If you’re craving cheesecake but not a heavy cake with a biscuit base and cream cheese, then skyr cheesecake in the air fryer is just what you need. Skyr, egg yolks, vanilla and finely grated lemon zest are stirred into a fresh cream, and stiffly whisked egg whites with sugar and cornstarch are gently folded in. It’s the meringue that provides the air, so the cake rises like a soufflé in the air fryer and then sets into a firm, creamy cake in the fridge.
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The cake is baked gently, first under tightly crimped foil, and cools slowly in the switched-off air fryer before it sets in the fridge, preferably overnight. That makes it ideal to make the day before and decorate with fresh raspberries, blueberries and lemon balm just before serving.
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Table of Contents
Why I love skyr cheesecake in the air fryer
I love it because it’s fresh and light rather than filling. The tang of the skyr and the lemon zest make it taste of summer, and there’s no base that has to be pressed and chilled first. The cake is bound with cornstarch instead of flour, so it’s naturally gluten-free. If you’re baking for someone with coeliac disease, check the label on the vanilla sugar and cornstarch.
In the air fryer you avoid heating up a big oven for a single small cake. Do measure the basket first, though: the 18 cm springform tin needs to fit with a little room around it, so the hot air can circulate.
Why the cake bakes under foil at the start
In an air fryer, the heating element sits close above the cake, and the fan is powerful. Without protection, an airy cake quickly gets a hard crust that cracks while the centre is still liquid. The foil holds in the steam and shields the cake from the heat from above, so it rises evenly. Afterwards, the lower heat without foil gives a light golden surface.
My kitchen test of skyr cheesecake
I baked the cake in my Philips XXL, where the springform tin has plenty of room all around it. After about 20 minutes of preparation, the cake bakes for 20 minutes at 150 °C under tightly crimped foil and then for 20 minutes at 140 °C without foil. By then it has risen, the surface is light golden and dry, and the centre only wobbles slightly when I gently nudge the basket.
The cooling is just as important as the baking. The cake stands for 30 minutes in the switched-off air fryer with the basket closed, then 30 minutes on a cooling rack and at least 6 hours in the fridge, preferably overnight. All in all, it takes 8 hours from start to serving, but for most of that time it looks after itself. It’s completely normal for it to sink a little along the way.
Don’t open the basket in the first 20 minutes, and never shake it. The cake rises only on the air from the meringue, and a knock or a rush of cold air can make it collapse.
Tips and tricks from the author: Morten Jensen
The typical mistakes and how to avoid them
The first mistake happens before the cake even goes in the air fryer: the egg whites won’t whip stiff. This is usually down to grease in the bowl or a trace of yolk in the whites, so use a completely clean bowl and separate the eggs carefully. The second mistake is stirring the meringue hard into the skyr cream, so the air disappears and the cake turns flat and dense. Stir in a third first, and fold in the rest with long, slow movements until the white streaks are gone. The third mistake is an overfilled tin or loose foil. The tin must be no more than half full, because the cake rises strongly, and the foil must be crimped tightly around the edge so the airflow can’t lift it up towards the heating element.
How to serve skyr cheesecake
Serve the cake cold, straight from the fridge, and decorate it just before serving, so the surface doesn’t get wet. It makes 4 large or 6 smaller slices, and a sharp knife dipped in hot water gives neat cuts. Good ideas for decoration and accompaniments:
- Fresh raspberries, blueberries and small leaves of lemon balm, as in the recipe
- Strawberries instead of raspberries and blueberries in summer
- A sprinkle of finely grated lime or orange zest for extra freshness
- Berry compote on the side if you want more sweetness
Storage and reheating
Leftovers keep covered in the fridge for up to 3 days. The cake isn’t suitable for reheating; it should be eaten cold. If you want to bake well ahead, it can be frozen without the topping for up to 1 month. Thaw it in the fridge overnight, and decorate it only when it’s going on the table.
Skyr cheesecake in the air fryer looks impressive but is simple to make. Go by the signs of doneness and not just by the clock, give the cake peace during cooling, and let the fridge do the rest.
FAQ
Yes. Here skyr replaces the cream cheese completely, and whisked egg white with sugar and cornstarch gives the cake air and structure. It turns out lighter and fresher than a classic cheesecake, but still creamy once it has set in the fridge.
The cake always sinks a little as it cools, and that’s completely normal. If it falls a lot, the meringue has usually been stirred too hard into the cream, the basket opened too early, or the cake cooled too quickly. Let it stand for 30 minutes in the switched-off air fryer before you take it out.
The cake is done when it has risen, the surface is light golden and dry, and the centre only wobbles slightly when you gently nudge the basket. A thin metal skewer in the centre should come out without any liquid batter. Otherwise, keep baking at 140 °C, 5 minutes at a time.
Recipe
Skyr cheesecake in the Air Fryer
Cooking Guide
Keep the screen on and follow the recipe step by step while you cook.
Step 1:
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Step 2:
Start the guide and follow the recipe one step at a time.
Cost of the dish
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Our estimate is based on average food prices for the current year 2026.
