One of the great thing about an air fryer is that it's conducive to making small, quick desserts and breakfast breads--like carrot coffee cake. The little cake bakes in the air fryer in about 30 minutes and is great for satisfying the after-dinner dessert urge. It's only moderately sweet, so the cake also is perfect for enjoying with your morning coffee as a special treat. Sweet pumpkin spice as well as orange zest highlights the carrot flavor, and dried cranberries provide a bit of tangy sweetness. Although not strictly necessary, a nut and sugar topping provide extra crunch to the cake. I bake the cake in a 6-inch round pan that I place in the basket of the air fryer. The cake will rise up over the top of the pan--sort of like a giant muffin--and it will smell divine while baking. You can, of course, eat the carrot cake warm, but it's also great baked ahead and served at room temperature. I know, cream cheese frosting is traditional, but I think the cake is good enough on its own without the frosting--moist, lightly flavored with spice and carrots, and topped with a crunchy, sugary, spicy nut mixture. A little low-fat ice cream or whipped topping also would go just as well with the cake as the cream cheese frosting. Just add a cup of tea or coffee, and dessert will be ready in minutes.
Air Fryer Carrot Coffee Cake -- Serves 6
3 tablespoons of canola oil
1 egg
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons of sugar, divided
2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar
1/2 cup of low-fat buttermilk
1 teaspoon of vanilla
1 teaspoon of grated orange zest
2/3 cup of all-purpose flour
1/3 cup of white whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of salt
2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice, divided
1 cup of shredded carrots
1/4 cup of dried cranberries
1/3 cup of broken or chopped walnuts
Coat a 6-inch round cake pan with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl whisk together the oil, egg, 1/3 cup of sugar, brown sugar, buttermilk, vanilla, and orange zest until well combined. Stir together the flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 1 teaspoon of pumpkin spice and stir them into the wet ingredients until barely mixed in. Stir in the shredded carrots and dried cranberries. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. In the bowl you used to mix the batter, stir together the nuts, remaining 2 tablespoons of sugar, and remaining 1 teaspoon of pumpkin spice. Sprinkle the nut mixture evenly on top of the cake batter. Put the cake in the air fryer basket and bake the cake for about 30 minutes or until it's firm to the touch and a pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove the pan from the air fryer and let the cake cool in the pan for 10 minutes before serving it or trying to remove it from the pan.
