Air Fryer Cinnamon Sugar Donut Cakes

There’s something about cinnamon sugar that just makes everything better. These air fryer cinnamon sugar donut cakes are a perfect example of that.

They’re basically little cakes that taste like fresh donuts from a bakery. Soft and fluffy on the inside, coated in buttery cinnamon sugar on the outside.

You don’t need any fancy equipment or hard-to-find ingredients. Just some flour, sugar, milk, butter, an egg, and a few spices. Simple stuff you probably already have at home.

The air fryer does all the heavy lifting here. In about 10 minutes you get golden little cakes that are ready to be coated and eaten.

This is one of those recipes that works great for breakfast, snack time, or whenever you just want a little something sweet. It’s easy, quick, and always a hit.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

No Deep Frying Needed – You get that classic cinnamon sugar donut taste without heating up a giant pot of oil. Your air fryer does all the heavy lifting, and you skip the greasy mess entirely.

Ready in Minutes – These donut cakes come together super fast because the air fryer cooks them quickly and you don’t have to wait for oil to heat up or an oven to preheat. From mixing to coating, you can have warm donut cakes in your hands in about 15 to 20 minutes.

Lighter Than Traditional Donuts – Since these are air fried instead of deep fried, they soak up way less oil. You still get a rich, buttery donut experience, but without that heavy, greasy feeling you sometimes get from fried donuts.

Only Basic Pantry Ingredients – Flour, sugar, butter, an egg, milk, cinnamon, and nutmeg. That is literally it. You probably have everything you need in your kitchen right now without making a grocery run.

Ingredients

For the Cakes

• 3/4 cup All-Purpose Flour
• 1/3 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp Ground Nutmeg
• 1/3 cup Whole Milk
• 1 Large Egg
• 2 tbsp Melted Butter
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract

For the Coating

• 3 tbsp Melted Butter
• 1/3 cup Granulated Sugar
• 1 tbsp Ground Cinnamon

How to Make

Step 1

In a bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. In another bowl, whisk together milk, egg, melted butter, and vanilla.

Step 2

Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and stir until just combined and smooth.

Step 3

Grease four 4-oz ramekins or small donut-shaped silicone molds. Fill each about two-thirds full with batter.

Step 4

Preheat air fryer to 340°F. Place filled ramekins in the basket and cook for 10-12 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

Step 5

Let cakes cool for 3 minutes, then remove from ramekins. While still warm, brush each cake all over with melted butter.

Step 6

Mix cinnamon and sugar in a shallow bowl. Roll each buttered cake in the cinnamon sugar mixture until completely coated. Serve warm.

Tips

Don’t Overmix the Batter

When you pour the wet ingredients into the dry, stir gently just until everything comes together and you don’t see any pockets of flour. The batter should look smooth but you don’t need to beat it aggressively.

Overmixing develops the gluten in the flour, which makes the cakes dense and chewy instead of soft and cake-like. Think of it like this – once the dry stuff looks wet, stop stirring.

A spatula or wooden spoon works better here than a whisk. You want to fold the batter together, not whip air into it.

Fill the Ramekins the Right Amount

The recipe says two-thirds full and that’s important to follow. The batter rises as it bakes, and if you fill the ramekins too high, the batter will puff up over the edge and spill into your air fryer basket.

If you fill them too little, you’ll end up with flat, thin cakes that dry out fast. Eyeball the two-thirds mark on each ramekin and try to divide the batter evenly between all four so they cook at the same rate.

Grease the Ramekins Well

Don’t skip greasing the ramekins or go light on it. Use a little bit of butter or nonstick cooking spray and make sure you cover the bottom and all the way up the sides. These cakes are small and delicate, so if they stick even a little, they’ll break apart when you try to pop them out.

If you’re using silicone molds, you still want to give them a light spray. Silicone is easier to work with, but the batter can still cling to it without a bit of grease.

Related Recipes

• Air Fryer Crispy Avocado Fries
• Air Fryer Loaded Hasselback Potatoes
• Air Fryer Pizza Dough Knots with Garlic Butter

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use self-rising flour instead of all-purpose flour?

You can, but you’ll need to leave out the baking powder and salt since self-rising flour already has both of those mixed in. Everything else in the recipe stays the same.

The texture might be very slightly different, but it will still taste great and rise just fine in the air fryer.