This classic chiffon cake is tender and light as air. It has the richness of a butter cake and the fluffiness of a sponge cake. It’s also similar to an angel food cake, but more flavorful and moist.
I was first introduced to chiffon cakes by my ex-sister-in-law back when I was a pre-teen. She used to make them all the time for all our family dinners. Nancy was a perfectionist. When she made something, she would keep making it until it was perfect. That’s what I admired about her. I haven’t spoken to her since the divorce which is a shame because she was like the big sister I never had. That’s life though, people come and go, and relationships change.
Chiffon cake is a type of foam cake, which has a high ratio of eggs to flour and is leavened mainly from the air beaten into the eggs. It’s similar to an angel food cake, but instead of using just egg whites, chiffon cake recipes use the whole egg. This gives a more rich and flavorful taste to the cake, and there is no waste because I never know what to do with the leftover yolks. It’s also similar to a sponge cake which is basically just eggs, sugar, and flour, but there is oil added to the batter. This makes the texture of a chiffon cake more moist and silky. It’s a very simple, yet delicious cake which can be a nice change from all the heavy decadent desserts out there.
There are many variations out there, but what I like about this recipe is that there are an even number of egg whites to egg yolks used, so again there is no waste. I kept the flavoring simple with just vanilla, but you can add lemon or even almond extract if you prefer. The rest of the ingredients are all your usual pantry staples. The method is fairly easy. The two most important key to success with this recipe is to make sure you take the time to beat your egg whites until they are very stiff. The second key is to very gently fold the egg yolk batter into the egg whites. Do not stir and make sure the batter is all evenly combined. The final texture of the batter is super fluffy and white. You’ll feel like you are baking a cloud.
Little Sweet Baker TVYou can enjoy this cake as is or served with some whipped cream and fresh fruit. You can also cut it horizontally and make it into a layer cake with your favorite frosting. The choice is yours; just have fun with it.
Classic Chiffon Cake
This classic chiffon cake is tender and light as air. It has the richness of a butter cake and the fluffiness of a sponge cake.
- Prep Time: 20 min
- Cook Time: 60 min
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 12
- Category: dessert
- Method: bake
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 2 cups (235g) cake flour
- 1&1/2 cups (300g) granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp (12g) baking powder
- 1 tsp (5g) salt
- 7 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (125ml) vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup (188ml) cold water
- 1 tbsp (15ml) vanilla extract
- 7 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp (2g) cream of tartar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F.
- Sift the first 4 ingredients into a bowl. Make a well and add the next 4 ingredients. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar until very stiff. Set aside.
- Using the same beaters, beat the egg yolk batter. Scrape the bowl as needed. Beat until light in color and smooth in texture.
- Slowly pour half of the egg yolk batter into the egg whites. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold a few times and then add the rest of the batter in. Gently fold until just combined and making sure there is no yolk batter left on the bottom of the bowl.
- Pour into an ungreased 10″ tube pan with removable bottom. Bake for 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. The top should be golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed.
- Let cool completely upside down (see below). Unmold and serve.
Notes
The cake can be stored wrapped up or in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
Keywords: chiffon cake recipe, easy chiffon cake, best chiffon cake, vanilla chiffon cake
Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com.
I’ll be sharing this recipe at Fiesta Friday #124, hosted by Angie and co-hosted by [email protected] in the Kitchen and [email protected], spatulas & spoons.
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Hii.. I want to try out this recipe. It looks great ! I only have as few questions. Since I do not have cake flour can I use plain flour with the same measurement? Also is it granulated or caster sugar? And lastly, are the eggs used medium or large?
Thank you 🙂
Hi Alin,
You can make your own cake flour by mixing 1&3/4 cups all-purpose with 1/4 cup cornstarch. It should be granulated sugar and large eggs. Thank you for pointing that out. I’ve updated the recipe to include more details. Enjoy and have a great day!
I made it perfectly.Thank you for this recipe.
You’re very welcome! I’m glad it was perfect for you:)
Can I use coloring to make cute characters cake? I love how your recipe looks simple and easy to make.
