Air fryer recipe · Desserts & Bakes
Air-Fryer Vanilla Cupcakes
Soft, golden vanilla cupcakes with a tender crumb and bakery-bright aroma.
- 15 minTotal time
- 160°CAir fryer
- 5Serves
- VegetarianDiet
Nutrition per serving
- 275kcal
- 3.6 gprotein
- 41.4 gcarbs
- 10.3 gfat
- 0.7 gfibre
Per serving, about 5 servings. Figures are estimates from standard ingredient databases, not medical, dietetic, or nutritional advice.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour1 cup
- Sugar1/2 cup
- Butter1/4 cup
- Milk1/2 cup
- Vanilla extract1 tsp
- Baking powder1 tsp
Method
Cream the butter
Beat the soft butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy, about two minutes by hand. This whips tiny air bubbles into the mix, and that trapped air is what makes the cupcakes light, not heavy.
Build the batter
Stir in the vanilla, then fold in the flour and baking powder in turns with the milk. Adding them a little at a time keeps the batter smooth, and stopping early keeps the crumb soft and tender.
Fill the liners
Spoon the batter into paper liners set inside silicone cups, filling each about two-thirds full. Leaving that headroom lets the tops dome up neatly instead of overflowing and flattening out.
Preheat briefly
Warm the empty air fryer for two minutes at the baking temperature before the cups go in. Starting in a hot basket sets the outside quickly so the centres do not sink partway through baking.
Air-fry the cupcakes
Arrange the cups in the basket with a gap between each and air-fry at 160C for 15 min until a skewer comes out clean. Cool them on a rack before frosting so the tops firm up and stay dry.
