Air Fryer Cake

Make this Air Fryer Cake Recipe and you will be rewarded with a lovely soft and fluffy sponge cake. Grab your bowl and ingredients and let me show you how to bake a cake in your air fryer!

Take a look at my Air Fryer Chocolate Cake, Easy Air Fryer Apple Cake and Air Fryer Biscoff Cake!

I am currently having a bit of a love affair with my Air Fryer. I do think my slow cooker is a bit jealous 😉 I have been using the Air Fryer to make quick lunches and even roast dinners and now I am fully into air fryer baking!

So if you are about to type “air fryer cake uk” in your search engine you have come to the right place… I have also included cup measurements for those who prefer them.

Can I Bake Cake in an Air Fryer?

Ok, truth time. I was a little dubious about baking cake in my air fryer but I am absolutely THRILLED with the results! (so much that I wrote a book, Easy Air Fryer Bakes)!

So much so that I baked a lemon cake and a vanilla cake on the same day and both came out soft and light with just the perfect crumb. I think you too will be wowed with how versatile your air fryer is. It can take you from breakfast pancakes, to roast dinner to dessert… and more!

Here’s What You’ll Need

You can use a boxed cake mix, but I am a firm believer that homemade is always best. And trust me when I say this air fryer cake recipe is just as easy and quick to prepare.

• Self-raising flour (also known as self-rising) or plain flour plus baking powder
• Sugar – ideally caster sugar (a.k.a superfine sugar)
• Softened unsalted butter or margarine (such as Stork)
• Large eggs at room temperature (UK bakers will need to use medium eggs).
• Milk – any kind works
• Vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste or vanilla powder

You will need a cake pan that fits comfortably inside your air fryer. I have the Cosori 5.8Qt and an Instant Vortex, both of which can fit an 8 inch cake pan. If you own a smaller air fryer you may need to use a 6 or 7 inch cake pan – HOWEVER if you do the timing will have to be tweaked.

This recipe makes a proper sized cake that easily serves 12. It can be sliced in half and filled with your choice of buttercream or frosting. But it is so moist and delicious that it tastes amazing simply dusted with a little icing sugar.

How to Make Air Fryer Cake

1. Preheat the Air Fryer at 320°F (160°C) while you prepare the batter. Mist an 8 inch deep cake pan with cake release and line the bottom with parchment paper. (Please check the recipe card notes if using a smaller cake pan).
2. Use digital scales to measure the flour and sugar into a mixing bowl or the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Stir to combine.
3. Add the butter, eggs, milk and vanilla. Beat together using an electric hand mixer or your stand mixer, using a spatula to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl as needed. Mix until the batter is smooth, about a minute.

1. Place the prepared cake pan into the air fryer basket. Pour the cake batter into the pan and level. Bake for 30 minutes at 320°F (160°C). Lower the temperature to 300°F (150°C) and continue to cook for a further 10 minutes.
2. Check whether the cake is baked through – insert a skewer or toothpick in the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. If the skewer comes out wet or with moist crumbs continue to cook for a further 5 minutes.

1. Take the cake out of the air fryer using oven mitts. Cool for 5 minutes in the pan then invert onto a cooling wire rack. Slice the cake in half using a cake leveler if you wish to add buttercream frosting to make a layer cake.

Recipe Notes and Tips

• Use room temperature ingredients. You can soften butter by blasting in the microwave on the DEFROST setting for a few seconds. If your eggs are cold, submerge them in warm water for a few minutes.
• Don’t overfill the cake pan – about half full is right. The cake pan I used is 8 inches wide and 3 inches deep. If you use a smaller cake pan then the baking times indicated below may not work.
• Storing Instructions: Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days, without the frosting. It stays lovely and soft for ages!
• How to Check for Doneness: Insert a toothpick in the middle of the cake. If it comes out with wet batter, the cake is still a bit wet in the middle. Continue to bake for a little longer, adding a few minutes until it is done. Alternatively, use an instant read thermometer. Insert the probe in the middle (not touching the bottom of the pan) and check it measures around 209°F (98°C).

Frequently Asked Questions

My air fryer comes with a bake setting which is set to 300°F (150°C) for 30 minutes. I think that would be sufficient for a smaller cake but for this recipe you will need to cook for longer. The “Bake Setting” is simply a temperature indicator. I usually use the air fryer setting and simply adjust the temperature and cooking time manually.

You don’t need to buy a special cake pan for air fryer baking. Any cake pan that fits comfortably in the air fryer basket can be used, including metal, glass, ceramic or silicone. I have recently converted to baking my air fryer cakes in a silicone cake pan as I have discovered the cake rises more evenly.

HAVE YOU MADE MY AIR FRYER CAKE RECIPE? Please leave a star rating and comment below! Tag me on Instagram @supergolden88 or TikTok @Nusde when you share it – I can’t wait to see your sweet creations!