How to Bake a Cake in an Air Fryer

Last reviewed on 8 June 2026.

Yes, you can bake a real cake in an air fryer — sponges, loaf cakes, muffins, and even cheesecake all work. The trick is a lower temperature than the oven, a tin that fits with room for air to move, and knowing how to test for doneness when you can't always see the top. Here is exactly how to do it.

Can You Bake a Cake in an Air Fryer?

Yes — and it works better than most people expect. The air fryer's powerful convection heat makes it genuinely capable of baking a wide range of cakes and baked goods from scratch. The key is understanding its quirks so you can work with them rather than against them.

Cakes That Work Well

The following all bake successfully in a standard basket-style air fryer:

• Victoria sponge and butter cakes — classic layer sponges bake evenly and rise well in a 6–7 inch tin
• Loaf cakes — lemon drizzle, marble cake, and fruit loaf all fit a small loaf tin comfortably
• Muffins and cupcakes — silicone cases or a lined muffin tin produce light, domed results in under 20 minutes
• Brownies — the fierce circulating heat creates a crackly top and a fudgy centre
• Banana bread — works beautifully in a small loaf tin; the crust caramelises nicely
• Baked cheesecake — a small springform pan fits most baskets; cook low and slow for a smooth set
• Mug cakes — oven-safe ramekins or mugs cook a single portion in under 12 minutes

Size Limitations to Be Aware Of

The main constraint is the basket itself. Most compact basket-style air fryers will accommodate a 6-inch or 7-inch round tin, a 2 lb loaf tin, or a standard muffin tray — but not much larger. A full two-layer celebration cake, a 9-inch round, or a deep bundt pan simply won't fit.

If you regularly want to bake bigger cakes, an oven-style air fryer (the kind with a pull-down or swing-open door and wire rack shelves) offers considerably more interior space and can often accommodate a standard 8-inch tin or even a full 12-cup muffin tray. Many oven-style models can also bake two items simultaneously on different shelves.

Temperature: Lower Than You Think

Getting the temperature right is the single most important adjustment when baking cakes in an air fryer. A conventional oven recipe tells you to bake at around 180°C/350°F — but if you use that temperature in an air fryer, the top of your cake will be dark and sometimes burnt while the centre is still liquid.

The ~20°C / 35°F Reduction Rule

Air fryers circulate hot air with a powerful fan in a very small enclosed space. That combination transfers heat to food far more aggressively than the still or gently convected air inside a conventional oven. As a rule of thumb, reduce the temperature by roughly 20°C (about 35°F) when converting any standard cake recipe for the air fryer. So a recipe that calls for 180°C/350°F becomes approximately 160°C/320°F in the air fryer.

For delicate items — a classic sponge that must stay pale, or a baked cheesecake that needs to set without cracking — go a step lower still: 150°C/300°F with a slightly longer baking time gives a gentler, more controlled cook.

The same principle applies to any baked or roasted recipe you want to adapt. For a full breakdown — including how much to reduce time as well as temperature — see our guide to converting oven recipes to the air fryer. If you need to switch between Celsius, Fahrenheit, and Gas Mark, our temperature conversion chart has you covered.

Why You Cannot Just Guess

Because the heating element in most basket air fryers sits directly above the food, the top surface of a cake is exposed to radiant heat as well as circulating hot air. This is great for crunch on chips or chicken skin, but it means a cake top can set and brown in minutes. Once the top is set, steam from the rising batter cannot escape — it domes and may crack (more on this in the troubleshooting section). Dropping the temperature gives the interior time to catch up with the exterior.

Tins, Moulds, and Preparation

Choosing the Right Tin

The tin must fit inside your basket with a 1–2 cm gap on all sides so hot air can circulate underneath and around it. Tins that sit flush against the basket wall block airflow and create cold spots on that side of the cake.

Good options include:

• 6-inch or 7-inch round cake tin — the most versatile choice for sponges, tortes, and cheesecakes. A 6-inch tin fits most standard 3.5–5 litre baskets with room to spare.
• Small loaf tin (approx. 18 × 9 cm / 7 × 3.5 inches) — ideal for banana bread, lemon drizzle, and pound cake
• Springform or push-pan tin — essential for cheesecake so you can remove it cleanly; check that the latch handle does not prevent the basket from closing
• Silicone moulds and cupcake cases — flexible and non-stick; place them on the air fryer's crisper plate or a small trivet for stability
• Oven-safe ramekins — perfect for individual mug cakes and molten puddings

Not sure whether your existing tins and dishes are safe to use? Our air fryer bakeware guide covers which materials work, which to avoid, and how to check your specific tin.

Greasing, Lining, and Filling

Prepare your tin just as you would for a conventional oven: grease the sides and base, then line the base with a disc of baking parchment. For loaf cakes or brownies, line the sides as well — this makes lifting the finished cake out of a hot basket much easier and safer.

Do not fill your tin more than two-thirds full. The air fryer's strong upward airflow can cause batter to over-rise and spill, and a very full tin also takes longer to cook through in the centre. If you have excess batter, bake it as a separate muffin or smaller cake rather than overfilling the tin.

Baking Times by Cake Type

The times below are starting-point guides — actual times vary by air fryer model, tin material, and the density of your batter. Always test doneness with a skewer rather than relying on time alone (see the doneness section below).

