Thanks to their zesty flavours, lemon cakes are lighter and summery than rich chocolate cakes. But while the idea of tucking into a delicious homemade cake is tempting, spending hours making one in a hot kitchen is something many of us would rather avoid. That's where an air fryer comes in handy for those seeking a quick homemade bake with minimal effort.

This recipe is classic to its core. It uses the same ingredients and method as a traditional lemon drizzle cake. The only difference is that you don't need to turn on the oven. And the best part is that you can prepare the Good Food cake in a mere 10 minutes.

For this cake recipe, you will need a loaf cake tin that fits in your air fryer.

Air fryer lemon cake recipe

Ingredients

• 250g butter (room temperature)
• 250g caster sugar
• Four eggs
• 250g self-raising flour
• Three lemons (zest and juice)
• 100g icing sugar

Method

First, select a loaf tin that fits inside your air fryer basket or on racks if you're using a digital oven-style fryer. Cut a piece of baking parchment to fit the tin, scrunch it up to make it more flexible, and then line the tin with it—this helps keep it in place.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, a pinch of salt, and two-thirds of the lemon zest. Stir until the mixture is soft, fluffy, and smooth, or whisk with an electric mixer.

The batter should be pale and lump-free. Optionally, stir in a small handful of poppy seeds for extra texture.

Preheat the air fryer to 160C. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and level the surface. Bake the lemon loaf for 60 to 80 minutes.

Carefully transfer the warm cake onto a wire rack over a tray. Use a skewer to poke deep holes all over the top.

Drizzle the icing slowly over the cake, letting it drip down the sides. Allow the icing to set before serving.