Can you bake cupcakes in an air fryer? This is probably a question you’ve asked yourself if you’re an air fryer enthusiast like I am. And after preparing this dish, you’ll understand that the answer is unmistakable YES!
Air fryer cupcakes are ideal for bake sales, birthday celebrations, after-school and sports snacks, or as a sweet treat at any time because they are delectable, individually portioned, and portable (you don’t even need a plate or fork).
Hot cocoa mix and chocolate sauce are combined to give these air fryer cupcakes their rich chocolate flavor.
Serve them simply, lightly sprinkled with powdered sugar, or drenched in a generous amount of your favorite frosting for an extra-special treat.
Ingredients You Need to Make Air Fryer Cupcakes
These eggless air fryer chocolate cupcakes require just a few simple ingredients.
You’ll also need water, sugar, salt, vanilla extract, cacao powder, olive oil, and all-purpose flour.
Baking soda, baking powder, and vinegar are included in this egg-free recipe. You can substitute Dutch-processed cocoa powder for cacao powder if you don’t have any. You can also use vegan butter or butter in place of olive oil.
Iced cupcakes are optional after baking. Either cream cheese or buttercream is required for this. I covered the cake with cream cheese frosting, sprinkles, and grated chocolate.
How to Make Air Fryer Cupcakes?
The air fryer makes it simple to make cupcakes. While making a small batch or when the oven is occupied, it is quite helpful.
Weighing the dry ingredients, such as flour and cacao powder, using a digital kitchen scale is the most important step in making the cupcakes perfectly baked. A filled cup may contain significantly more flour than necessary, resulting in a thicker batter and dry cupcakes.
The mixing bowl of a stand mixer should contain both the dry ingredients and the wet ones. If using a hand mixer or blender, you can use any other bowl.
Now, while increasing the speed from 1 to 6, use the wire attachment to combine all the ingredients into a smooth batter. This could take three to five minutes.
Fill silicone cupcake molds with batter until they are about 3/4 full. Put them in the basket of the air fryer. The air fryer doesn’t need to be preheated, but once it is, the air fryer basket will be extremely hot, making it challenging to place the molds.
At 320°F, air fry the cupcakes for 12 minutes. When finished, use a butter knife or toothpick to test for doneness. You can air fry the cupcakes for a further minute or two depending on your test results.
As opposed to when they are baked in the oven, the top of the cupcake may have a somewhat dryer texture. Don’t worry; the cupcakes will become moist from the top once they have completely cooled.
Additionally, you’ll see that the cupcakes have an uneven form. The airflow in the air fryer is to blame for that. Before icing or serving them, let them cool completely on a cooling rack.
You might need to bake the cupcakes in many batches depending on the capacity of your air fryer.
Substitutes
Simple pantry staples are used to make these air fryer cupcakes. They are vegan, and if you’d like, you can omit or change a few ingredients.
| Butter | You can substitute butter or vegan butter for the olive oil, but the results will be a little denser. |
| Cocoa Powder | If you don’t have cacao powder, you may use cocoa powder instead; just make sure it’s Dutch-processed and of high quality. |
Serving suggestions
This is an air-fried vegan chocolate cupcake. You may eat it plain or top it with cream cheese or buttercream frosting. You might also top it with some chocolate or caramel sauce.
As an additional simple and quick garnish for this delectable cupcake, make a chocolate ganache using heavy cream and chocolate chips. It’s simple to prepare these cupcakes for children’s birthday celebrations.
They can use their favorite frostings, icings, and sprinkles to adorn their cupcakes however they see fit. They’ll undoubtedly prefer the cupcakes more.
Equipment
These chocolate cupcakes can be prepared in any air fryer, basket style, or with a tray.
I made them in the Instant Vortex Plus air fryer. You might need to bake the cupcakes in many batches, depending on the capacity of your air fryer.
Additionally, I’ve used silicone cupcakes with tabs, which make it very simple to put the cupcakes in the air fryer basket and take them out again. By coating it with paper cupcake liners, you may use a muffin pan that fits in the air fryer.
To blend all the components into a smooth batter, a stand mixer is a definite asset. The use of a hand mixer or blender is also an option. The 5 qt. KitchenAid bowl lift stand mixer is one that I have used.
How to Store Air Fryer Cupcakes?
Cupcakes made of chocolate can be kept for two to three days at room temperature. The cupcakes may become a little bit dry if you put them in the refrigerator.
Once they have cooled completely, they can also be frozen for a month. They can be defrosted at room temperature before being frosted with your preferred frosting.
Variations
Here’re some ideas that can enhance the taste of your cupcakes.
- Sprinkle Powdered Sugar on Top. For a delicious dessert that is a little less decadent, sprinkle powdered sugar on top.
- Replace the icing with your preferred taste. Frosting from the store is a convenient shortcut.
- Add Candy or Sprinkles, after icing the cupcakes, add sprinkles, nuts, or candy pieces on top.
Tips and Tricks to Make Air Fryer Cupcakes
- Butter and eggs should be at room temperature before use to ensure a smoother batter.
- For the most precise measures, dispense dry ingredients into a measuring cup and level the top with a knife.
- To pour the batter into the baking cups without making a mess, use an ice cream or cookie scoop.
- Ensure that there is just one layer of cupcakes in the air fryer basket. As required, cook in batches.
- To make removing the cupcakes from the silicone baking cups simple, line them with paper liners.
- Before icing, let the cupcakes cool completely on a wire rack.
- According to the manufacturer and model, air fryer temperatures can change. Check for doneness after the suggested cooking time, and make necessary adjustments.
How Long Do Cupcakes Take to Bake?
It only takes 12 minutes to make air fryer cupcakes. I love how quickly the air fryer can make cupcakes and recommend making them in the morning and piping them in the afternoon.
The temperature of the air fryer cupcakes should be 160c/320f. This is because you don’t want the tops of your cupcakes to burn, which is quite simple to accomplish with the way food cooks in an air fryer.
How Do You Pipe Cupcakes?
After following any buttercream recipe, create the frosting and pipe it onto your chilled cupcakes.
- This is a really simple procedure, and once completed, you can rinse and repeat.
- Begin by placing a piping bag over a glass with the nozzle already in place. Then add all of your buttercreams.
- Then take it out of the glass and tightly twist it around, using a peg to keep it in place. Then, using the scissors, cut around 1.5 cm off the bottom to let the buttercream escape.
- Then, while holding the piping bag in place, pipe the buttercream onto the cupcakes.
Conclusion
- The cupcakes tend to brown more quickly in the air fryer since it bakes from the top and has a smaller chamber. The temperature at which you bake cupcakes must be lower than it would be if you were using a larger oven.
- You will need to bake the recipe’s 12–13 cupcakes in batches. Up to nine cupcakes can fit in my air fryer at once. But I divided them into two groups.
- Given that the air fryer is already hot, the second batch often cooks more quickly than the first.
- I’ve baked in both preheated and unheated air fryers. The cupcakes prepared in the unheated air fryer just took a minute longer to bake. Air fryers, however, are unique. Checking should begin at least two minutes before the allotted baking time when using yours.