Cake	Temp	Time	Notes
Victoria sponge / butter cake (6–7" tin)	160°C / 320°F	25–35 min	Cover with foil after 15 min if top is darkening. Check with skewer at 25 min.
Loaf cake (e.g. lemon drizzle, fruit loaf)	160°C / 320°F	30–40 min	Deep shape takes longer; skewer should reach centre cleanly before removing.
Muffins / cupcakes	160°C / 320°F	12–18 min	Small size cooks fast — start checking at 12 min. Rotate tray halfway if uneven.
Brownies (lined tin)	160°C / 320°F	18–25 min	For fudgy brownies, a slightly sticky skewer is fine; for cakey, wait for a clean pull.
Banana bread	160°C / 320°F	30–40 min	High sugar content browns quickly; tent with foil from around 20 min if needed.
Baked cheesecake	150°C / 300°F	25–35 min then chill	Centre should still have a slight wobble when removed. Chill at least 3 hours before serving.
Mug cake (ramekin)	180°C / 355°F	8–12 min	Small mass so higher temp is fine; check at 8 min — rubbery if overdone.

How to Tell When Your Cake Is Done

Because the top of a cake in an air fryer can look done — or even over-done — while the centre is still liquid, you cannot judge doneness by appearance alone. Always use one or more of the following tests.

The Skewer Test

Insert a wooden skewer or toothpick into the thickest part of the centre. Pull it straight out after 3–4 seconds. A clean skewer with no wet batter clinging to it means the cake is done. A few moist crumbs are acceptable for brownies and dense loaves; wet batter means it needs more time. This is the most reliable method and the one to default to when in doubt.

The Spring-Back Test

Press the top surface of the cake gently with one finger — it should spring back immediately. If the indent stays, the structure has not set and the cake needs longer. This works well for sponge cakes and muffins but is less reliable for very dense cakes like brownies.

Edges Pulling from the Tin

A fully baked cake naturally shrinks slightly as it cools, pulling away from the sides of the tin. If you can see a small gap all around between the cake edge and the tin wall, that is a positive sign the cake is cooked through.

Internal Temperature (Optional)

If you have an instant-read thermometer, the internal temperature of a fully baked sponge or loaf cake should read 96–99°C (205–210°F) at the centre. This is especially useful for thick loaf cakes where the skewer test is harder to interpret.

Troubleshooting Common Problems

Top Browns or Burns Before the Centre Is Cooked

This is the most common air fryer baking problem and happens because the heating element sits above the basket, blasting heat directly onto the exposed top surface. There are two solutions: first, loosely tent a piece of foil over the tin once the top has taken on the colour you want (usually around the halfway point). Press the foil down lightly around the rim of the tin so it cannot be blown off by the fan — do not rest anything heavy on top of the cake. Second, drop your temperature by a further 10°C and extend the bake time slightly. The combination of both fixes — foil tent plus slightly lower temperature — solves even stubborn over-browning.

Why Does My Cake Crack on Top?

A cracked top is almost always a sign that the temperature is too high. When heat is too intense, the outer surface of the cake sets before the interior has finished rising. The batter underneath continues to expand and pushes through the set crust, forcing a crack. The fix is to lower the temperature by 10–15°C from whatever you used. A very slight dome is normal and desirable in sponge cakes; a dramatic split running down the centre of a loaf cake is the tell-tale sign of excessive heat.

Raw or Wet Centre

If the outside of the cake is fully cooked and the very centre is still liquid or gooey (beyond what is intended for brownies), the usual cause is a temperature that is too high. High heat sets the outer shell quickly, insulating the centre from further cooking. The solution: lower the temperature, increase the bake time, and consider using a slightly wider and shallower tin so the batter layer is thinner and heat can reach the centre more easily. Also check that you have not overfilled the tin.

Cake Sank in the Middle

A sunken centre almost always means the cake was disturbed or removed too early. Opening the air fryer basket during the first two-thirds of the bake causes a sudden temperature drop and can collapse a partially set rise. If you need to check, do it quickly and only after the two-thirds mark. Also double-check that your leavening agent (baking powder or bicarbonate of soda) is fresh — stale leavening produces a weak rise that cannot support the structure as the cake sets.

Dense or Rubbery Texture

Dense, gummy, or rubbery cake is almost always a mixing issue rather than a temperature or timing problem. Overmixing after the flour has been added develops too much gluten, making the crumb tough. Fold dry ingredients in gently with a large metal spoon or spatula, stopping as soon as you see the last traces of flour disappear. Overbaking can also tighten the crumb — take the cake out as soon as the skewer comes clean.

Tips for Better Air Fryer Cakes

These practical habits make a consistent difference across all cake types.

• Preheat for 3 minutes. Unlike many air fryer recipes that can go in cold, cakes benefit from a preheated chamber. A 3-minute preheat at your target temperature gives a consistent starting environment and helps the batter rise evenly from the first minute.
• Do not open the basket in the first two-thirds of the bake. Every time you open the basket, heat escapes and the internal temperature drops. This is harmless once the structure has set, but in the early and middle stages of baking it can cause the cake to collapse. Set a timer and resist the urge to peek.
• Rotate if your model browns unevenly. Some air fryers have hotter spots on one side due to the fan position. If you notice one edge of your cakes consistently darker than the other, rotate the tin 180° at the two-thirds mark. Do it swiftly to minimise heat loss.
• Let the cake cool in the tin for 10 minutes. The cake continues to set as it cools and is fragile straight out of the air fryer. Leave it in the tin on a wire rack for at least 10 minutes before turning out. This also makes it easier to handle without burning yourself on the basket.
• Make notes on your first bake. Write down the model, tin size, temperature, and exact time. Air fryers vary enough between brands and models that a recipe that needs 28 minutes in one machine may need 33 in another. Your notes from the first bake are the most useful reference for every subsequent one.
• Use room-temperature ingredients. Cold butter or eggs can cause the batter to split or mix unevenly. Take dairy and eggs out of the fridge 30–60 minutes before you start — this applies just as much to air fryer baking as to conventional oven baking.