Super Easy Air Fryer Cake
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Air Fryer Cake is incredibly easy to make! Prepped in 10 minutes and baked in 30, I’m using cake mix to make it even easier. Light, fluffy, and full of rich chocolate flavor, you’re going to want to keep this air fryer cake recipe on hand for birthday parties, sleepovers, holidays, and more!
Air Fryer Cake
It’s no secret that I love cooking and baking — I wouldn’t have this blog if I didn’t!
But just like everyone else, sometimes I don’t feel like spending hours on end in the kitchen.
For lazy moments like those, I rely heavily on my slow cooker, Instant Pot, and air fryer.
While I often use my air fryer to make homemade potato chips and fries, it also really comes in handy when I have an event to go to (or I’m having people over) and I need to whip up a dessert FAST.
I’ve already used it to make oatmeal cookies, apple hand pies, and s’mores, which made me wonder… can you bake a cake in an air fryer?
The answer is yes, you can make air fryer cake!
You can use this recipe with any type of boxed cake mix you’d like — I’m doing chocolate cake because it’s Chad and Munchkin’s favorite.
You’ll need minimal ingredients to make it, plus you’ll find my recipe for homemade chocolate frosting too.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
- Cake Mix – As mentioned, I’m using chocolate cake mix… by Betty Crocker to be exact. Feel free to use your favorite brand and flavor.
The sky is the limit with this air fryer cake recipe! - Water, Vegetable Oil & Eggs – All boxed cake mixes are different, but most require water, vegetable oil, and eggs to form the batter.
Be sure to carefully read the directions on yours to determine exactly what you’ll need. - Butter – You’ll need 1 stick of softened butter to make the homemade frosting. Opt for unsalted for this recipe.
- Powdered Sugar – I like using powdered sugar instead of granulated as it guarantees a super smooth texture for the frosting.
- Cocoa Powder & Vanilla – To add flavor to the frosting, I use cocoa powder and pure vanilla extract.
- Heavy Cream – Also for that frosting! You can use half-and-half if you’d like, or even whole milk in a pinch.
Tips and Tricks to Make Cake in Air Fryer
- All air fryers are different.
Not all air fryers are created equally! I found that with my model, 320°F was the perfect temperature to bake an air fryer cake.
Keep an eye on your cake in air fryer as it bakes — at around the 15-minute mark, check to see if it’s browning too quickly. If it is, cover it with a bit of foil.
You may have to experiment a little bit to determine the proper temp and cooking time!
- Prep the baking dish with care.
I like to prep my baking dish with a combination of air fryer-safe cooking spray and parchment paper.
I find that when I use both, I don’t have to worry about any sticking.
I think we’ve all had moments when we neglected to use spray and parchment… things can quickly get messy (and fall apart), so take the extra few minutes to prep!
- Be patient and let your cake cool!
I recommend leaving your air fryer cake recipe in the pan for at least 15 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack.
This allows it to set completely and cool a bit before adding the homemade frosting!
Speaking of frosting, if you have a very warm kitchen, feel free to place the cake in the fridge or the freezer to chill before adding it. It’s so much easier to frost this way!
- Add the frosting ingredients slowly.
I only add half of the powdered sugar to the other ingredients at a time to prevent mess. I find that if I do it all at once, most of it goes flying out of the bowl as I mix!
Prep Ahead
- Preheat the air fryer to 320°F
- Prep the baking pan with cooking spray and parchment paper
- Leave the butter out to soften
Kitchen Tools You Will Need
- Air Fryer – Remember, different brands and sizes may require different cooking times, so be familiar with your model and make adjustments as needed.
- Mixing Bowls – I like to have a variety of sizes on hand, and this set has them all.
- Electric Hand Mixer – I’ve had this one in my kitchen forever, and it still works beautifully.
- 7-inch round baking pan lined with parchment paper.
- Offset Spatula – This spatula has so many uses and is perfect for smoothing the frosting on top of your air fryer cake.
Serving Suggestions
I like double chocolate cake, which is why I’m using homemade chocolate frosting.
You could also use this pumpkin spice latte version for a fun fall treat, decadent Butterfinger-inspired brownie frosting, or my creamy and light Italian meringue buttercream instead!
Storing, Freezing, and Reheating
Leftovers will keep in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-5 days. Storing it in the fridge extends its shelf life!
You can also freeze the cake (without frosting!) for up to 2-3 months. Let it cool completely before placing it in a freezer-safe airtight container.
Let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating it.
Use your microwave or air fryer at 300°F to reheat — if using the microwave, reheat in 30-second bursts until warmed through. It will take about 3-5 minutes in the air fryer.
Air Fryer Cake Recipe FAQ
Now you know… you absolutely can bake a cake in the air fryer! It’s almost the same process as baking with a full-size oven, but with the added benefit of a quicker preheating time — typically around 3 minutes. Once preheated, the cake requires only about 30 minutes of baking time.
No, you don’t need to use an air fryer-specific cake tin to make my recipe. As long as it’s heat-resistant and can fit in the air fryer, it’s fair game!
My air fryer cake was ready to go after about 30 minutes. That said, you may need to experiment with yours to determine the perfect cooking time. Remember to check in on it after about 15 minutes to make sure it isn’t browning too quickly, and add some tin foil on top if needed.
Enjoy!
With love, from our simple kitchen to yours.
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Super Easy Air Fryer Cake
Ingredients
Cake:
- 1 box, 15.25 oz cake mix, I used Betty Crockers Milk Chocolate
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 3 large eggs
Frosting:
- 1/2 cup softened butter, 1 stick
- 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 3 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Cake:
- Preheat the air fryer at 350 degrees F. for 3 minutes.
- Coat a 7-inch baking pan with cooking spray and line it with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl with a hand mixer, mix the cake mix, water, olive oil, and eggs. Mix until all ingredients are combined. Don’t over-mix.
- Pour the cake mixture into the prepared pan.
- Place the filled pan in the heated air fryer basket.
- Bake in the air fryer at 320 degrees F. for 25-30 minutes
- *NOTE* At 15 minutes check the cake and if it is browning too fast, cover it with aluminum foil. Make sure to tuck the foil in so it doesn’t fly around.
- Once the cake is completely cooled, you insert a toothpick and it comes out clean, take it out of the air fryer.
- Leave it in the pan to cool for 15 minutes then transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Frosting: (While the cake is cooling, make the frosting)
- Cream the butter, about half of the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, cream, and vanilla extract in a large bowl with a hand mixer. Mix well.
- Add the remaining of the powdered sugar. *NOTE* I don’t add all the powdered sugar at once so it doesn’t fly everywhere.
- Once the cake is completely cooled, place it on a serving dish.
- Add the frosting on top of the cake.
- Carefully spread the frosting evenly with an off-set spatula.
- Add your favorite sweet topping on top of the cake. I like sprinkles
- Serve and Enjoy!
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe’s nutritional value will vary depending on the ingredients used, measuring methods, and portion sizes.
Originally published February 2024
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So simple but the flavor was amazing!!!