Air Fryer Cake

Easy air fryer cake

An air fryer cake is such an easy dessert that can be made without ever starting up your oven. Most people know how great air fryers are for savory recipes, like Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken, Air Fryer Roasted Vegetables, or Fried Goat Cheese Balls. But they are excellent for baking desserts as well! 

Using an air fryer to make cakes, since it frees up space in the oven, eliminates the need for a long preheat. Which reduces energy bills! If you’re trying to keep the house cool in the summer months, it’s the perfect option.

Once it’s done “baking,” you’ll be surprised at how moist, tender, and fluffy a cake in the air fryer can turn out!

Why bake a cake in an air fryer?

• Simple: An air fryer cake recipe is so forgiving, especially for novice bakers. Mix everything, add it to a cake pan, and pop it into the air fryer. It’s virtually impossible to mess up!
• Affordable: It’s made with affordable, pantry staples. You can make this inexpensive recipe often without worrying too much about grocery bills.
• Decadent: If you’re a chocolate lover, this air fryer chocolate cake is calling your name! It’s incredibly rich, moist, and indulgent. To make it even more decadent, serve it with chocolate sauce or ganache.
• Space-saving: Using the air fryer helps you free up oven space for other recipes.
• Smaller: This easy air fryer recipe is a great option when you just want delicious cake for one to four people.

Ingredient notes

Full ingredient quantities and instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• All-purpose flour: All purpose flour is what you need, unless you are sensitive to gluten. If so, use a 1:1 gluten-free blend such as Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur Baking.
• Sugar: Regular granulated sugar works best, but you can also use cane sugar or even some brown sugar if you’d prefer!
• Cocoa powder: If you can, use Dutch-processed cocoa powder for a deeper, more intense chocolatey flavor. But regular, unsweetened cocoa powder will work, too.
• Leavening agents: You will need both baking soda and baking powder to give rise to this air fryer cake.
• Milk: Any milk will do! Regular 2%, skim milk, or your favorite non-dairy milk all add moisture to the cake. If you don’t have any milk, just use all water. 
• Olive oil: Use olive oil for an extra moist cake with rich flavor. But you’ll still have great results with avocado oil, canola oil, or vegetable oil.
• Eggs: Use two large eggs, and let them come to room temperature before starting. 
• Vanilla extract: Use vanilla extract to enhance the chocolate flavor. You can use artificial vanilla, but it’s always worth the splurge to purchase real vanilla!

How to make an air fryer cake

Full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt until they are well combined.
2. Add the milk, olive oil, eggs, and vanilla extract to the dry ingredients. Using a hand mixer, beat the mixture on medium speed for about 3 minutes, or until it appears smooth.
3. Pour in the boiling water and continue to mix the batter on low until just combined.
4. Preheat the air fryer to 325°F. Spray a 6″ bundt pan or 6″ round cake pan with cooking spray. Pour half of the batter into the prepared pan.

5. Place the filled cake pan into the air fryer basket. Bake it for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Leave the pan in the air fryer basket until it’s cool enough to remove.
6. Invert a plate over the top of the cake pan and flip it. Remove the pan, and allow the cake to cool completely.

Storage

For leftover air fryer cake, follow these simple storage tips:

• Room temperature: If unfrosted, you can keep your chocolate cake covered with plastic wrap, aluminum foil, or a cake cover at room temperature for up to 3-4 days.
• Fridge: If you ice it with chocolate sauce or ganache, it’s best to keep the cake in an airtight container in the fridge. It will last for up to a week this way.
• Freezer: Wrap the unfrosted cake in plastic and freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and bring it to room temperature on the countertop when you’re ready to serve more.

Variations

• Peanut butter: For a peanut butter and chocolate flavor, stir a few tablespoons of peanut butter into the batter or the ganache.
• Compote: Try drizzling a raspberry or strawberry compote on top for a balance of rich, sweet, and juicy flavors.
• Mint: Make a mint chocolate air fryer cake by adding a few drops of peppermint extract to the cake batter.
• Chocolate Chips: Stir chocolate chips into the batter to really satisfy those chocolate cravings!
• Mocha: Add a tablespoon of expresso powder or instant coffee to the flour mixture.
• Vegan: Make a vegan variation by replacing the eggs with white vinegar and the milk with almond, cashew, or soy milk.
• Boxed Cake Mix: This homemade cake recipe is really quick and easy (as well as delicious), but you can also use a box cake mix to make an air fryer cake.

Helpful tips

• Use the right pan: You can bake the cake in a bundt pan or a regular cake pan. It will depend on the size of your air fryer, but a six inch cake pan fits perfectly in my 6 quart Gourmia air fryer. There should be enough space for the hot air to flow around the cake while it’s baking.
• Check frequently: Keep an eye on your cake as each air fryer and pan may require slightly different cooking time.
• Toothpick test: Use a toothpick to test if your cake is done. If you poke it in the center of the cake and it comes out clean, it’s ready to go.
• Cool first: Let the cake cool for a few minutes before removing it from the air fryer.
• Preheat: For the most consistent results and even cooking times, it’s best to preheat the air fryer. However, it’s not 100% necessary.
• Avoid overfilling: To prevent a mess in the air fryer, avoid overfilling your cake pan.

Common questions

More delicious chocolate recipes

If you enjoyed this air fryer cake, don’t forget to test out some more of my most popular dessert recipes: