This recipe makes two small, moist, deep, dark chocolate cakes that yield slices that are perfect with a scoop of ice cream alongside. The cakes need no frosting. They are good enough to stand on their own! The cakes also are easy to mix up in one bowl, and each cake air fries in about 30 minutes. And no, you really don't need eggs or butter to make the cakes, and yes, the cakes turn out incredibly good without the eggs and butter, thanks to the miracle of chemistry! This recipe is one of my favorites to make for Sunday dinner because it's so easy and still quite special. You can dress up slices of cake (or not) with fresh fruit (strawberries and raspberries are favorites here) and even a fluff a whipped cream alongside. Or just go for the ice cream. If you're lucky enough to have any cake left over, slices are great during the week "as is" with a big glass of milk. Enjoy!
Air Fryer Chocolate Cakes--No Eggs, No Butter -- Makes Two 6-inch Cakes
3/4 cup of flour
1/2 cup of sugar
2 tablespoons of cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon of espresso powder
1/2 teaspoon of baking soda
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/4 cup of canola oil
1 1/2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla
1/2 cup of hot water
Powdered sugar, optional
Spritz two 6-inch cake pans well with non-stick cooking spray and line the bottoms and sides with parchment paper for easier removal (okay, you don't have to line the pans, but it does make getting the cakes out easier). In a large bowl or measure (I use a quart Pyrex measure) whisk together well the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, baking soda, and salt. Add the oil, cider vinegar, vanilla, and hot water to the dry mixture and whisk them in well. Divide the batter between the two pans. Put one filled pan in your air fryer basket, put the basket in the air fryer, and air fry the cake for 25-30 minutes at 320 degrees or until a pick inserted in the center of the cake comes out with no wet batter attached. Remove the cake from the air fryer to cool in its pan and repeat the cooking process with the remaining cake. Let the cakes cool in their pans for about 15 minutes before turning them out to cool completely. Dust the cakes with a little (a teaspoon or so) of powdered sugar, if you like.