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Hi Christina,
Thank you, and yes you can add a few drops of food coloring if you want to tint the cake. Please feel free to email me back if you have any other questions:)
Can I use a regular round baking pan to bake it in since I don’t have a tube pan?
You can, but just make sure it’s high enough as this chiffon cake almost double in height when it bakes. You can also divide the batter into 2 cake pans if your cake pans are shallow or line it with parchment paper around the parameter to compensate for the rise. I hope that helps and please feel free to email me back if you have any further questions.
is there any chance i can make it with
out cream of tartar？
thanks
★★★
Yes, or you can substitute with 1 tsp of vinegar. I hope that helps, and feel free to reply back if you have any other questions.
What kind of milk do i need to use if i will not put cream of tartar?
Hi Daryl,
You don’t need milk in this recipe. You can substitute the cream of tarter with the same amount of white vinegar or lemon juice to help stabilize the beaten egg whites.
Hi Lily whats wroong wd this iwasnt able to make a stiff peak wd my egg white?
Be patient, it takes time to beat egg whites to stiff peaks, especially if your egg whites were cold and not at room temperature.
How long did you beat them for, and was your egg whites cold?
Hi is it the same like a mamon?
Hi, I’m not sure what you are referring to. What is a mamon?
Can I use a regular round cake pan for this recipe? What size?
Hi Angela,
For this recipe it is best to use a tube pan with removable bottom because the cake rises quite high and the removable bottom makes it much easier to remove the cake.
This is the fluffiest chiffon cake I have ever tried before! I am planning on making it again soon so thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
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Hi!
How could I make this cake into an orange chiffon! Love this recipe for the vanilla and was wondering how to adapt it …
Many thanks
Hi Rosie,
You can reduce the vanilla to 1 tsp and add 1 tbsp of orange zest to make this into an orange flavor chiffon cake. You can also substitute some of the water with freshly squeezed orange juice, though the main flavor will come from the zest. I hope that helps and feel free to email be back if you have any other questions. Enjoy!
Hi Lily. Again I would like to say thank you for this recipe that never failed me. I used this for a cupcakes version and it turned out excellent. So thank you so much for sharing this.
I just a question how can I turn the recipe into Ube or purple yam chiffon cupcakes?. Hopefully you could help me.
Have a nice day to you.
★★★★★
Hi Ann,
The easiest way to make this recipe into an ube chiffon cake is to replace the vanilla with an ube flavor extract like McCormick. If you want to use fresh ube, it’s a little more work. Let me know if you prefer fresh, and I can provide you some instructions on how to do that.
Hi can you use this recipe for a number cake? I’ve been asked to make a 21st cake and I love this recipe. How would you cool them too?
Thanks so much.
Ali
I think a chiffon cake might be a little too fragile for a number cake. I would prefer to use a straight vanilla cake recipe like this one: https://www.littlesweetbaker.com/2018/02/08/vanilla-sheet-cake-vanilla-buttercream/
I hope that helps, and feel free to email me back if you have any other questions:)
Hi, can I use bundt pan instead of tube pan with removable bottom?
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Hi Charnette,
I’ve never made this cake in a bundt pan, so I did some research and there are mixed reviews. Some people say it works fine, just grease well, and some say you’ll have a difficult time getting the cake out in one piece. If a bundt pan is all you have, then give it a try. I do suggest greasing it well or even better, use Pam non-stick baking spray. I hope that helps:)
Hi Lily,
Thank you for a great recipe that is easy to follow with added bonus of a video.
My family loved it.
I had out of date cream of tartar so substituting 1 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice for the 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar. It worked well to whip the egg whites.
Linda
★★★★★
Hi Linda,
You’re very welcome and I’m happy you’re family loved it! Thank you for your kind words and great tip about substituting the cream of tarter for lemon juice.
Would you recommend splitting this recipe into 3 cake pans to make a layer cake? If so, what size would you recommend?
