Pear cake with lemon and ginger in the Air Fryer
A light sponge cake with freshly squeezed lemon and grated ginger, topped with juicy pear wedges and a sprinkle of soft brown sugar. The cake finishes baking in the air fryer in under half an hour, filling the kitchen with the scent of spiced autumn.
Equipment
- 1 Air fryer
- 1 Springform (18 cm)
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 Electric mixer
- 1 Grater
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
- 1 Bagepapir (til airfryer)
Ingredients
Cake batter
2 pcs egg Room temperature
100 g sugar
100 g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
75 g butter Melted and cooled
2 tbsp milk
1 tbsp lemon juice Freshly squeezed
1 tsp lemon zest Finely grated, from an organic lemon
2 tsp fresh ginger Finely grated
1 pinch salt
Pears and topping
2 pcs pears Firm, e.g. Conference- 1 tbsp lemon juice For the pears
1 tbsp soft brown sugar- 1 tsp butter For greasing the tin
Instructions
Preparation
- Grease an 18 cm springform tin with 1 tsp butter and line the base with baking paper. The tin needs to stand freely in the air fryer basket with air circulating all the way round.
- Peel 2 pcs pears, halve them and remove the core. Cut each half into thin wedges and toss them in 1 tbsp lemon juice so they don't turn brown.
- Grate 1 tsp lemon zest off the lemon before you squeeze the juice, then finely grate 2 tsp fresh ginger on the same grater.
Cake batter
- Whisk 2 eggs and 100 g sugar pale and fluffy with an electric whisk for 4-5 minutes. The mixture should turn almost white and double in volume.
- Add 75 g butter, 2 tbsp milk and 1 tbsp lemon juice along with the grated lemon zest and ginger. Stir briefly to combine.
- Sift 100 g plain flour and 1 tsp baking powder into the bowl along with 1 pinch salt. Gently fold in the flour with a spatula so the batter stays light and airy.
- Pour the batter into the greased springform tin and smooth the surface with the back of a spoon.
- Arrange the pear wedges in a fan on top of the batter, and sprinkle 1 tbsp soft brown sugar evenly over. The pears will sink slightly into the cake during baking.
Cooking in the air fryer
- Preheat the air fryer to 160 °C.
- Place the tin in the basket and bake the cake at 160 °C for 30-35 minutes. Loosely cover the cake with a piece of foil after about 20 minutes if the surface is browning too quickly.
- Test the cake with a cake tester or a thin metal skewer in the centre. If wet batter clings to it, give the cake another 3-5 minutes at 160 °C.
- Cool the cake in the tin for 10 minutes, then loosen the edge and let the cake cool on a wire rack.
Serving
- Serve the cake warm or fully cooled, cut into wedges. The warm cake has the strongest scent of lemon and ginger.
Notes
Tips for the best result:
Fold in the flour with a spatula instead of the electric whisk — the batter needs to stay light and airy, or the cake will turn dense. Use firm pears so the wedges hold their shape during baking. Lemon and ginger:
The lemon juice adds acidity and keeps the crumb light, while the freshly grated ginger adds a warm, slightly sharp note. For more bite, you can use up to 1 tbsp grated ginger. Variation:
Swap the pears for apples or plums, or sprinkle coarsely chopped almonds over the top along with the brown sugar. Serving:
Serve the cake with a light dusting of icing sugar, a dollop of crème fraîche or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Serving size:
An 18 cm springform tin makes 4 generous slices or 6-8 smaller ones. If your air fryer basket is narrow, measure it before choosing your tin — there needs to be room for air circulation all the way round.
Fold in the flour with a spatula instead of the electric whisk — the batter needs to stay light and airy, or the cake will turn dense. Use firm pears so the wedges hold their shape during baking. Lemon and ginger:
The lemon juice adds acidity and keeps the crumb light, while the freshly grated ginger adds a warm, slightly sharp note. For more bite, you can use up to 1 tbsp grated ginger. Variation:
Swap the pears for apples or plums, or sprinkle coarsely chopped almonds over the top along with the brown sugar. Serving:
Serve the cake with a light dusting of icing sugar, a dollop of crème fraîche or a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Serving size:
An 18 cm springform tin makes 4 generous slices or 6-8 smaller ones. If your air fryer basket is narrow, measure it before choosing your tin — there needs to be room for air circulation all the way round.
Nutrition
Calories: 430kcalCarbohydrates: 58gProtein: 6gFat: 19gSaturated fat: 11gPolyunsaturated fat: 1gMonounsaturated fat: 5gTrans fat: 0.5gCholesterol: 130mgSodium: 120mgPotassium: 210mgFiber: 3gSugar: 38gVitamin A: 620IUVitamin C: 6mgCalcium: 55mgIron: 1.4mgNet carbohydrates: 55g
