• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
Sugar Spun Run
  • All Recipes
  • Desserts
    • Cookies
    • Candy
    • Bars & Brownies
    • Cake
    • Pies
  • Breads
  • Savory
  • Breakfast
    • Muffins
    • Scones
  • Seasonal
    • Cozy Winter / Holiday Treats
    • Easter / Spring
    • Fall Recipes
    • Summer Recipes
  • Shop
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About Me
  • All Recipes
  • Contact/Work with Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Youtube
  • ×
    You are here: Home / Desserts / Cake / Chiffon Cake

    Chiffon Cake

    June 21, 2021 By Sam 17 Comments

    This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure policy.
    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe
    collage of chiffon cake, top image is of full cake with icing dripping off top, bottom image of single slice on white plate

    My soft and springy chiffon cake recipe has a light, melt-in-your mouth crumb that’s delicate, but not so delicate that it falls apart. It requires a bit of technique, but nothing that you can’t handle if you read through the steps carefully (and check out my how-to video if you’re a visual learner!).

    Golden chiffon cake with white glaze surrounded by a pink and yellow flower

    Have you ever tried a chiffon cake before?

    This light and airy cake is slightly heavier than its sister, the angel food cake, thanks to the fact that it incorporates plenty of fat by way of oil and egg yolks (unheard of to the pristine, fat-free angel food cake). Its sponge is slightly heavier and more tender and richer, (it leans towards pound cake in the richness department), but still deliriously soft, springy, and melt-in your mouth.

    You’ll dirty a few dishes on your way to this cake, but I guarantee that it’s 100% worth it. All good things come with a cost and a few extra bowls to wash is a small price to pay for chiffon cake. With its light texture and subtle sweetness, it’s the perfect freshly flavored cake for summer.

    I put a citrus spin on my chiffon cake because I felt the bright flavor was the perfect summer-y compliment to such a fresh and light cake, but I’ve included alternatives if you’re not a fan of orange flavor (you should really give it a try, though!).

    What You Need to Make Chiffon Cake

    INGREDIENTS FOR CHIFFON CAKE
    • Cake flour. Cake flour is lighter and finer than all-purpose flour, which typically lends itself to a light crumb. Here is no exception, and since this recipe is otherwise weighed down by the fats included in our ingredient list, I wanted to give the crumb the best chance of rising tall and staying delicate and light. Because of this, I prefer and recommend cake flour only for the best-textured cake.
    • Sugar. Using granulated sugar only helps to keeps the cake light (the molasses in brown sugar would weigh it down, plus the flavors would clash with the citrus). The sugar is divided, and some will be reserved to be beaten into the egg whites to help give them stability and structure (which in turn will give the finished cake a tall, light structure).
    • Baking powder. This leavener is important in combatting the heavier ingredients (like the oil) and giving us a light texture.
    • Eggs. You must divide the egg yolks and egg whites, but we’ll be using both of them. The egg yolks are beaten into the batter, but the egg whites are beaten separately to stiff peaks and then gently folded into the cake batter to help make it light and delicate. If you’ve made my tres leches cake before, you’ll probably recognize this technique and will appreciate the stunning results it yields!
    • Oil. If we spend so much time combatting the fat-containing ingredients in this recipe, maybe you’re wondering why we even include them in the first place. The answer is flavor and texture! The oil helps to coat every molecule of the cake, making it tender and melt-in-your-mouth. Any neutral oil (canola oil or vegetable oil) will work. I don’t recommend olive oil which has its own stronger, distinct flavor, and I also don’t recommend using butter, which contains water and will actually make your cake less moist.
    • Orange juice (or other liquid!). I love using orange juice because it imparts a light, citrus flavor into the cake (nothing overwhelming, its very subtle but still present). If you’d rather not have the citrus infusion, water will work instead.
    • Flavoring. Vanilla extract is a must. For a bright additional flavor, add a drop of almond extract as well!
    • Cream of tartar. The role of cream of tartar is to help stabilize the egg whites, ensuring they reach stable stiff peaks and that the cake doesn’t collapse on itself. Cream of tartar is a white powder that can usually be found in the spice section of your grocery store.

    If you’d like the same glaze that I used in the photos, you’ll also need butter, powdered sugar, and more orange juice (or milk). It’s based off my donut glaze and is rich and buttery, which I think is a nice contrast to the airy cake.

    Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!

