Cook A Tasty Carrot Cake In Your Air Fryer

The versatility of my air fryer continues to impress me. After the success of making some banana bread in it, I decided to test out our favourite carrot cake recipe.

For this recipe, you will either need an air fryer accessory cake tin or find a suitable oven-safe dish that will fit in your air fryer.

Side Note: I have recently updated this recipe to test it in a different air fryer. I originally cooked it in a Phillips air fryer, but have more recently cooked it in a Cosori air fryer. The difference between the two is it took about 15 minutes longer to cook in the Cosori – so always keep an eye on your cake as it cooks in an air fryer for the first time, they all cook at different rates depending on the model, size and type of baking tin you are using.

What You Need To Make Air Fryer Carrot Cake

For more consice instructions, or to print out this recipe please head to the recipe card at the bottom of the page.

• 140g soft brown sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 140g butter
• 1 orange, zest & juice
• 200g self-raising flour
• 1tsp ground cinnamon
• 175g grated carrot, (approx 2 medium carrots)
• 60g sultanas
• baking tin – I used a round 18.cm spring form tin (7cm depth)

Making It

The batter for the carrot cake is prepared in the same way as normal. In a bowl, cream together the butter and sugar before slowly adding in the beaten eggs.

Add the flour, a little bit at a time, mixing it as you go. Add the orange juice and zest, grated carrots and sultanas. Gently mix all the ingredients together.

Grease the baking tin (I used a round 18.cm spring form tin, 7cm depth) and pour the mixture in.

Place the baking tin in the air fryer basket and cook for 30 – 45 minutes at 175°C. Remember to check on it at 30 minutes, if the outside is cooking too quickly cover the cake with some foil for the remaining cooking time – just make sure it is secured down so that it doesn’t fly up into the heating element.

Check and see if the cake has cooked – use a cocktail stick or metal skewer to poke in the middle. If it comes out wet then cook it for a little longer. Remember all air fryers cook at a different rate so keep an eye on it the first time you make it.

Remove the baking tin from the air fryer basket and allow to cool for 10 minutes before removing from the tin.

You can either serve the carrot cake as it is or ice it with some simple buttercream:

• 130g butter
• 270g icing sugar
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Zest of 1 orange for garnish

Mix it all together (use an electric whisk if you have one) until fluffy. If the mixture is too dry add a teaspoon or two of warm water.

You can pretty much adapt any cake recipe to make in the air fryer, just remember to check if you need to reduce the volumes to fit. I usually cook my cakes at 175°C, and for this carrot cake, I left it to cook for 45 minutes. I had to cover the tin with some foil at 30 minutes to stop the outside from cooking to quickly.

I love that I can make a cake in the air fryer and not heat up the whole kitchen because I need the oven on. It’s so simple.

I hope you enjoyed this air fryer carrot cake recipe, let me know in the comments if you make it! If you love baking you might like to try my apple crumble in an air fryer or my air fryer bread recipe.