Air Fryer Coffee Cake

I love making Air Fryer Coffee Cake when I want something warm and comforting to serve with morning coffee without preheating the oven. The cake bakes up with a soft, tender crumb and buttery cinnamon-sugar swirls throughout, while the streusel topping turns golden and crumbly. It's perfect for weekend breakfasts, brunch gatherings, potlucks, and holiday mornings like Christmas and Mother's Day when the oven's already busy. Store at room temperature for 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

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Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 35

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Air Fryer Coffee Cake

Servings:

Calories: 221kcal

Author: Mandy Applegate

Equipment

8 inch square baking pan

Ingredients

Streusel Topping:

¾ cup all-purpose flour
½ cup packed light brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Dash salt
¼ cup unsalted butter melted

Coffee Cake:

½ cup unsalted butter room temperature
¾ cup sugar
1 egg
1 egg yolk
½ cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the streusel:

Grease an 8-inch square baking pan and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper.
In a small bowl, use a fork to mix the flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt until well combined. Add the melted butter and stir until the mixture is evenly moistened and crumbly.
¾ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup packed light brown sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, Dash salt, ¼ cup unsalted butter

For the cake:

Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Add the egg, egg yolk, sour cream and vanilla - mix until fully combined.
½ cup unsalted butter, ¾ cup sugar, 1 egg, 1 egg yolk, ½ cup sour cream, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, stirring just until combined.
1 ⅓ cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Sprinkle the streusel topping over the batter and make swirls.
Bake in the air fryer at 160ºC (320°F) covered with foil for 15 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for 5 more minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Let the cake cool completely in the pan before cutting it into squares and serving.

Notes

Here's what I've learned from making this coffee cake dozens of times:

Don't skip the parchment slings: Lining the sides of your pan with parchment paper makes lifting the cake out effortless and prevents any sticking, especially with the sticky streusel topping.
Use a fork for the streusel: A fork creates the perfect crumbly texture, forming pea-sized clumps that get golden and buttery in the air fryer.
Room temperature butter matters: Cold butter won't cream properly with the sugar, which means less air incorporation and a denser cake, so let your butter sit out for about 30 minutes before starting.
Swirl gently: When creating the cinnamon swirls, use a light hand with your butter knife. You want ribbons throughout the cake, not a fully mixed batter.
Cover with foil first: The foil prevents the streusel from browning too quickly as the cake bakes through, and removing it for the last 5 minutes lets the top turn golden and slightly crispy.
Flash freeze for clean slicing: If you're freezing multiple squares, place them on a baking sheet for 1 hour first before transferring to a container so they don't stick together, and the streusel stays intact.

Nutrition

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