The 3 Baking Recipes You Need to Try in Your Air Fryer – Including a Roast That’s Sure to Impress at the School Fair

SO, you’ve made nuggets for the kids and you may have even tried making your Sunday roast in one, but have you ever made a cake in the air fryer?

Lucy Parissi’s new cookbook, Easy Air Fryer bakes (£22, Penguin Michael Joseph), contains over 80 totally tastier treats and incredible cakes – all made in an air fryer.

Easy Air Fryer bakes, Amazon, £11

From easy pancakes to cakes perfect for a fair or school summer celebration, plus some decadent chocolate desserts and even savory cakes, she air fryer hacks will save time, money and stress.

Growing up in Greece, Lucy has always loved gathering with friends and family, but knows that modern life demands simple, flavorful food.

That’s why she started experimenting with her air fryer.

You can follow her for more inspiration on Instagram @supergolden88.

4

School Cake

It suits: 16
Setup time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 35-40 minutes

Ingredients:
For the cake:
260g self-raising flour
250g of refined sugar
4 eggs
115g unsalted butter, softened or margarine
80ml semi-skimmed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract

For the Glaze:
140g sifted icing sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1⁄2 tablespoon milk or as needed

To the roof:
Hundreds and thousands of sprinkles or sprinkles of your choice

Method:

1. Sift the flour and sugar into a bowl. Add the eggs, butter, milk and vanilla and beat with a mixer until you get a completely smooth dough. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl with a spatula halfway through to ensure everything is well mixed. Pour the dough into a 20 cm diameter square pan and level.
2. Preheat the fryer to 150°C for 3 minutes, place the cake in the basket and bake for 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. The internal temperature must be 98°C. Remove the cake from the pan with the paper and let it cool on a wire rack.
3. Mix all the frosting ingredients in a bowl until you have a thick but fluid frosting. Spread the frosting over the cooled cake and immediately top with sprinkles. Let it harden before slicing.

4

Flapjacks

He does: 12-14
Setup time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes

Ingredients:
200g cubed vegan butter
150g light, soft brown sugar
150g golden syrup
1 tablespoon maple syrup
3 tablespoons almond butter (smooth)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Zest of 1 orange
320g oat porridge
30g ground almonds
100g whole almonds, roughly chopped
100g dried cranberries, chopped
50g mixed seeds (sunflower, pumpkin, linseed, sesame)
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
Pinch of salt

Method:

1. Place the vegan butter, sugar, golden syrup, maple syrup, almond butter, vanilla and orange zest in a saucepan. Stir over low heat until the vegan butter melts, the sugar dissolves and the mixture is smooth. Do not boil.
2. Measure oats, ground almonds, chopped almonds, cranberries, mixed seeds, cinnamon and salt into a bowl and mix well. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir well to combine.
3. Press the flapjack mixture into a greased and lined 20cm square tin. Make sure it is well packed and level. Mark the top where you want to cut it later.
4. Preheat the fryer to 160°C for 3 minutes, place the pan in the basket and bake for 40 minutes, covering the pan with aluminum foil after 15 minutes, or until golden, firm on top and crispy around the edges. Remove the pancakes from the pan and transfer them to a wire rack to cool.
5. Cut along the marked lines and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to five days or in the refrigerator for up to a week.

4

Salted Caramel Brownies

He does: 9 squares
Setup time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 30-35 minutes

Ingredients:
200g dark chocolate chips
115g cubed unsalted butter
200g light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
65g plain flour
4 tablespoons cocoa powder
Pinch of salt
4 tablespoons salted caramel (optional)

To serve (optional):
Vanilla ice cream

Method:

1. Add the chocolate chips and butter to a bowl and microwave for 30 seconds until the butter melts. Let it rest for 2 minutes and then stir so that the chocolate melts completely. Left it aside.
2. Use a balloon whisk to beat the sugar, vanilla and eggs in a separate bowl. Beat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture becomes frothy.
3. Stir the melted chocolate mixture into the sugar mixture. Sift the flour, cocoa powder and salt into the bowl and stir until you have a smooth, thick, shiny batter with no pockets of flour. Place the dough in a greased and lined 20 cm square metal pan and level. Place spoonfuls of salted caramel on top and use a toothpick to mix it into the brownie batter.
4. Preheat the fryer to 160°C. Bake the brownies for 30 minutes. The brownies should have a smooth, glossy surface and feel firm around the edges. A toothpick inserted into the middle should come out with some moist crumbs (but not wet dough). If your brownies are not cooked through, cook for an additional 5 minutes.
5. Remove the pan from the fryer and let the brownies cool before slicing.