Air Fryer Rhubarb Mini Madeira Bundts
Try my easy to make air fryer rhubarb mini Madeira bundt cakes! Mini version of Madeira cake, made in the air fryer, great for Summer & money saving.
Air Fryer Rhubarb Mini Madeira Bundts
Baking On A Budget Series
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What Are These Air Fryer Rhubarb Madeira Mini Bundts?
These mini rhubarb Madeira bundts, are little rhubarb, orange and mango flavoured cakes.
What Is Madeira Cake?
Madeira cake is a very popular, not too sweet, British type of cake. Usually in loaf form (but can be round), it has a golden crust & a closer texture, a little similar to American Pound Cake, apart from the addition of ground almonds (almond flour).
Why Is It Called Madeira Cake?
Madeira cake does not contain Madeira wine, nor did it originate in Madeira, Portugal. Madeira cake first was printed in a recipe by Eliza Acton, in 1845, called Modern Cookery For Private Families1.
Why Make These Mini Cakes?
- Quick & easy
- Make in the air fryer or oven
- Money & energy-saving method
- Taste amazing!
- Full step-by-step instructions
- Video tutorial
- No decoration required
- Use fresh or frozen rhubarb
- Switch up the fruit
- Enjoy with your favourite fillings
- Doesn’t make your kitchen hot, so ideal for Summer baking
- Perfect for parties & Afternoon Tea.
Ingredients & Alternatives
These mini rhubarb bundts are made from the following ingredients:
- Unsalted Butter
- Sugar
- Eggs
- Flour
- Baking Powder
- Ground Almonds*
- Milk
- Rhubarb
- Orange Extract
- Foodie Flavours Mango Extract (optional)
*See notes below
Flour
You can use Plain flour (All Purpose) or UK Self-raising flour. If using the self-raising, just omit the baking powder listed.
Unsalted Butter
Using unsalted butter in sweet or savoury baking is always recommended for better & consistent results. Try making your own butter & buttermilk from cream about to expire.
Eggs
Medium to large UK sized eggs are used, which is large to extra-large in US sizing. Make sure the eggs are at room temperature before using.
Milk
Milk is used to thin the batter slightly, but orange juice, or warm water can also be used.
Sugar
Caster sugar is used in a lot of British baking and these mini Madeira cakes are no exception. The US equivalent is Extra/Super Fine Sugar, but you can process your own. (See my sugar comparison photo for reference).
Rhubarb
Frozen or fresh rhubarb can be used. Chop small for these mini bundts. For fresh rhubarb, wash in warm water & pat dry first. Then coat in flour before adding to the cake batter.
For frozen rhubarb, chop and coat in flour straight from the freezer, immediately before adding to the batter – no need to defrost.
Alternatives to the rhubarb, that work really well, are fresh/frozen cranberries, red plums or blueberries.
(**See the blueberry bundts in the photo, filled with some homemade blueberry orange curd).
Orange Extract
Orange extract is used as it pairs beautifully with rhubarb. Try making your own alcohol-free orange extract (or vanilla, lemon or almond), using vegetable glycerine instead of alcohol.
Mango Extract
Mango extract is optional but all Foodie Flavours’ extracts are amazing and is a perfect match for the orange & tart rhubarb.
I used Foodie Flavours’ mango extract as well as the orange extract. The mango is optional, but so worth it.
Very concentrated flavouring & many of their extracts don’t contain added sugar, are vegan & vegetarian, alcohol, dairy & gluten-free too.
Foodie Flavours gifted me a few extracts in a PR package. In my air fryer mango cranberry scones I use the extract, as well as a pineapple one in my Tropical Banana Bread recipe, as well as Chai extract in my Gingerbread & Chai spiced mini cakes. Check out their 70+ flavours on the Foodie Flavours website. Or, to help support my website, use my affiliate code for online baking ingredient & equipment shop The Craft Company. By buying through my link, I will receive a small commission, at no cost to you. At the moment I would recommend Passion Fruit or even the Orange extract. Click to go to The Craft Company’s Foodie Flavours range
Ground Almonds
The use of ground almonds is quite common in our British cakes & bakes, (like my Bakewell Bundt). The US equivalent is fine almond meal, or almond flour.
You can make your own ground almonds, by grinding with the skins still on. Many YouTube videos on how to do this. See my reference photo below for the consistency, (or check it out in the recipe video below). Read more about Differences Between UK & US Baking Ingredients.
Equipment
All equipment needed is listed in the Recipe card below, but here are a few essentials.
Silicone mini bundt cases are ideal for using in air fryers. You can make less cakes, or use the air fryer to save energy & money, and not heat the kitchen up in hotter months, like a big oven does.
I have old red mini bundt cases from Aldi and recently got nice pastel shade ones from Lidl, as shown in the photos.
I tested the recipe in this small Mi air fryer, with a 3.5 litre capacity, (about 3.5 quarts in the US).
If you want to make in a larger open-front air fryer/mini oven, I recommend placing silicone mini bundt cases inside a cupcake tray, to hold the shape better, and make moving them in and out easier.
Air Fryer Or Oven
This recipe works for a small basket air fryer, mini oven or regular oven. All corresponding temperatures (including conversions) are given in the instructions below.
Recipe Yield
Because the recipe is for an air fryer, the yield is for 6-7 mini bundt cakes. (6-7 as mini bundt cases/tin size can vary a little).
Simply double the recipe if you want to make 12. For 10 muffin/larger cupcakes version, double the recipe. A double batch can also produce 6 mini bundts plus 6 cupcakes.
Step-By-Step Instructions
1. Cube the butter when measuring/weighing it out, to about 1cm, ⅓” . This smaller surface area will soften and come to room temperature faster. Test it is ready by pushing your thumb into a piece, it will leave an indent, (but make sure it’s not melted).
2. While the butter is softening, wash the fresh rhubarb in warm water & then pat dry. For frozen rhubarb, no need to defrost, just wait till the cake batter is ready before removing from the freezer.
3. Add the sugar & butter to a small mixing bowl & beat until fully combined, spreadable & paler in colour. (A.K.A. ‘creaming’ the butter & sugar).
4. Add in one egg at a time to the butter/sugar mixture. Beating in-between each addition.
5. Sieve over the flour (and baking powder if using Plain/All Purpose flour).
6. Add in the ground almonds (fine almond meal or almond flour).
7. Briefly start to mix together by hand. See Photo collage 2.
8. Next, add the orange extract and the Foodie Flavours mango extract (optional). Then add 2 tsp of milk, water or even orange juice.
9. Change to the electric mixer, and mix just until everything is combined and no dry patches remain. Be sure to scrape down the sides as you go and check the bottom for any flour. Do not over-mix or you will have a dense cake. Don’t mix for any longer than 1 minute, with an electric mixer, on low-medium speed.
10. The batter will be smooth and only a little bit of a thick consistency.
11. If using frozen rhubarb, remove from the freezer now, no need to defrost. Then chop into small pieces, before coating in 1 or 2 tsp of flour.
12. Add about 1/3 of the rhubarb pieces to the cake batter & ‘fold’ in. Use a plastic, rubber or silicone spatula (not metal) and gently ‘write’ a number 8 in the batter, where the spatula is your pen and the batter your paper. This helps to not deflate the cake batter. Will only take a few seconds and does not need to be 100% combined at this stage.
13. Add the remaining rhubarb pieces in 2 more increments until all used. See Photo collage 4.
Prepare The Bundt Cases
1. Grease the mini silicone bundt cases well. You can use homemade lining paste (cake goop), but I find with small mini bundts it is much easier to use a spray. So often use Frylight cooking spray. This time the butter taste version. Spray liberally all over the inside of the bundt.
2. See how many bundt cases you can get in your own air fryer basket. My small one takes 4 cases, but some air fryers might take 5 at a time.
3. Divide the cake batter between the 6 bundt cases. (**Will be enough batter for 6-7 cases, to allow for slight differences in sizes with different brands). You can use excess batter after the first batch are made, as it will be fine, sitting until you can bake, or if you need to wait to re-use the bundt cases.