    How To Make Chiffon Cake

    Collage showing the steps to make Chiffon cake batter 1) whisking dry ingredients, 2) whisking egg yolks, 3) combining dry ingredients and egg yolks, 4) whipping egg whites to stiff peaks
    1. Begin by whisking together cake flour, baking powder, salt, and some of the sugar (you’ll need to reserve ½ cup for stabilizing the egg whites).
    2. Separately, whisk together the egg yolks (yolks only! Save the whites in a separate large clean bowl), oil, extracts, and orange juice until the egg yolks are broken up and the mixture is smooth and well-combined.
    3. Combine the flour mixture and the egg yolk mixture and whisk until the two are well-combined.
    4. In the bowl with your egg whites(yes, you have to dirty several bowls for this recipe, but it’s worth it!) add a pinch of cream of tartar and begin to beat the mixture. Slowly add the sugar until you have thick, stiff peaks that hold their shape and don’t fold over or fold back in on themselves.

    SAM’S TIP: Make sure that when you divide your egg whites and yolks, the whites are placed in a completely clean, dry, and grease-free bowl. For best results use a glass or metal bowl, a plastic/rubber one is not recommended. Also make sure that not even a tiny bit of yolk is mixed in with the egg whites. If these steps aren’t followed properly, the egg whites may never reach stiff peaks, no matter how much you whip them.

    Collage of 4 photos showing the final 4 steps to make chiffon cake: 5) fold together egg whites and egg yolk mixture, 6) spread into pan, 7) bake, 8) invert pan onto can to cool completely
    1. Gently fold together the egg yolk mixture and the egg whites. You just spent all that time whipping air into your egg whites, so do this part gently to avoid deflating the whites as much as possible. Of course they’ll deflate some as you mix, but if you over-mix your cake could turn out dense or even fall in on itself.
    2. Spread into an ungreased tube pan.
    3. Bake until golden brown and any cracks in the surface appear dry. If you lightly touch the surface with your finger, it should spring back and not cave in.
    4. Carefully invert the cake onto a can or bottle and let it cool completely upside down. This is important for the cake to stay light and airy, if you cool it right-side-up it will shrink in on itself and become dense. A tube pan is important for chiffon cake so that you can invert it this way.
    Slice of fluffy chiffon cake on a white plate

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Why did my chiffon cake fall out of the pan?

    If you greased your cake pan or if the cake was not fully baked, it could unfortunately fall out of the pan once it is inverted. I also counsel against using tube pans that have the prongs on the sides that are meant for inverting the pan without a can or bottle. Unfortunately, with some pans, these prongs will pull the sides of the pan away from the center once inverted, sometimes causing the cake to separate from the pan and fall out. Even if your pan has prongs, I still recommend inverting it on a can or bottle.

    Why is my chiffon cake dense?

    While a chiffon cake is more dense than an angel food cake, it shouldn’t be as dense as, say, a pound cake. If you find that yours is dense or dry, most likely this is due to either the egg whites not being whipped fully to stiff peaks or over-mixing the batter once you add the egg whites. If you deflate your egg whites, the cake is likely to turn out dense.

    Can I bake chiffon cake in a regular cake pan

    Unfortunately I do not recommend it. The tall tube pan allows the cake to rise properly and being able to invert it is critical to the lighter and airier crumb. If you use a regular cake pan or loaf pan, the cake cannot be properly inverted after baking and will shrink in on itself and is likely to turn out flat and dense. I’ve linked to the tube pan that I use in the “equipment” section of the recipe.

    Slice of fluffy chiffon cake on a white plate

    More Recipes You Might Like

    • The Perfect Bundt Cake Recipe
    • Lemon Pound Cake Recipe
    • Chocolate Bundt Cake (With Video!)
    • The Best Pound Cake Recipe

    Enjoy!

    Let’s bake together! Make sure to check out the how-to VIDEO in the recipe card!

    Golden chiffon cake with white glaze surrounded by a pink and yellow flower

    Chiffon Cake

    A soft and springy chiffon cake with a citrus spin (though you can make yours just plain vanilla, just follow the notes in the recipe!). Be sure to check out the how-to video before beginning!
    5 from 7 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Cake, Dessert
    Cuisine: American
    Prep Time: 30 minutes
    Cook Time: 50 minutes
    Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
    Servings: 12 servings
    Calories: 483kcal
    Author: Sam Merritt

    Ingredients

    Chiffon Cake

    • 2 ¼ cups cake flour (250g)
    • 1 ¾ cups granulated sugar divided (350g)
    • 2 teaspoons baking powder
    • 1 teaspoon salt
    • 6 large eggs whites and yolks separated
    • ½ cup canola oil 118ml
    • 1 cup orange juice may substitute milk or water (236ml)
    • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • ¼ teaspoon almond extract optional
    • ½ teaspoon cream of tartar

