Yes, You Can 'Bake' A Cake In An Air Fryer

Golden and crispy on the outside but moist and tender on the inside — that's the signature characteristic of air-fried foods. While you might opt for an air fryer instead of an oven to cook up crispy fried chicken, onion rings, and french fries, it may sound like an unlikely match for cakes. However, King Arthur Baking claims that with the right recipe and some adjustments, air fryers can handle those sugary batter-filled treats with ease. Since most air fryers are smaller than ovens, they're perfect for those times when you want to bake a small batch of cupcakes or a single-layer cake without heating up your entire kitchen.

This may sound like a newfangled trend in baking, but air fryer cake recipes have been popping up in cookbooks and online for some time now. The secret? Choosing the right recipe and ingredients (like a little vodka, perhaps) to ensure that your cakes come out just as scrumptious as they would if they were baked in a traditional oven. And, lucky for you, we're about to share some tips on how to "bake" a cake in an air fryer to save time and energy while still enjoying the same sweet, sugary result. With this guide, you'll be whipping up delicious cakes in your air fryer in no time.

To get started, choose a basic yet flavorful recipe with minimal ingredients. Justine Lee, a food writer, recipe developer, and culinary consultant, shared with King Arthur Baking that it's best to avoid oil or butter-based cakes when using an air fryer. However, that ultimately depends on the air fryer and other ingredients you're using. Philips' chocolate air-fried cake calls for butter, which works when using their brand of air fryer and other drier ingredients. 

Then, choose the right pan. Most air fryers can only accommodate an 8-inch round pan, which actually works in your favor, as smaller cakes bake more quickly and evenly than larger ones, making them a great option for baking in an air fryer. The main challenge you'll come across is getting your air fryer to evenly bake the center of the cake without over-browning the crust. To prevent this, set your air fryer to its bake cycle if it has one. If not, starting with a lower temperature than you typically would for regular oven baking can help control the heat. 

If you're still finding it hard to get the center of the cake to bake all the way through without burning the crust, drape aluminum foil over the top layer once it's brown or top it with something like caramel or nuts, giving it more time to bake without further browning the crust. If it comes out too dry, try a cake soak.

Why choose an air fryer over your oven if you have to tweak the cake recipe to get the texture right out of a perfectly moist cake? Well, for starters, air fryers are much faster and more efficient than ovens. This means that you can bake a perfect cake in less time than it would take in an oven (the Philips recipe mentioned above cooks in just 25 minutes).

They're also much easier to clean than traditional ovens. And because they're compact, they don't require a lot of space to store. With their non-stick surfaces, you can easily wipe them down with a damp cloth after use — no scrubbing required. And most importantly, air fryers don't heat up your entire kitchen. While this is great for keeping your home cool, it really means they're more energy-efficient than ovens. One test from CNET showed that certain models consume at least 50% less energy, which means you'll save money on your electricity bill while still enjoying a delicious and perfectly baked cake. 

So while using an air fryer to bake your cake might seem unconventional, its benefits are worth the experimentation. And if you're still not convinced, remember this: with an air fryer, you can make everything from a moist cake to a variety of other dishes, including crispy chicken wings and roasted veggies.