The Perfect Air Fryer Coffee Cake (Sour Cream Secret!)
This air fryer coffee cake is golden around the edges, loaded with cinnamon and toasted pecans, and incredibly soft and moist in the middle. And the secret to that moist texture? Sour cream.
Sour cream adds richness and moisture to the batter without making the cake heavy. Add a layer of cinnamon brown sugar and pecans through the middle, another layer on top, and you’ve got an easy homemade coffee cake without ever turning on the oven.
The whole thing cooks in an 8-inch metal pan right in the air fryer at 325°F. It’s perfect with your morning coffee, for brunch, or whenever you’re looking for an easy air fryer dessert.
Air Fryer Coffee Cake Ingredients
For the Coffee Cake
- ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup sour cream
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
For the Cinnamon Pecan Topping
- 1 cup pecans, chopped
- ¼ cup light brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
How to Make Coffee Cake in the Air Fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 325°F.
- Chop 1 cup of pecans.
- In a small bowl, mix together ¼ cup of brown sugar and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat ½ cup of softened butter and ½ cup of granulated sugar until creamy.
- Add 1 egg and mix until incorporated.
- Add ½ cup of sour cream and ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract and mix again.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together 1 cup of flour, ½ teaspoon of baking powder, ½ teaspoon of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of baking soda.
- Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture half at a time, mixing just until everything is combined. Don’t overmix the batter.
- Grease an 8-inch metal baking pan and spread half of the batter evenly across the bottom.
- Sprinkle half of the cinnamon sugar mixture and half of the chopped pecans over the batter.
- Spread the remaining batter over the top into an even layer.
- Finish with the remaining cinnamon sugar and chopped pecans.
- Place the pan into the preheated air fryer and cook at 325°F for about 35 minutes, or until the center is cooked through.
- Allow the coffee cake to cool for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Why Put Sour Cream in Coffee Cake?
Sour cream is the secret ingredient in this recipe because it adds both fat and moisture to the batter. That helps give the coffee cake a soft, tender crumb while keeping the inside moist as the edges become golden in the air fryer.
It also adds a slight tang that works really well with the sweetness of the cinnamon brown sugar and toasted pecans.
Tips for the Best Air Fryer Coffee Cake
- Start with softened butter. It will cream together with the sugar much more easily.
- Don’t overmix the batter. Once you add the flour, mix only until everything is combined.
- Use an 8-inch metal pan. Metal conducts heat well and works especially well for baking in the air fryer.
- Preheat your air fryer. Have the air fryer at 325°F before the cake goes in.
- Check the center for doneness. Air fryers vary, so your coffee cake may need slightly more or less than 35 minutes.
- Give it a few minutes to cool. Letting the cake rest before slicing helps the inside finish setting.
Gear I Used
🔥 Gourmia Air Fryer
My everyday air fryer and the one I used to bake this coffee cake.
🍳 Metal Air Fryer Pan
The metal pan I use for baking cakes and other recipes directly in the air fryer.
🥣 Proctor Silex Electric Hand Mixer
The lightweight hand mixer I used to cream the butter and sugar and mix the coffee cake batter.
🧤 Extreme Heat Gloves
Perfect for safely lifting a hot metal baking pan out of the air fryer.
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Watch Me Make This Air Fryer Coffee Cake
Want to see exactly how I layer the batter, cinnamon sugar, and pecans? Watch the video above to see The Perfect Coffee Cake in Your Air Fryer from start to finish.
More Easy Air Fryer Recipes
If you’re looking for easy recipes that don’t require turning on the oven, stick around. I share beginner-friendly air fryer recipes designed for real-life cooking, with a new video every Thursday.
Made this air fryer coffee cake? Leave a comment and let me know how yours turned out!