    Glaze (optional)

    • ½ cup salted butter melted (113g)
    • 2 ¼ cups powdered sugar (280g)
    • 2-4 Tablespoons orange juice or milk as needed

    Recommended Equipment

    • Mixing bowls
    • Electric mixer
    • 10" tube pan
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 325F (165C).
    • In a large bowl, combine flour, 1 ¼ cups (250g) granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt and whisk together.
    • In a separate bowl, combine egg yolks, canola oil, extracts and orange juice (or milk or water) and beat very well until mixture is smooth and well-combined.
    • Add the egg yolk mixture to the flour mixture and stir until mixture is thoroughly combined.
    • In a separate large, clean, dry, and completely grease and moisture-free bowl, combine egg whites and cream of tartar. Use an electric mixer to beat on medium-speed until foamy. Gradually increase the mixer speed to medium-high and gradually add remaining ½ cup (100g) of granulated sugar, about 1 Tablespoon at a time, allowing about 10 seconds of mixing after each addition.
    • Increase mixer speed to high and beat until egg white mixture is thick and glossy and you have reached stiff peaks.
    • Add the egg yolk mixture to the egg whites and use a spatula to carefully fold the ingredients together until batter is smooth and completely combined,
    • Pour evenly into an ungreased tube pan. Transfer to the center rack of 325F (165C) oven and bake for 50-55 minutes and any cracks on the surface appear dry.
    • Remove from the oven and immediately invert onto a can or bottle.
    • Allow to cool completely before running a knife along the inside of the pan to release the cake from the pan and then turning it out onto a serving rack. If desired, top with glaze before serving.

    Glaze

    • Combine melted butter and powdered sugar in a large bowl. Whisk together until smooth. Mixture will be stiff, add orange juice (or milk) starting with 2 Tablespoons, and add more as needed until you have a smooth glaze that drizzles smoothly off the whisk.
    • Pour evenly over cooled cake. Allow glaze to set (about 30 minutes, though this can vary depending on the specific thickness of your glaze) before slicing and serving.

    Notes

    Storing

    Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4-5 days. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1slice (with glaze) | Calories: 483kcal | Carbohydrates: 71g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 113mg | Sodium: 351mg | Potassium: 124mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 53g | Vitamin A: 413IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 1mg

    Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.

    Tried this recipe? Show me on Instagram!Mention @SugarSpun_Sam or tag #sugarspunrun!
    « Fruit Dip
    BLT Dip »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Deborah

      June 19, 2022 at 4:07 pm

      Wow!!! It’s Father’s Day today and I made this cake. It’s divine. The almond extract and frosting take it to the next level. Let’s not forget the fresh orange juice too, one of the star ingredients. It just pulls the whole cake together making it totally delicious! It’s a cake that won’t disappoint. I baked for 50 mins. The skewer came out with a few moist crumbs but as it completely cools in the tube pan any longer baking may contribute to the cake drying out quicker. The sponge was moist, super soft and springy. Using a knife with a serrated edge is the best option to give a clean cut. Thank you for testing and sharing this recipe Sam! It’s an absolute keeper!

      Reply
    2. Miriam Rose Blanar

      January 30, 2022 at 9:48 pm

      5 stars
      This cake was incredible! All I has was some lemon/orange hybrid fruit so I used that, and it turned out very delicious!

      Reply
      • Emily @ Sugar Spun Run

        January 31, 2022 at 9:11 am

        Sounds delicious, Miriam! We’re so happy you enjoyed it 😊

        Reply
    3. Ani

      September 06, 2021 at 6:10 am

      Hi! Is there a typo in this recipe? It says to bake at 325 F or 175 C, but 325 F is around 162 C and 175 C is 350 F. Which is it?

      Reply
      • Sam

        September 06, 2021 at 1:49 pm

        Hi Ani! 325F/165 C, sorry about the confusion!

        Reply
    4. Cheryl

      June 28, 2021 at 6:05 pm

      5 stars
      This cake came out picture perfect. I added 1 tsp. of orange zest but will add more next time and use fresh squeezed orange juice for a stronger flavor. Guess I used to baked goods that are a tangy lemon rather than a sweet orange flavor. Definitely a good cake!

