Easy air fryer baking recipes that actually work.

Yes. A basket air fryer is a small convection oven with the heating element a few inches above the food, so cakes, muffins, cookies, breads, pies and pastries all bake well in one. The difference is that the top browns faster than in an oven, which is why most air fryer bakes run at a lower temperature, use a pan sized to the basket, and are checked for doneness in the center rather than by color.

Start about 25 degrees Fahrenheit lower than the oven recipe and cut the time by roughly 20 percent, then start checking early. Sweet, dark or very wet batters often need to go a little lower again, because sugar browns quickly that close to the element. The air fryer calculator on this site does the math, and the baking chart lists the tested settings for common bakes.

Most 5 to 6 quart basket air fryers take a 6 or 7 inch round pan, with enough room around the sides for air to move. Smaller 3 to 4 quart baskets usually need a 6 inch pan or ramekins. Measure the flat floor of your basket, not the top opening, or use the pan size calculator to check before you buy.

The heating element sits close to the top of the cake, so the surface sets and browns before heat reaches the center. Lower the temperature, lay a loose sheet of foil over the pan once the top has color, and judge doneness with a thermometer: most cakes, muffins and quick breads are done at about 200 to 205 degrees Fahrenheit in the middle.