Bake The Mini Bundts
1.Carefully add the filled bundt cases to your air fryer basket, (making sure they are not directly on the bottom of the air fryer basket, but elevated a little. But with enough space at the top to allow for a little cake growth. I placed 4 in mine.
2. Preheat the air fryer first if your machine requires this, mine doesn’t. Set to 160c and bake for 10 minutes without opening.
3. Open the air fryer and the bundts should have risen and be starting to become golden on top. Swap the placement of the cakes if possible (just to allow even baking), and continue baking, same temperature for another 3 minutes, or until a wooden cocktail stick comes out clean of crumbs.
4. Remove from the air fryer basket and place on a cooling rack, same way up, for 5 minutes. Then turn them over carefully, and place right-way up. Place one hand on top of the bundt case and one hand under the cooling rack, pressing down to flatten the cake a little. This is a good tip if the cakes are not sitting completely flat.
5. Leave to cool this way up for another 5 – 10 minutes before gently lifting off the cases. They should come off very easily. Then leave to cool completely.
Serving & Storing
1.Enjoy the mini rhubarb bundt cakes once they have cooled down, as they are with a nice cup of tea or coffee.
2. You can dust with a little icing/powdered sugar or fill the centre with some jam or curd. Try some homemade blueberry orange curd.
3. Alternatively, make a bit more special with some glaze & zest to finish.
4. Store the cakes in a metal cake or cookie tin, at room temperature and they will be fine for at least 3 days.
5. Madeira cake can be frozen if wrapped in paper, then cling film/plastic wrap or foil, followed by a labelled food bag or air tight container and they will be fine for up to 3 months.2
DIFFICULTY LEVEL: easy, beginner
Love Madeira cake? Try some of my other Madeira cakes, from classic Madeira loaf cake to rhubarb stuffed madeira muffins, or a larger Madeira cranberry bundt cake.
Check out my other mini bundt cake recipes. Take a look at my Air Fryer recipes page for more money saving ideas.
Recipe Card
Rhubarb Mini Bundt Cakes In The Air Fryer
Equipment
- Digital scales or measuring cups
- Measuring Spoons
- Stand/Hand-mixer
- Sieve
- 6-7 Mini Silicone Bundt Cases *
- Cake release spray or cooking spray (I recommend Frylight cooking/baking spray)
- Timer
- Wooden Cocktail stick
- Cooling rack
- Air Fryer (or regular oven)
Ingredients
- 62 grams Unsalted Butter (2 oz, cubed small & softened)
- 62 grams Caster Sugar (2 oz, level ⅓ cup, Extra/Super Fine Sugar)*
- 2 Medium Eggs (US large size, room temperature)
- 80 grams Plain Flour (2¾ oz, ⅔ cup, All Purpose)*
- 1 tsp Baking Powder (omit if using UK Self-raising)
- 18 grams Ground Almonds (2 rounded tbsp, see notes*)
- 1 tsp Orange Extract (make alcohol-free orange extract)
- 10 drops Foodie Flavours Mango Extract (see notes for alternatives*)
- 1½ tsp Milk (or water or orange juice)
- 35 grams Rhubarb (1¼ oz, chopped small, fresh or frozen*)
- 2 tsp Flour (to coat the rhubarb)
Instructions
Prepare For Baking:
- Before starting baking, prepare the 35 grams Rhubarb (or alternative fruits listed in the notes below), & the butter. For fresh rhubarb, wash in warm water, pat dry & then cut in small pieces. Then roll in 2 tsp Flour to coat. Then leave to the side. If using frozen, wait till the cake batter is ready.
- Prepare the 62 grams Unsalted Butter, by cubing it in small pieces about ⅓" (1cm), and this smaller surface area, will result in the butter softening & coming to room temperature quicker.
Prepare The Cake Batter:
- 'Cream' the softened butter & 62 grams Caster Sugar together in a small-medium mixing bowl, until combined, paler & spreadable. Add in one egg at a time, mixing in-between each addition.
