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⚡ In a hurry?
For baking cakes and cookies, oven-style air fryers win. The Cuisinart TOA-60 is the best value with a real bake mode and room for a 12″ result, while the Breville Smart Oven Air is the premium pick with dedicated bake and proof functions.
Check Price on Amazon →Why baskets struggle with baking
Baking is the one job where a basket air fryer is usually the wrong tool. Cakes and cookies want gentle, even, all-around heat and a flat surface to spread — but a basket blasts concentrated airflow from a small element right above the food, which browns and dries the top before the middle sets. There is also barely room for a pan of any real size.
This is where oven-style air fryers pull ahead. A toaster-oven form factor gives you a flat rack, room for a proper cake or sheet pan, and a true bake mode that uses gentler, more even heat than the aggressive crisp cycle. If baking is a priority, buy the oven shape, not the drawer. Basket owners can still bake in small pans — just expect to size down and watch the top.
Quick comparison
| Model | Best for | Capacity | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cuisinart TOA-60 | Best value oven-style | ~0.6 cu ft | ~$200 |
| Breville Smart Oven Air | Best premium baking | ~1 cu ft | ~$350 |
| Instant Vortex Plus | Best basket for small bakes | 6 qt | ~$100–140 |
Prices are typical street prices and move around — tap any “Check Price” button for the current number.
Cuisinart TOA-60 Air Fryer Toaster Oven
The TOA-60 is a full toaster oven with air-fry built in, which means a real bake and broil mode, a flat rack, and enough room to fit a 12″ pizza or a proper cake pan. For baking, that oven shape and true bake setting matter far more than any basket feature — you get even heat and space to spread, at a fraction of a premium oven’s price.
What We Like
- True bake mode, not just a crisp cycle
- Flat rack fits real cake and sheet pans
- Room for a 12″ pizza
- Doubles as a full toaster oven
What Could Be Better
- Big footprint compared to a basket
- Pricier than most basket fryers
Breville Smart Oven Air
If baking is serious in your kitchen, the Breville is the do-it-all pick: around 1 cubic foot of space and 13 functions including dedicated bake and proof settings, so you can raise dough and bake it in the same machine. Its element-and-fan control gives you the even, gentle heat that cakes and cookies need, with room for a large batch.
What We Like
- Dedicated bake and proof functions
- Large capacity for full batches
- Even, precise heat control
- 13 functions cover almost any cook
What Could Be Better
- Expensive
- Large and heavy on the counter
Instant Vortex Plus 6-Quart
If you already have a basket fryer and only bake occasionally, the Vortex Plus is the most bake-friendly of the drawer models. It often includes a BAKE function and its ClearCook window lets you watch the top so you can pull a small cake or a batch of cookies before it over-browns. The catch is size: you are limited to small pans that fit the drawer.
What We Like
- Has a dedicated BAKE function
- ClearCook window to watch browning
- Cheaper than oven-style units
- Fine for small pans and single cakes
What Could Be Better
- Only fits small pans that clear the drawer
- Top browns faster than an oven — watch closely
How to bake well in an air fryer
Choose the oven shape for baking
A toaster-oven-style air fryer gives you a flat rack, room for a real pan, and a gentler true bake mode. Basket models concentrate heat from a small element overhead, which browns tops fast and leaves little room — fine for crisping, frustrating for cakes.
Drop the temperature and watch the top
Air fryers move a lot of hot air, so bakes brown faster than in a standard oven. Reduce the recipe temperature by roughly 25°F and check early. If the top is coloring before the center sets, tent it loosely with foil.
Use the right pan for the space
In an oven-style unit you can use standard cake and sheet pans. In a basket, you must size down to a small round or loaf pan that fits with airflow around it — and expect a single small bake at a time rather than a full batch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you bake a cake in an air fryer?
Yes. Oven-style air fryers like the Cuisinart TOA-60 or Breville Smart Oven Air have a true bake mode and room for a proper cake pan, so they bake much like a small oven. Basket models can bake a small cake in a pan that fits the drawer, but you should lower the temperature by about 25°F and watch the top closely.
Is an oven-style or basket air fryer better for baking?
Oven-style is clearly better for baking. It offers a flat rack, room for standard pans, and a gentler true bake mode instead of an aggressive crisp cycle. Baskets concentrate heat from a small overhead element and have little room, so they brown tops quickly and limit you to small pans.
Why does my air fryer burn the top of baked goods?
Because the heating element sits close above the food and the fan drives heat straight at the top. Lower the temperature by roughly 25°F versus a normal recipe, check early, and tent the top loosely with foil once it has browned. An oven-style unit with a true bake mode reduces this problem.
Do I need to lower the temperature when baking in an air fryer?
Usually yes. Air fryers circulate heat aggressively, so most bakers drop the recipe temperature by about 25°F and start checking for doneness a few minutes early. This helps the center set before the surface over-browns, especially in basket models.