Almost every household has an air fryer in their kitchen. It’s like a “multi-purpose helper” for frying French fries, roasting chicken wings, and baking nuts. But many people ask the same question: Can you make cakes in an air fryer? After all, most people think of cakes as baked in an oven. Today, I’ll use common household ingredients to test the feasibility of making cakes in an air fryer. The steps are super simple, even beginners can understand them.How to Tell if Food is Cooked in an Air Fryer
First, prepare the ingredients. No need for complicated ingredients; these are all easily found in supermarkets: 3 eggs, 50g low-gluten flour, 30g sugar, 30ml milk, 20g butter, and a pinch of salt. The tools you’ll need are the air fryer, a large bowl, a small bowl, and an egg beater. If you don’t have an egg beater, you can use chopsticks, it just takes a bit more effort—consider it an arm workout!Can an air fryer still be used if the coating is peeling off?
Step one: Prepare the eggs. Separate the egg yolks and egg whites into two clean bowls. Make sure the bowl for the egg whites is free of water and oil, otherwise it will be difficult to whip them. Next, add 10 grams of sugar to the egg yolks, pour in the milk and melted butter, and add a pinch of salt for flavor. Stir well with chopsticks. Then sift in the cake flour and continue stirring until a smooth batter forms without any lumps. Be gentle in this step; don’t beat it like you would with eggs, or the cake won’t be fluffy.Air Fryer Sweet Potato Roasting Temperature and Time
The second step is whipping the egg whites. This is a crucial and most laborious step in making a cake. Add a few drops of lemon juice to the egg whites (or a little white vinegar if you don’t have lemon juice), and then start whipping. Begin on low speed, and when small bubbles appear, add 10 grams of sugar; continue whipping until the bubbles become finer, then add another 10 grams of sugar; finally, stop whipping when you lift the whisk and can form stiff peaks. If you whip for too long, the egg whites will become curdled, and the cake will be ruined. Many beginners fail because they don’t do this step correctly; just remember the “stiff peaks” mark.
The third step is to combine the batter and egg whites. Pour half of the whipped egg whites into the egg yolk mixture, gently folding it in like you’re stir-frying vegetables, not stirring in a circular motion, as this will break the air bubbles in the egg whites. Once evenly mixed, pour the combined batter back into the remaining egg whites and continue folding in using the same method until no white streaks are visible.
Step 4: Prepare the air fryer. Line the air fryer basket with parchment paper or brush it with butter to prevent the cake from sticking. Pour the batter into the basket and gently tap it a few times to release any large air bubbles. Then set the air fryer temperature to 160 degrees Celsius and the time to 25 minutes. Note that the temperature may vary slightly between different brands of air fryers; if unsure, set it for 20 minutes first, then check to see if the cake is cooked.
While waiting, you’ll smell a faint aroma of cake. After the time is up, don’t remove the cake immediately; let it sit for 5 minutes to prevent it from collapsing. After removing the cake from the air fryer, insert a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, it’s done. Let it cool completely before slicing. The inside will be soft, fluffy, and sweet, almost indistinguishable from an oven-baked cake.
Here are two more tips: First, air fryers heat unevenly. If the cake surface browns too quickly, cover it with aluminum foil. Second, don’t make cakes that are too large. The air fryer basket should be the perfect size; otherwise, the inside won’t bake through. Many families have successfully made small cakes and cupcakes in their air fryers, without needing to preheat, saving time compared to an oven.
Therefore, an air fryer can absolutely make cakes. As long as you master the techniques of whipping egg whites and folding the batter, even beginners can succeed on their first try. You don’t need to buy a special oven; you can enjoy homemade, fluffy cakes with your existing air fryer. They’re perfect for breakfast with coffee or as an afternoon snack. Go ahead and try it with your air fryer! Don’t worry if you fail initially; you’ll get the hang of it after a few tries.