Air Fryer Recipe
Raspberry Almond Loaf
A delightful and easy-to-make raspberry almond loaf recipe, perfect for air frying.
Ingredients
- 150g self-raising flour
- 100g ground almonds
- 150g caster sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 100g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 120ml milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 150g fresh raspberries
- A handful of flaked almonds for topping
- Pinch of salt
Method
- Line the air fryer loaf tin with parchment paper.
- In a large bowl, combine self-raising flour, ground almonds, caster sugar, and a pinch of salt.
- In another bowl, whisk together eggs, melted butter, milk, and vanilla extract.
- Gradually add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring gently until combined.
- Carefully fold in the raspberries.
- Preheat the air fryer to 160°C.
- Pour the batter into the prepared loaf tin and sprinkle with flaked almonds.
- Place the loaf tin in the air fryer basket and cook for 30-35 minutes.
- Check doneness with a skewer; if it comes out clean, the loaf is ready.
- Allow the loaf to cool slightly before removing from the tin.
Why this works in an air fryer
Air-fryer convection sets and dries the loaf surface faster than a conventional oven, while the narrow tin helps heat reach the centre. Ground almonds interrupt gluten development and hold fat, giving a tender crumb; the cooled melted butter disperses evenly without scrambling the eggs or making greasy pockets.
Equipment notes
Assumes a 1 lb loaf tin fitting a 5–6 litre basket with space around all sides for airflow. In a single-drawer model, centre the tin and check from 30 minutes; in dual-zone drawers, use the larger drawer if possible and expect 5–10 minutes longer because the cavity is narrower and airflow is less even.
Common pitfalls
- Top deeply browned but skewer still wet? The air stream is overcooking the surface before the centre sets; loosely cover with foil, reduce to 150°C and cook in 5-minute bursts.
- Gummy strip through the middle after cooling? The loaf was removed when raspberry juice and almond-rich batter had not fully set; test in two places, avoiding a berry, and look for moist crumbs rather than raw batter.
- Raspberries have sunk into a jammy layer at the base? The batter was loosened by overmixing or very wet fruit; use firm, dry berries and fold only until just distributed.
- Parchment edges scorching or smelling papery? The liner is too tall and catching the airflow near the element; trim it below the tin rim, leaving only small lifting tabs at the ends.
Variations & substitutions
- Use frozen raspberries straight from the freezer; they bleed more colour and usually need an extra 5–8 minutes because they chill the centre of the batter.
- Swap raspberries for blueberries; they release less juice, so the crumb sets a little more evenly and may finish at the shorter end of the timing.
- Add lemon zest or 1 teaspoon almond extract; flavour changes without affecting the cooking time, but almond extract makes the loaf taste sweeter without extra sugar.
- Use a dairy-free baking block and unsweetened almond milk; the top may brown slightly less than with butter and dairy milk, so judge doneness by the skewer rather than colour.
Storage & reheating
Keep the cooled loaf airtight for up to 3 days at room temperature or 5 days in the fridge, and refresh slices in the air fryer at 150°C for 2–3 minutes.
Nutrition
Calories: 250
