Easy Air Fryer Guinness Chocolate Cake (Printer-friendly)

Rich, moist chocolate cake with Guinness stout flavors, made effortlessly in the air fryer for a quick yet indulgent dessert.

# What You'll Need:

→ Dry Ingredients

01 - 1 cup all-purpose flour
02 - 1 cup granulated sugar
03 - 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
04 - 1 teaspoon baking soda
05 - 1/4 teaspoon salt

→ Wet Ingredients

06 - 1/2 cup Guinness stout, room temperature
07 - 1/2 cup buttermilk, room temperature
08 - 1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
09 - 2 large eggs, room temperature
10 - 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

→ Optional Topping

11 - 1/2 cup powdered sugar for dusting
12 - Whipped cream or chocolate ganache for serving

# How To Make It:

01 - Preheat air fryer to 320°F for 5 minutes.
02 - Grease and line a 7-inch round cake pan that fits your air fryer basket.
03 - In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt until well blended.
04 - In another bowl, combine Guinness, buttermilk, melted butter, eggs, and vanilla extract. Mix until smooth.
05 - Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
06 - Transfer batter to prepared cake pan and smooth the top evenly.
07 - Place pan in preheated air fryer basket. Cook for 23-27 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out with moist crumbs.
08 - Remove from air fryer. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
09 - Dust with powdered sugar before serving, or top with whipped cream or chocolate ganache if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The air fryer creates this incredible tender crumb while keeping the outside barely set, almost like a perfect pudding cake.
  • Guinness adds these deep coffee notes that make regular chocolate cake taste somehow flat in comparison.
  • You get restaurant quality results in under an hour without heating up your entire kitchen.
02 -
  • Overmixing the batter is the fastest way to turn this tender cake into something tough and rubbery.
  • Every air fryer bakes differently. The toothpick test beats any timer every single time.
  • Room temperature ingredients are not a suggestion here. They are the difference between a cake that rises beautifully and one that sinks in the middle.
03 -
  • Line your air fryer basket with foil underneath the cake pan to catch any potential overflow. It saves you from a cleaning nightmare later.
  • If your cake domes too much in the center, press down gently with a clean towel while it is still warm. This creates a flat surface for easier frosting or dusting.

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