- Sieve the 80 grams Plain Flour (and 1 tsp Baking Powder if using Plain/A.P. flour), over the wet mixture. Start to combine by hand, before adding in the 18 grams Ground Almonds (almond flour/fine almond meal). Briefly mix in by hand again, before adding in the 1 tsp Orange Extract, 10 drops Foodie Flavours Mango Extract (optional ) & the 1½ tsp Milk. Then use the electric mixer to combine the ingredients, till no dry patches remain, but being careful not to over-mix. **Should take less than 60 seconds to mix & scrape down the sides.
Prepare The Air Fryer & Bundt Cases:
- See how many bundt cases you can fit in your air fryer (on one level). I can fit 4 in a small basket air fryer. Bigger air fryers or regular ovens will take more.
- Well grease the silicone bundt cases. I recommend FryLight cooking spray, as you can easily get into all the little nooks & crannies.
Bake The Mini Bundts:
- Divide the cake batter between the 6 mini bundt cases. **There will be enough batter for up to 7 cakes, depending on exact size and shape of your cases. Aim for about 80-85% full cases.
- If you need to pre-heat your particular oven, do so before this point, setting to: 160°c. Bake for 10 minutes without opening the air fryer. Open the basket & the cakes should have risen & be starting to colour. Rearrange the cake positions for even baking (if able), then continue baking for another 3 minutes, or until a cocktail stick comes out clean of crumbs.
- Transfer to a cooling rack, leaving same way up (cake pointing up), for 5 minutes. Then turn them over, case side up. Place one hand on top of a case, other hand underneath, under the rack & gently push down on the top to help flatten the cakes to sit better.
- Leave to cool for another 5-10 minutes before removing the bundt cases. They should come off really easily. Leave to cool further.
Serving & Storing:
- Serve the cases on their own with tea or coffee. No need for decoration, but you can dust with icing/powdered sugar or make an orange zest glaze (see my Air Fryer Plum Bundt recipe & half the orange glaze.) Or fill the centre with some blueberry orange curd, easy lemon curd or plum jam.
- Store the mini bundt cakes in a metal cake or cookie tin, out at room temperature for at least 3 days. Mini Madeira's can be frozen if wrapped in baking/parchment paper, then cling film/plastic wrap or foil & stored in a labelled food bag or air-tight container for up to 3 months2.
Video
Notes
Orange Extract – try making your own, alcohol free extracts.
Mango Extract – Foodie Flavours’ extracts are amazing and this mango one pairs great with orange and rhubarb. A good alternative is passion fruit. Use my link when buying on The Craft Company & I will receive a small commission, at no cost to you. My link – https://tidd.ly/3GMGHIA
Rhubarb – fresh or frozen rhubarb used. No need to defrost. Great alternatives are red plums, cranberries & blueberries.
Bundt Cases – I use mini silicone bundt cases in the air fryer. These most recent pastel-coloured ones are from Lidl. Use Frylight cooking spray and the cases release so easy.
Air fryer Or Oven – I used a small 3.5 litre air fryer basket for these mini cakes, baking 4 at one time. Bigger air fryers will take more. You can of course use a regular oven too, and double the recipe if you want.
Recipe Yield – this recipe is for 6 – 7 mini bundt cakes as the exact size and shape of the cases can vary. A money saving, air fryer recipe & ideal for when its hot as the air fryer doesn’t make the kitchen warmer. You can double or triple the recipe.
More Madeira Cakes – love Madeira cake? Try some Madeira cake muffins with red plum (photo below), classic Madeira cake loaf, or a large cranberry bundt Madeira cake.
Reference: please see details at bottom of the post.
Nutritional Information: I am not a qualified nutritionist and all values are approximate. Values based on a yield of 7 mini bundt cakes, using all ingredients as listed, where one serving is one bundt cake. Nutritional calculations from MyFitnessPal.com.
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Caro x
Air Fryer rhubarb mini Madeira bundts
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Caroline’s Easy Baking Lessons
Another great recipe. Love the idea of using rhubarb such a change. The instructions are brilliant with photos for each stage which makes it so easy to follow. Another plus is that you can use other fruits too. Thanks again.