You can use an 8″x2″ or 9″x2″ rounds. I would only fill half full as chiffon cake rises quite a bit. You could also bake as is and just slice the cake into 3 layers. I’ve seen that done. I hope that helps and let me know if you have any other questions. Enjoy!
Hi Lily,
Thank you so much for sharing this awesome recipe. I made this cake today and turned out so perfect!! My First time to make a Chiffon Cake but this recipe did not fail me. So thank you very much…. I just have a question how can I turn the cake into chocolate or mocha???
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You’re very welcome Ana. Here’s a great recipe for chocolate chiffon cake and if you want to turn it into a mocha flavor, substitute the boiling water with hot strong coffee. Enjoy and thank you for your kind words:)
https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/chocolate-chiffon-cake
Can I make chiffon cupcakes using this recipe?
You can, it will probably make about 3 dozen cupcakes. Fill the paper liner 3/4 full and bake for about 15-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the tops spring back when gently pressed. Enjoy and have a great day!
hi Lily! most recipe i find put sugar on egg whites. i just want to ask if your method will make any difference on the texture of the cake?
Hi Jackie,
There is no difference in texture with this method. It just takes a tiny bit longer to beat the egg whites. I hope you enjoy it and have a great weekend!
Hi,
I don’t have a mixer, so I need to mix by hand, and after almost an hour of beating, nothing happened. The egg whites never changed. I was wondering if it would take much longer by hand or if I should use sugar?
Oh boy, beating egg whites shouldn’t take that long, even by hand. I’m not sure what to tell you. Sorry I can’t help:(
Thanks for this..looks great! Two questions.. can we substitute Splenda for the sugar (including in your other recipes like the bakery chocolate. chip muffins), and can we use a Bundt pan if we don’t have a tube pan with removable bottom? Thanks!
I have not tried this recipe using Splenda, but I don’t see why not. I advise following Splenda’s substitution instructions. As for the bundt pan, you would have to grease it and I’m not sure how that would effect the cake. I’m a little weary about it so I recommend using a tube pan for this recipe. Hope that helps and feel free to email me back with any further questions:)
Thank you for sharing this recipe. I believe the egg whites need to be cold not at room temperature . I did as the recipe called at room temperature and my egg withs did not come to high peaks. The cake came out good but a little flat . I will separate the egg whites from the yolk next time an refrigerated until I need to whip them up for the recipe.
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Hi Franca,
I did some research and it’s dependent on the source. According to What’s Cooking America, Martha Stewart and Incredible Egg; cold egg whites don’t whip well and room temperature egg whites attain more loft when whipped. However, The Kitchn recommends using fresh cold egg whites. So, I guess either way works. I’ve just always been taught room temp was best for foaming egg whites. Thank you for your feedback and have a lovely day:)
I made this cake tonight and I left the eggs at room temperature and those egg whites beat up like castle peaks. Definitely RoomTempersture all the way 👍
I agree! That’s how I’ve always been taught. I’m glad you enjoyed the chiffon cake. Have a great day!
Your comments about your ex-sister-in-law are poignant – especially the bit about losing the sister you’d never had. And I love this cake – including the bits about there being equal number of egg yolks and whites, and you you’ll feel like you’re baking a cloud. How lovely! Thanks for having brought this to Fiesta Friday!
Thank you for your kind words Lindy and nice to meet you:)
Lily your cake looks so light and soft. Loved its cottony texture
Thank you Rahul:)
This is a beautiful cake. It looks so light and soft. Love you cooling tip too!
Thanks Julie, hugs:)
I don’t often make desserts but have pinned this one. It seems like a perfect summer treat with fresh fruit. I’ve always thought that angel food cakes are a bit boring. Thanks for bringing it to FF.
You’re welcome and enjoy!
This looks like the perfect cake, Lily! I loved your little video 🙂
Thanks Sarah xx
Thank you for the detailed description of chiffon. I think this is a great recipe for summer when you want sweet but light. I can see topping with fresh peaches too!
I saw this on Fiesta Fridays!
Thanks!
Michelle
Thanks for visiting and nice to meet you Michelle:)