Estimated price for the whole dish:
Airfryer size
All our recipes are tested in a Philips Airfryer 2000 Series NA230/00 – 6.2 L
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Recommended equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Springform pan - 18 cm
- 1 Parchment paper
- 1 Aluminum foil
- 2 Mixing bowl - One completely clean and grease-free, for the egg whites
- 1 Electric mixer
- 1 Sifter
- 1 Dough scraper
- 1 Fine grater
- 1 Kitchen scale
- 1 Oven mitts
- 1 Metal skewer - For testing the cake
- 1 Cooling rack
- 1 Sharp knife
Shopping list
Ingredients
- 300 g skyr (Plain)
- 3 pcs eggs (Separated into yolks and whites)
- 2 tsp vanilla sugar
- 1 pcs lemon (Organic, finely grated zest only)
- 1 pinch salt
- 50 g sugar
- 25 g cornstarch
- 1 tsp butter (For the tin)
To decorate
- 125 g raspberries (Fresh)
- 125 g blueberries (Fresh)
- 2 sprigs lemon balm (Small leaves only)
How to make it
Preparation
- Separate 3 pcs eggs, and put the whites in a completely clean, grease-free mixing bowl. No yolk must get into the whites, or the meringue won’t whip stiff. In a second mixing bowl, stir the yolks together with 300 g skyr, 2 tsp vanilla sugar, the finely grated zest of 1 pcs lemon and 1 pinch salt until you have a smooth cream.
- Preheat the air fryer to 150 °C fan. Do it now, so it’s hot when the batter is ready. The batter mustn’t be left to wait, or the meringue will lose its air.
- Whisk the egg whites to an airy foam with an electric whisk. Add 50 g sugar a little at a time, and keep whisking for 3-4 minutes, until the meringue is stiff and glossy and stands in peaks. Sift 25 g cornstarch over the top, and whisk briefly on the lowest speed, only until the starch is mixed in.
- Stir a third of the meringue into the skyr mixture with a dough scraper, to lighten it. Then gently fold in the rest of the meringue in two batches, using long, slow movements from the bottom, until there are no white streaks left. Don’t mix more than necessary, because it’s the air in the meringue that makes the cake rise.
- Pour the batter into the tin and smooth the surface. The tin must be no more than half full, because the cake rises like a soufflé. Tap the tin gently on the work surface a few times, so that large air bubbles disappear.
- Cover the tin with a piece of aluminium foil, and crimp the foil tightly around the edge all the way round, so the airflow in the air fryer can’t lift it up towards the heating element.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Place the tin in the basket, and bake the cake under the foil at 150 °C for 20 minutes. Don’t open the basket or shake it during this time, as the cake can easily collapse.
- Pull out the basket, and carefully remove the foil using oven gloves. Watch out for the hot steam. Push the basket straight back in, lower the temperature to 140 °C, and bake the cake for another 20 minutes without the foil, until the surface is light golden.
- The cake is done when it has risen, the surface is light golden and dry, and the centre only wobbles slightly when you gently nudge the basket. A thin metal skewer pushed into the centre should come out without any liquid batter on it. If the centre is still liquid, keep baking at 140 °C, 5 minutes at a time.
Cooling
- Switch off the air fryer, and leave the cake in it with the basket closed for 30 minutes. The slow cooling means the cake sinks less and doesn’t crack.
- Take the tin out, and leave the cake to cool to room temperature on a cooling rack for about 30 minutes. It sinks a little as it cools, and that’s completely normal.
- Cover the tin with foil, and put the cake in the fridge for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. Only when it’s completely cold does it get its firm, creamy texture and can be cut into neat slices.
Serving
- Loosen the springform ring, and carefully peel the baking paper off the sides of the cake.
- Decorate the cake with 125 g raspberries, 125 g blueberries and small leaves from 2 sprigs lemon balm just before serving, so the berries don’t draw juice out onto the cake. Cut it with a sharp knife, dipping the blade in hot water and wiping it dry between each cut.
Our notes for the recipe
The egg whites will only whip stiff if the bowl is completely clean and free of grease, and there isn’t a trace of yolk in them. Fold in the meringue with slow, gentle movements, so that as much air as possible stays in the batter. Don’t open the basket during the first 20 minutes, and never shake it. Air fryers vary, so go by the signs of doneness and not just by the time. Why the foil and the slow cooling:
The foil holds in the steam at the start and shields the cake from the strong heat from above, so it rises evenly without getting a hard crust or cracking. Crimp it tightly around the edge so the airflow can’t lift it. When the cake cools slowly in the switched-off air fryer, it sinks less. It always sinks a little, and that is completely normal. Tin size:
The recipe is designed for an 18 cm springform tin. Measure the basket first: the tin needs to fit in it with a little room around it, so the hot air can circulate. Fill the tin no more than halfway, so the cake has room to rise. Variation:
Swap the lemon zest for lime or orange zest, or use the seeds from half a vanilla pod instead of the vanilla sugar. In summer you can use strawberries instead of raspberries and blueberries. Serving:
Serve the cake cold, straight from the fridge. Decorate with the berries and lemon balm only just before serving, so the surface doesn’t get wet. The cake makes 4 large or 6 smaller slices. It is naturally gluten-free, but check the label on the vanilla sugar and cornstarch if you’re baking for someone with coeliac disease.
Your notes for the recipe
Nutrition per serving (Guideline)
Important about shelf life and nutrition
Nutrition per serving (guideline): Calculations are based on data from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Shelf life (guideline): Shelf life data is provided, as far as possible, by public institutions, including national food authorities. Our information is therefore only indicative, and it is your responsibility to obtain and calculate accurate information about shelf life and nutrition for all recipes on airfryerkogebogen.dk
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