      Reply
      • Sam

        June 28, 2021 at 10:03 pm

        I am so glad you enjoyed it so much, Cheryl! 🙂

        Reply
    5. Kimberly

      June 22, 2021 at 7:56 pm

      Hi! I am excited to try this, my husband loves STRAWBERRY chiffon cake. How can I make this strawberry? Thank you!

      Reply
      • Sam

        June 30, 2021 at 9:37 pm

        Hi Kimberly! You could try adding a strawberry extract, but actually adding fresh strawberries will alter the recipe a bit and it’s tough to say exactly how to do that without having tried it.

        Reply
    6. Lorice Chung

      June 21, 2021 at 3:32 pm

      I’m allergic to gluten. Can I substitute Gluten Free flour instead?

      Reply
      • Sam

        June 21, 2021 at 8:54 pm

        Hi Lorice! Unfortunately I haven’t tried it. If you do I would love to know how it turns out. 🙂

        Reply
    7. Cheryl

      June 21, 2021 at 1:26 pm

      I was hoping one of my food blogs would publish a chiffon cake. They were popular in the 60s and early 70s, I believe.

      I wondering about orange zest being added for more flavor ?
      Also lemon juice/zest instead of orange juice?

      Will be making this very soon!

      Reply
      • Sam

        June 21, 2021 at 9:15 pm

        Hi Cheryl! I think adding orange zest will work just fine. I would add it in with the egg yolks. For the lemon juice, I have actually been wanting to try this. I’m not sure if you would need to increase the sugar because the lemon juice is sour, but if you do try it I would love to know how it goes. 🙂

        Reply
      • Chioma Chinenye Ahumareze

        June 23, 2021 at 5:57 am

        Please, it is not easy to get cake flour where I live. Can I have the measurements in all-purpose flour?

        Reply
        • Sam

          June 30, 2021 at 9:34 pm

          Hi Chioma! If using weights you will need the same amount of flour (250g) The cake may be slightly more dense. 🙂

    8. Susan P

      June 21, 2021 at 12:05 pm

      Video would not play. Ad that precedes it was frozen. Tried reloading 6 times and when I would scroll down your video showed underneath and then disappeared. Could never watch the video. I don’t have an ad blocker.

      Reply
      • Sam

        June 21, 2021 at 12:18 pm

        Hi Susan! I’m sorry about that, that is very frustrating. I cannot seem to replicate the issue here and so I’m really not sure what the issue is. If it still won’t load for you, all of my videos can be seen for free over on my YouTube channel if you would like to watch it there. Again, I’m sorry it’s giving you this issue!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    The author (Sam) in blue shirt holding donut Hi, I'm Sam! I'm dedicated to bringing you sweet, simple, and from-scratch dessert recipes. My life may or may not be controlled by my sweet tooth. Send help (or chocolate). Read more about me.

    Cozy Soup Recipes

    white bowl of hearty homemade tomato soup garnished with parmesan cheese, fresh basil, and cracked black pepper

    Tomato Soup

    bowl of chicken and rice soup with spoon scooping a bite

    Chicken and Rice Soup (One Pot Dinner Recipe!)

    mason jar of chicken broth made from a homemade chicken stock recipe

    Instant Pot Chicken Stock Recipe

    Bowl of broccoli cheddar soup with a spoon scooping out a bite.

    Broccoli Cheddar Soup

    french onion soup in white bowl

    French Onion Soup

    Blue bowl of beef stew with chunks of beef, carrots, and potatoes.

    Beef Stew Recipe

    Most Popular

    flaky biscuit on white cloth

    Easy Homemade Biscuits

    Pizza dough in glass bowl, after rising

    The Best Pizza Dough Recipe

    one bite missing from a slice of vanilla cake with chocolate frosting

    The Best Vanilla Cake Recipe

    Slice of cheesecake

    The Best Cheesecake Recipe

    Stack of cookies made from this chocolate chip cookie recipe with melty chocolate chips and a bite missing from the top cookie

    The WORST Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

    Potato soup in bowl, with toppings

    The Ultimate Creamy Potato Soup

    places sugar spun run has been featured (Women's Day, Redbook, Good Housekeeping, Country Living, the huffington post, People, Delish, MSN, TLC, Parade, Better Homes & Gardens, Buzzfeed)
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • Youtube

    Privacy Policy|Accessibility Statement

    Footer

    Subscribe To My Newsletter!

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    ABOUT

    • About Me
    • Policies, Disclosure & Privacy
    • Terms of Use

    CONTACT

    • Contact
    • Work with Me!

    [widget id="simple-social-icons-3"]

    © 2020 Sugar Spun Run. All Rights Reserved