker.

How do you tell if it’s done? The cake should be a deep golden brown on the top. To be extra sure, poke a toothpick through the center to make sure that the batter has cooked through.

Can you use other fruits? Sure! Just pit them and cut them into approximately inch-sized pieces.

Let us know if you try this cake – or any of its variations!

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2 Responses to Apricot Cherry Upside Down Cake – Made in a Pressure Cooker/Air Fryer

  1. Ruth Stroud June 28, 2021 at 3:49 pm #

    Jeanne, your pictures are so great that they make me want to make whatever recipe you post! This one sounds like a perfect summer dessert, though, after my nerve-racking experience making a cheesecake in an Instant Pot, I may opt for a conventional oven. Thanks again for your inspiring posts.

    • Jeanne June 28, 2021 at 3:57 pm #

      Thank you so much, Ruth! I was certainly wary of my pressure cooker when I first started using it but now I love finding new things I can do with it. It has earned a permanent place of honor on my countertop. : ) Thanks again for stopping by!

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