Air Fryer Pound Cake
Air fryer pound cake is a small, buttery sponge with a fine crumb and a golden top, made from a handful of store-cupboard ingredients. The original pound cake used a pound each of butter, sugar, eggs and flour, which is far too much for an air fryer, so this version is scaled down to fit a 15cm tin. It needs 35 minutes in the basket, plus time to cool before you slice it.
- Total
- 2 h 3 min
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 38 min
- Serves
- 6
- Per serving
- 300kcal
Getting the batter right for air fryer pound cake
Pound cake relies on the butter, so the texture depends on creaming. Soft butter, at room temperature, whisked with the sugar for a full 3–4 minutes traps the air that lifts the sponge. The eggs should also be at room temperature, because cold eggs cause the mixture to curdle. With only 125g of flour and no raising agent beyond ½ tsp baking powder, the crumb is fine and moist, not fluffy.
Making air fryer pound cake
Tap a time to start a timer.
- Prepare the tin Grease the tin with a little butter and line the base and sides with baking paper. Check that the tin fits in the basket with at least 1cm to spare all round. Preheat the air fryer to 160°C for .
- Cream the butter and sugar Beat the butter and sugar with the hand whisk for until pale and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding 1 tbsp of the flour with each to stop the mixture curdling, then beat in the vanilla.
- Fold in the flour Sift the remaining flour, baking powder and salt over the bowl. Fold in gently with a spatula until no streaks of flour remain. Do not overmix, or the cake will be tough.
- Fill the tin Spoon the batter into the tin, level the top and tap the tin once on the worktop to knock out large air bubbles.
- Bake Make a foil sling by folding a long strip of foil, and use it to lower the tin into the basket. Cook at 160°C for . If the top is a deep golden brown after , cover it loosely with foil tucked under the rim. The cake is done when a skewer comes out clean.
- Cool Leave the cake in the tin for , then lift it onto a wire rack. Let it cool completely, about 1 hour, before slicing.
Slicing, serving and changing the flavour
Cool slices are neater than warm ones, so wait the full hour. A slice goes well with a cup of tea. For a brighter flavour, see the air fryer lemon cake, or look at the full-size oven version in pound cake if you are baking for a crowd.
Common problems and fixes for Air Fryer Pound Cake
- The mixture curdles and looks split after adding the eggs.
- Cold eggs or butter are the usual cause. Use room-temperature ingredients and add a spoonful of the flour with each egg, then carry on beating, because the cake will still bake well.
- The top is dark but the middle is still raw.
- The fan is browning the top faster than the heat penetrates. Cover the cake loosely with foil after 20 minutes and cook for the rest of the time at 160°C.
- The cake is dense and heavy.
- The flour was probably overmixed or the butter and sugar were not beaten long enough. Cream for a full 3–4 minutes, then fold the flour only until it disappears.
Frequently asked questions about Air Fryer Pound Cake
How long does it take to cook a cake in the air fryer?
A 15cm cake takes 30–35 minutes at 160°C. Test it with a skewer, which should come out clean, and cook for another 3–5 minutes if there is wet batter on it.
Can I use a bigger tin?
Only if it leaves 1cm of space all round in your basket. Larger cakes also need a lower temperature and a longer time, so stick to a tin of 15–16cm for this amount of batter.
How should I store it?
Keep it in an airtight tin for up to 3 days. You can also wrap individual slices tightly and freeze them for up to 3 months, then defrost at room temperature.
Can I add flavours to the cake?
Yes. Replace the vanilla with the finely grated zest of one lemon, or fold in 50g of dried fruit, tossed in a little flour so it does not sink.
How did you like the recipe?
4.7 / 5 · 52 ratings
