Air Fryer Vanilla Cake

This air fryer vanilla cake is soft, moist, and so easy to make. No need to heat up your whole oven for one perfect little cake.

It comes out with a beautiful golden top and a tender crumb that honestly rivals any oven-baked version. The secret ingredient? A bit of sour cream in the batter.

The vanilla glaze on top keeps things simple but makes it look and taste like something from a bakery. Sweet, smooth, and just the right amount.

Whether you want a small dessert for the family or something easy for a weekend treat, this one checks all the boxes.

Let me walk you through how to make it step by step.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Incredibly Moist and Tender – The sour cream in this batter makes the cake so soft and moist that every bite just melts in your mouth.

Rich Vanilla Flavor – With vanilla in both the cake and the glaze you get a bold and buttery vanilla taste in every single slice.

Looks Absolutely Beautiful – The golden top with vanilla glaze dripping down the sides makes this little cake look like it came from a bakery.

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 1 1/4 cups All-Purpose Flour
• 3/4 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/3 cup Unsalted Butter, melted and slightly cooled
• 2 Large Eggs, room temperature
• 1/2 cup Whole Milk, room temperature
• 2 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
• 1/4 cup Sour Cream

For the Vanilla Glaze

• 1 cup Powdered Sugar
• 2 tbsp Whole Milk
• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

How To Make

Step 1

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt until evenly combined.

Step 2

In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted butter, eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and sour cream until smooth and well blended. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir gently with a spatula until just combined.

Step 3

Do not overmix – a few small lumps are perfectly fine. The sour cream keeps this cake incredibly moist.

Step 4

Grease a 6-inch or 7-inch round cake pan that fits inside your air fryer. Line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper and grease the parchment as well. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with the back of a spoon.

Step 5

Set the air fryer to 310 degrees F. Place the cake pan in the air fryer basket and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Step 6

If the top begins browning too quickly, loosely cover with a small piece of foil for the remaining time.

Step 7

Remove the pan from the air fryer and let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edges, then carefully invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Step 8

While the cake cools, whisk together the powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until smooth and pourable. If the glaze is too thick, add milk a few drops at a time. If too thin, add a bit more powdered sugar.

Step 9

Drizzle the vanilla glaze over the top of the cooled cake, letting it drip naturally down the sides. Allow the glaze to set for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving.

Tips

Use Room Temperature Ingredients

The eggs, milk, and sour cream all need to be at room temperature before you start mixing. Cold ingredients don’t blend together as smoothly, and they can cause the melted butter to seize up into little clumps in the batter.

If you forgot to take them out of the fridge ahead of time, place the eggs in a bowl of warm water for about 10 minutes. For the milk and sour cream, a quick 10-15 seconds in the microwave will do the trick.

Make Sure Your Pan Fits Before You Start

Not every 7-inch pan will fit in every air fryer. Before you even start mixing the batter, place the empty pan inside your air fryer basket and close the lid to make sure it fits with a little room around the edges.

You need some space between the pan and the basket walls so the hot air can circulate around the cake. If the pan is too snug, the outside will overcook while the center stays raw.

A 6-inch pan is usually the safer bet for most air fryers. The cake will just be a bit taller.

Bake at 310 and Don’t Rush It

It might be tempting to bump the temperature up to speed things along, but 310 degrees F is the sweet spot for this cake. Air fryers cook with intense circulating heat, so a lower temperature lets the inside bake through without the outside turning dark and crusty.

If your air fryer only goes in increments of 5 and doesn’t have a 310 setting, go with 300 rather than 315. A slightly lower temperature is always better than a higher one for cakes in the air fryer.

Related Recipes

• Air Fryer Birthday Cake Mug Cakes
• Air Fryer Lemon Blueberry Mini Cakes
• Air Fryer Molten Chocolate Lava Cakes
• Air Fryer Mini Cheesecakes
• Air Fryer Cinnamon Sugar Donut Cakes

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the air fryer temperature so low at 310 degrees F?

Air fryers circulate hot air much more intensely than a regular oven, so cakes bake faster and the outside can brown before the inside is fully cooked. Lowering the temperature to 310 degrees F lets the heat reach the center of the cake more evenly without over-browning the top.

If your air fryer runs hot, you might even try dropping it to 300 degrees F and checking a few minutes early. Every model is a little different, so the first time you make this, keep an eye on it.