You don’t need an OTG to bake a soft, moist cake. This eggless vanilla cake bakes in a 15 cm (6 inch) tin in the air fryer in about 25–30 minutes. It uses curd for softness, so it’s perfect for birthdays, tea-time or a quick weekend bake.
| Prep | 10 min |
| Bake | 25–30 min |
| Temperature | 150–160 °C (300–320 °F) |
| Tin | 15 cm (6 inch) round |
Ingredients
- 1 cup (125 g) maida
- ½ cup (100 g) powdered sugar
- ½ cup (120 g) thick curd, at room temperature
- ¼ cup (60 ml) neutral oil or melted butter
- ¼–⅓ cup milk
- 1 tsp baking powder + ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp vanilla essence and a pinch of salt
Method
- Grease the tin and line the base with parchment.
- Whisk curd and sugar until smooth. Add the baking soda and let it sit for 2–3 minutes until bubbly.
- Whisk in the oil and vanilla.
- Sift in maida, baking powder and salt. Fold gently, adding milk a little at a time until you get a thick, flowing batter. Don’t overmix.
- Pour into the tin and tap it on the counter to release air bubbles.
- Preheat the air fryer to 160 °C for 3 minutes. Bake at 160 °C for 10 minutes, then 150 °C for 15–20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack.
Variations
| Cake | Change |
|---|---|
| Chocolate | Replace 2 tbsp maida with cocoa powder |
| Atta jaggery | Use whole wheat flour and powdered jaggery; add ½ tsp cinnamon |
| Rava (suji) | Use fine rava instead of maida, rest the batter 15 min |
| Cupcakes | See muffins: 160 °C, 12–15 min |
Air fryer baking tips
- Check your tin fits with at least 1–2 cm of space around it for airflow. A 15 cm (6 inch) tin fits most 4 L+ baskets.
- Bake low: 150–160 °C. The element is close to the top, so higher temperatures brown the top before the middle cooks.
- Cover loosely with foil if the top browns too early, and tuck the edges in so the fan can’t lift it.
- Preheat for 3 minutes for a more even rise.
Troubleshooting
- Top cracked or domed: temperature too high. Use 150 °C after the first 10 minutes.
- Raw centre, brown top: cover with foil and continue at 150 °C.
- Dense cake: overmixed batter, or old baking powder.
Frequently asked questions
Can you bake a cake in an air fryer?
Yes. A 15 cm cake bakes in 25–30 minutes at 150–160 °C in most 4 L+ basket air fryers.
What temperature for cake in an air fryer?
150–160 °C (300–320 °F), which is about 20 °C lower than an oven recipe.