Can You Put a Cake Tin or Baking Pan in an Air Fryer?

Oven-safe metal (aluminium or non-stick), silicone, and oven-safe glass or ceramic all work in an air fryer, exactly as they would in an oven. A 6–7 inch round tin fits most 4–6 Qt baskets; small loaf tins fit larger models. Loose-bottom or springform tins make it much easier to lift a cake out of a deep basket. There is no need to fear metal — sparking is a microwave issue, not a convection one.

Leave at least 1–2 cm of clearance all around the tin so hot air can circulate; a tin that fills the basket bakes unevenly and traps steam. Grease and line the tin as you normally would. Do not use a tin far larger than the basket. Because the fan bakes faster than a static oven, start checking for doneness a few minutes before the recipe time, using a skewer.

A tin lets you bake in an air fryer just as you would in an oven, scaled down: small cakes, brownies, cornbread, quiche, mac and cheese, cinnamon rolls, and banana bread in a loaf tin. Anything you would bake in a dish rather than loose on a tray belongs in a tin — the tin holds shape and contains batter or liquid.

Measure the internal width of your basket and choose a tin about 2–3 cm smaller. For most compact 4–6 Qt fryers, a 6-inch round tin is the safe default; 8–10 Qt models take 7–8 inch tins and small loaf tins. On dual-basket fryers, size the tin to a single basket. When unsure, go smaller — a tin with airflow around it always bakes more evenly.

What size cake tin fits in an air fryer?

Measure the internal width of your basket and choose a tin about 2–3 cm smaller so air can circulate around it. A 6-inch round tin fits most 4–6 Qt air fryers; 7–8 inch tins and small loaf tins fit larger 8–10 Qt models. For dual-basket fryers, size the tin to a single basket.

Can you bake a cake in a tin in an air fryer?

Yes. Put the batter in a greased, oven-safe tin that fits with room around it, and bake at around 320–350°F (160–175°C) — a little lower than an oven, since the fan bakes faster. Check for doneness with a skewer several minutes before the recipe time, as air fryers can cook a cake more quickly than a conventional oven.

Is it safe to put a metal cake tin in an air fryer?

Yes, oven-safe metal tins are safe in an air fryer — the same as in a conventional oven. Metal does not spark or catch fire in an air fryer, since that is a microwave concern, not a convection one. Just make sure the tin fits with airflow clearance and is not so large that it blocks circulation and bakes unevenly.