Instant Pots, pressure cookers and air fryers are the latest kitchen gadgets popping up on every wedding registry and home cooks wish list, and with good reason. People are loving the convenience of spending less time in the kitchen and the freedom to try new dishes with less effort and mess. But did you know this applies to your favourite bakes too? You can bake a cake in an Instant Pot or air fryer and we’re going to tell you how.

Baking cakes in an air fryer

You might be wondering are air fryers good for cakes? You’ll be pleased to know that this wonder machine can also be used to make your favourite bakes too.

Do I need special equipment to bake in my air fryer?

The answer is no. You can use the same oven-safe bakeware you would use in your oven, in an air fryer as long as it fits.

If you don’t have anything that quite works, this all-in-one accessory set from Taurus has everything you could possibly need to bake the perfect cake in your machine and so much more. This set can be used in any air fryer that it fits into, and it works with machines as small as 2.5L.

Recipes for air fryer cakes

You can easily convert standard oven recipes to create bakes in your air fryer. Here are the general rules:

1. Lower the cooking temperature

To adjust the temperature of a regular recipe to one for an air fryer, simply reduce the heat called for in the recipe by about 15°C. If the recipe calls for 180°C set your air fryer to 165°C

2. Reduce baking time

An air fryer cooks food faster because of its compact internal size that lets heat reach the food quicker. This means your bake will take less time than in a large oven. To adjust an oven recipe for the air fryer, reduce the suggested cooking time by 20%. An example would be a 20-minute bake reduced to 16 minutes. Use this free super simple online tool to work out the new time.

3. Check for doneness every now and then

Just like when you’re baking in an oven, use the pause button on your air fryer to check for readiness and even cooking. Rotate the baking dish to ensure an even bake.

If adjusting a recipe feels like too much work, there are so many recipes online specially developed for air fryer bakes. Check some out here

Baking cakes in an Instant Pot or pressure cooker

Can you bake in an Instant Pot? Yes is the answer. Some of the best instant pot cake recipes are available online, tried and tested by die-hard fans. Find your favourite here

Moist chocolate cakes are a favourite bake and fans say they turn out moist and fudgy thanks to the Instant Pot and the way that it will essentially steam your cake.

The downside of Instant Pot or pressure cooker cakes

The thing is that a cake won’t bake in a pressure cooker like it would in an oven or air fryer. Your cake will essentially steam, resulting in a very moist cake with no crispness on the outside.

If you want a more traditional bake in your machine, consider going for a dual-purpose Instant Pot like the Duo Crisp that offers a bake function.

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