Vanilla Chiffon Cake (video)
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. Check out my easy method of making this wonderful and special cake that fits any occasion.

What is chiffon cake?
Chiffon cake is a type of foam cake that has a high ratio of eggs to flour and is leavened mainly from the air beaten into the egg whites. It’s similar to an angel food cake, but instead of using just egg whites, chiffon cake recipes use egg yolks as well. This gives a richer and more flavorful taste to the cake. 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, which is why it’s my favorite type of cake out of the three. It’s a very light and simple, yet delicious cake. So it’s a nice change from all the heavy, decadent desserts out there.
Why you’ll love this recipe:
- Easy streamlined method – The method of this recipe is easier than most. The dry ingredients and all of the wet ingredients, except for the egg whites, are prepared in the same bowl. The meringue and the egg yolk batter are prepared using the same beaters. So there is no mixing of everything separately or using a bunch of different utensils.
- No leftover egg whites or yolks – There are many variations out there, but what I love about this recipe is that it uses the same number of egg whites and egg yolks, so there is no waste and no pressure of what to do with the leftovers.
- Perfectly light and fluffy – The most distinctive feature of chiffon cake is its airy, light texture and soft, tender crumb. The texture is also smooth and velvety, offering a luxurious mouthfeel.
- Here are some reviews:
“Thank you so much for sharing this awesome recipe. I made this cake today and turned out so perfect!! My first time making a chiffon cake but this recipe did not fail me. So thank you very much.” – Ana
“Love this recipe, itโs simple and yields great results. No waste with the eggs too!! Iโve added different infusions such as pandan and every time it comes out perfect.” – Shaleen
How to make chiffon cake:
(the ingredient amounts are listed in the printable recipe card further below)
- Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and add the egg yolks, oil, water, and vanilla. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add in the cream of tartar. Continue mixing and slowly add in the sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- Using the same beaters, beat the egg yolk mixture until smooth.
- Fold in 1/4 of the egg whites into the egg yolk batter to lighten it up. Then gently fold in the rest of the egg whites in two equal parts until no white streaks remain.
- Pour the batter into an ungreased 10″ tube pan and bake at 325F for about 1 hour.
- Invert and let cool completely before unmolding.
Expert tips:
- Beat your egg whites to stiff peaks – Since the meringue is the main leavening agent in this cake, it is really important to take the time to beat your egg whites to stiff peaks to ensure your cake has a nice rise and fluffy texture. Once your egg whites reach medium peaks (a tip that folds over), continue beating but check often and once you reach stiff peaks (a tip that points straight) STOP. You don’t want to over-beat your egg whites. They could possibly break and will be harder to fold.
- Fold in stages – Start by folding in only 1/4 of the meringue into your egg yolk batter to lighten the density of the batter, making it easier to combine the rest. Then fold in the remainder of the meringue in two equal parts using an under-and-over motion with your rubber spatula. Be gentle so you maintain as much of the air bubbles as possible.
- Do not grease your tube pan – The batter needs to be able to stick to the sides of the pan to help it rise to its maximum height.
- Cool upside down – As soon as you remove it from the oven, flip the cake over and cool it upside down in the pan to prevent it from collapsing. The reason is the structure of the cake crumb is not stable until it’s completely cooled. Some tube pans have feet that you can flip and stand it on. You can also set the tube pan over a bottleneck or two drinking glasses like I did.
How to serve:
Serve plain or with a dusting of powdered sugar, with coffee or tea. It also pairs well with fresh fruit and a dollop of whipped cream or creme fraiche for special occasions.
Substitutions:
- Cake flour – It’s best to use cake flour for the most tender and soft chiffon cake. You can make your own cake flour by mixing 2 cups of all-purpose minus 4 tablespoons mixed with 4 tablespoons of cornstarch. If you don’t have cornstarch, you can use straight all-purpose flour in a pinch, but please note the texture of the cake won’t be as soft.
- Cream of tartar – You can substitute the 1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar with 1 teaspoon of white vinegar or lemon juice.
- Vanilla extract – Can be substituted with lemon or orange zest or different extracts like ube or pandan.
- Tube pans – It’s best to use a 10″ tube pan with a removable bottom. The shape of a tube pan is perfect for the height of this cake and the hole in the center actually helps it bake evenly. If using a tube pan without a removable bottom, you can line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper to make it easier to remove the cake.
- Cake pans – You can also bake this chiffon cake in two 8 or 9-inch round cake pans. Just make sure they are at least 3″ deep and line the bottom of the pans with parchment paper. Once the cakes are done, cool them upside down on a cooling rack.
FAQ:
Yes, you can. Once it’s completely cooled, tightly wrap in a layer of saran wrap and a layer of aluminum foil and store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Yes, this recipe will make about 24 cupcakes. Fill the cupcake liners approximately 3/4 full and bake at 325F for 20-30 minutes or until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
Yes, but for this recipe, you will need to split the batter into 2 springform pans because of the volume and how high the cake rises.
No, a plain chiffon cake does not need to be refrigerated and is best stored at room temperature.
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Did you make this recipe? Please kindly leave a comment with your star rating below.
Best Chiffon Cake Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 cups (235g) cake flour
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 7 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup (180ml) cold water
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- 7 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F.
- Sift the flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.2 cups (235g) cake flour, 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1 tsp salt
- Make a well and add the egg yolks, vegetable oil, water, and vanilla. Set aside.7 large egg yolks, 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil, 3/4 cup (180ml) cold water, 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- In another large bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add in the cream of tartar. Continue mixing and slowly add in the sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Set aside.7 large egg whites, 1/2 tsp cream of tartar, 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- Using the same beaters, beat the egg yolk batter. Scrape the bowl as needed. Beat until combined and smooth.
- Fold in 1/4 of the egg whites into the egg yolk batter to lighten it up. Then gently fold in the rest of the egg whites in two equal parts until no white streaks remain.
- Pour into an ungreased 10" tube pan with removable bottom. Bake for 55-60 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. Unmold and serve. Slice using a serrated knife.
Notes
Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com. This post was originally published on June 16th, 2016 and has been recently updated with new photos.
Hi is it the same like a mamon?
It’s not the same, but it is similar to a Filipino-style sponge cake.
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!
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?
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???
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.
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 ๐
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 ๐
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:)