Yes, You Absolutely Can Bake A Cake In Your Air Fryer: Here's How It Works

At this point, it seems like there's nothing an air fryer isn't capable of. From skipping the oven and making flan in your air fryer to successfully air frying a whole fish, it seems like these powerful little appliances can make delicious, sophisticated meals from start to finish. In fact, some people are relying on them more than conventional ovens, as they use less time and energy for pretty stellar results. Home cooks are even using them for the delicate, notoriously finicky process of making various baked goods — apparently with great success.

While it's kind of a given that your air fryer can easily churn out small batches of cupcakes, larger projects like cakes are a bit different. The first thing to note is that, even in a relatively large air fryer, you'll likely end up with a smaller-than-standard cake, as a full-sized cake pan won't fit in most air fryer baskets. That means this project is best if you're making dessert for a small number of people or simply want a faster and easier way to throw together a box of vanilla white cake mix you've been craving.

Something else to keep in mind is that your air fryer isn't the best tool for making light, airy cakes because the heat becomes so intense. They likely won't have the spongy, lofted quality you're looking for. Denser and heavier baking recipes, such as pound cake and devil's food, will likely turn out much better.

The first, and probably most important, part of successfully baking a cake in your air fryer is finding a cake pan that fits in the basket. The size you choose should leave some room around the edges of the pan to prevent it from getting stuck, make it easier to lift out while it's hot, and help ensure the edges don't burn due to direct contact with a hot surface.

Something else to think about when using your air fryer to bake cakes (and other items) is the volume of the recipe itself. If you have to reduce the size of your cake pan, it makes sense that you'd also need less batter. The easiest way to compensate is to make the recipe as-is and bake your cake in more than one pan, switching them out when the first cake is finished baking and ready to cool.

You'll also want to increase baking time and reduce the temperature to compensate for the smaller cooking environment. Most air fryers have a "bake" setting, which preheats to about 325 degrees Fahrenheit (you can also set it manually if there is no bake setting). Add about 10 minutes to the normal baking time, and use the toothpick test near the end of the bake to ensure the cake doesn't overcook. If the top starts to look brown and dry, top it with a heat-safe covering to finish.