A light, sweet, perfectly cooked blueberry cake - and it's all made in the air fryer!
So many of us already know and love the Tefal ActiFry. It's an iconic kitchen appliance famous for being able to cook up a big batch of tasty, crispy chips with just one small spoonful of oil, but it's also capable of so much more. In our house, the ActiFry is loved for its versatility, making it easy to cook up all sorts of family meals from fries to stir-frys, curries to con carne, and even desserts.
The ActiFry works by circulating hot air inside the bowl, while a rotating paddle ensures that food browns and cooks perfectly - it's literal and figuratively a 360 ̊ cooking experience!
ActiFry hosted a big event at Exmouth beachfront to promote the benefits of 360 ̊ cooking. Members of the public were able to enjoy a free dinner and dessert made in the ActiFry. The twist? Everything was served sky-high on the world’s first Ferris wheel restaurant!
To celebrate the event here on the ground, a group of food bloggers including myself have been selected to try out the wonders of 360 ̊ cooking at home. And what better way than by whipping up a recipe in the ActiFry that was served at the main event?
It's my turn today, and I've chosen to cook up this fabulous blueberry cake, as featured on the ActiFry app (iOS/Android). I love that the app walks you through the stages, and using the ActiFry is a fun and different way to bake.
So, let's make this amazing blueberry cake in the ActiFry!
Ingredients
- 140 g (4.9 oz) plain white flour (all purpose flour)
- 140 g (4.9 oz) starch I used potato starch
- 15 g (0.5 oz) baking powder
- 180 g (6.3 oz) white caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 190 g (6.7 oz) salted butter
- 5 medium free range eggs
- A few drops of vinegar or lemon juice
- 250 g (8.8 oz) blueberries
Equipment
- Actifry
- Mixing bowl
- Silicone spatula or wooden spoon
Instructions
Sift together the flour, baking powder and starch and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy and white.
Add the eggs one at a time, alternating with the flour/starch mix.
Add the drops of vinegar or lemon juice.
Add the blueberries and mix together.
Remove the paddle from the pan. Butter and flour the pan, making sure to butter and flour the central tube well.
Pour in the mixture.
Place the pan inside the ActiFry and close the lid. Cook for 45 minutes. Note! The ActiFry Genius XL also has automated time and temperature controls, so this bit is super easy.
Turn out, ideally on to a cooling rack, and leave to cool or chill before eating.
Several slices of this delicious cake was gone minutes after this shot was taken. I'd call that a total success! And when it's time to clean up, the ActiFry bowl washes really easily, and even better, it's safe to pop it in the dishwasher.
Next to take up the 360 challenge is Karen Burns-Booth of Lavender and Lovage. Over to you, Karen!
What do you think of this delicious blueberry cake? Are you tempted to try it?
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Blueberry Cake Recipe in The Actifry!
Ingredients
- 140 g (4.9 oz) plain white flour (all purpose flour)
- 140 g (4.9 oz) starch I used potato starch
- 15 g (0.5 oz) baking powder
- 180 g (6.3 oz) white caster sugar (superfine sugar)
- 190 g (6.7 oz) salted butter
- 5 medium free range eggs
- A few drops of vinegar or lemon juice
- 250 g (8.8 oz) blueberries
Equipment
- Actifry
- Mixing bowl
- Silicone spatula or wooden spoon
Instructions
- Sift together the flour, baking powder and starch and set aside. Cream the butter and sugar until fluffy and white.
- Add the eggs one at a time, alternating with the flour/starch mix.
- Add the drops of vinegar or lemon juice.
- Add the blueberries and mix together.
- Remove the paddle from the pan. Butter and flour the pan, making sure to butter and flour the central tube well.
- Pour in the mixture.
- Cook for 45 minutes. Note! The ActiFry Genius XL also has automated time and temperature controls, so this bit is super easy. Turn out, ideally on to a cooling rack, and leave to cool or chill before eating.
Video
Nutrition
This is a commissioned post for Tefal.
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Philip Das says
Sounds good but what setting do I use or what temperature if using manual setting, please?
Emily Leary says
As this recipe was written by Actifry themselves, there aren't instructions on temp as that model doesn't have a manual temperature control. However, I believe it runs at 180C, but that sounds high for an air fryer cake, so I'd estimate 160C would be a good place to start if using a different model of air fryer. If you are using a tin in a drawer air fryer, I would also cover the top of the tin with foil to prevent burning on top before the bottom has cooked. Remember I haven't tested in a different machine, though! So these are just starting thoughts for your tests.
Tasnim says
I baked this cake in Actifry genius two times. 1 time using cake and dessert mode and another time using manual mode. It was delicious but the both times a part of cake was dark brown (near the base), similar to burned cake. And the opposite side(near the handle) was not baked and had a gooey consistency. I mean it didnt bake evenly. In your picture the cake was baked evenly
Emily Leary says
Hi. Sorry to hear that - it is strange as it did indeed work perfectly for me when I followed Tefal's recipe.
A technique I have seen some people use when making cake in an air fryer is to cover the top of the tin with foil, sometimes with some small holes poked in it, so that the heat spreads across the top more evenly, rather than in one place. However, I'm not sure if this is a suitable technique for the Actifry Genius XL specifically, so you would need to check the manual to make sure it's a safe and practical option.
Sarah says
I only have the Actifry Original which when I take the paddle out, I'm left with just a big hole with a small raised lip. The Actifry used in above recipes, the Genius I assume, looks to have like a funnel in the middle, to stop liquids going under maybe? So does this mean I can't use my Original model to bake a cake?
Emily Leary says
Hi Sarah! Send me a pic on Twitter or Instagram @amummytoo and I'll let you know!
Alison says
same issue. what was the answer?
Emily Leary says
If the hole is flush, you can put a cake tin inside the drum. If the hole is slightly raised making that impossible, you could use a small Bundt Tin or Savarin Ring.