Air-Fried Magic: Baking Cake In Your Air Fryer

Air fryers are a convenient alternative to traditional ovens, especially when you want to avoid heating up the kitchen. They are also perfect for smaller portions and preheat in a flash. But can you bake a cake in an air fryer?

The short answer is yes, but there are some adjustments you'll need to make to ensure your cake turns out delicious. Here are some tips and tricks to help you bake a cake in your air fryer:

- Choose a simple recipe and a small pan. Air fryers bake cakes more quickly and evenly when using smaller pans, such as a half-size Bundt pan or a 6 round pan.

- Preheat your air fryer. Most air fryers preheat in just a few minutes, and this initial burst of heat will help your cake rise.

- Adjust the baking time and temperature. Air fryers circulate hot air more efficiently, so they can cook food faster and at lower temperatures. Reduce the temperature by about 10-20 degrees Fahrenheit from what you'd use in a conventional oven.

- Be prepared to adapt and improvise. Not all air fryers are the same, so you'll need to adapt your recipe and baking time accordingly. Check on your cake regularly during the cooking process to ensure it doesn't burn.

- Cover your cake with a lid to prevent over-browning. If you don't have a lid that fits, you can use foil, but be careful as it can blow off and catch on the heating element.

- Check for doneness with a skewer or toothpick. Insert it into the centre of the cake, and if it comes out clean, your cake is ready.

While air fryer cakes may not turn out as light and airy as oven-baked cakes, they can still be delicious and are a fun way to experiment with your air fryer.

Choosing the right pan

When it comes to choosing the right pan for baking a cake in an air fryer, there are a few key considerations to keep in mind. Firstly, the size of your air fryer will dictate the size of the pan you can use. For basket-type air fryers, it is recommended to use pans ranging from 5 to 8 inches in diameter for round or square cake pans, or 6-cup Bundt pans. For oven-style air fryers, you may be able to use slightly larger pans.

The depth of your air fryer is another important factor. Choose a pan that isn't too deep or tall so that it doesn't touch the heating element. Shallow pans are preferable as they allow the cake to bake faster. A half-size Bundt pan (about 3-cup capacity) is a good option as it allows hot air to circulate through the centre and around the edges of the cake. If you're using a full-size Bundt pan, make sure it's not more than 3 inches high and avoid filling it more than halfway.

The type of pan you use is also important. Aluminium, stoneware, and high-quality heat-resistant silicone pans are all suitable for air fryers. Dark-coated pans tend to absorb and distribute heat faster, so they may bake cakes more evenly. However, it's important to keep a close eye on the cake to prevent overcooking.

When baking a cake in an air fryer, it's crucial to prevent the top crust from burning. You can use aluminium foil or a heat-safe frying pan lid to shield the top of the cake once it reaches the desired level of brownness. Alternatively, you can add an edible topping midway through the baking process to prevent over-browning and eliminate the need for frosting.

Preheat the air fryer

Preheating your air fryer is an important step in the cake-baking process. While some air fryers do not have a preheat setting, they heat up so quickly and powerfully that it is usually not an issue. However, if your recipe includes baking soda or powder, preheating is essential to help your cake rise.

Air fryers only take a few minutes to preheat, unlike conventional ovens, which can take 15-30 minutes. This is one of the benefits of using an air fryer for baking. To preheat your air fryer, simply turn it on and let it heat up for 2-4 minutes before putting your cake in.

Once preheated, set your air fryer to the desired temperature and let it bake! Remember that air fryers circulate hot air more efficiently than conventional ovens, so you will likely need to lower the temperature by about 10-20°F and keep an eye on your cake to ensure it doesn't burn.

Happy baking!

Adjust the baking time and temperature

Air fryers circulate hot air more efficiently than conventional ovens, so they can cook food faster and at lower temperatures. If you're following a traditional oven recipe, you'll need to lower the temperature for the air fryer.

I recommend preheating your air fryer to 320°F or 350°F for about 3 minutes. If your air fryer doesn't have a preheat setting, that's fine—air fryers heat up very quickly.

For the cake, set the temperature to 320°F and bake for 25-30 minutes. Check the cake at the 15-minute mark to see if it's browning too quickly. If it is, cover it with foil or a heatproof lid.

If your cake is still raw in the middle after the initial bake time, continue to cook for a few minutes until it's done. A toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake should come out clean when the cake is ready.

Remember, every air fryer is different, so you may need to experiment with the temperature and cooking time to determine the perfect settings for your particular model.

Be prepared to adapt

Not all air fryers are created equal, so be prepared to adapt and improvise. Be ready for some trial and error as you get to know your specific air fryer and how it handles baking. Here are some tips to help you adapt and achieve the best results:

• Check on your cake regularly during the cooking process. Set a timer for the recommended cooking time, and then check on it every 10 minutes or so to see how it's doing and if any adjustments are needed.
• Cover your cake with a lid to prevent over-browning. If the top of your cake starts to turn a deep brown but the center is still wobbly, cover the cake tin with a heatproof lid to prevent further browning. If you don't have a lid, you can use foil, but be careful as it can blow off and catch on the heating element.
• Adjust the temperature and cooking time as needed. Air fryers circulate hot air more efficiently, so they can cook food faster and at lower temperatures. Lower the temperature by about 10-20 degrees Fahrenheit if using a traditional oven recipe.
• Use a smaller cake pan. Smaller cakes bake more quickly and evenly than larger ones. A half-size Bundt pan or a 6" round pan are good options for air fryer cakes.
• Be prepared to shield the cake from burning. If making a full-size cake, you may need to shield the top from burning as it bakes. You can use aluminum foil or something heavier like a heat-safe frying pan lid or a heat diffuser.

Cover your cake with a lid

Covering your cake with a lid while it's in the air fryer is a good way to prevent the top from burning while the centre of the cake bakes.

If you don't have a lid that fits, you can use foil, but bear in mind that it can't be placed loosely. Foil could blow off and catch on the air fryer's heating element, so you'd need to wrap it around the tin, which would mean lifting the cake out of the air fryer and disrupting the baking process.

A heat-safe frying pan lid will often do the trick, as will a heat diffuser (burner cover), if you can find one that sits atop your pan but is also small enough to fit the confines of the fryer bucket.

Frequently asked questions