Chiffon cake is a light, airy cake that combines the richness of a butter cake with the fluffiness of a sponge cake. It’s made with vegetable oil, eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, and flavorings, and it gets its signature texture from whipped egg whites that are folded into the batter.
🌟 Key Features:
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Light & fluffy due to beaten egg whites.
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Moist & tender because of the oil content.
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Versatile – can be flavored with vanilla, lemon, orange, chocolate, etc.
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Typically baked in a tube pan (like angel food cake).
🍰 Basic Chiffon Cake Recipe (Vanilla)
🧂 Ingredients:
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2 1/4 cups (280g) cake flour
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1 1/2 cups (300g) sugar, divided
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1 tbsp baking powder
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1/2 tsp salt
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7 large eggs, separated
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1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
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3/4 cup (180ml) water
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2 tsp vanilla extract
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1/2 tsp cream of tartar
👩🍳 Instructions:
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Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). Do not grease the pan.
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Dry ingredients: In a large bowl, sift together flour, 1 cup of sugar, baking powder, and salt.
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Wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, whisk together egg yolks, oil, water, and vanilla. Add to the dry ingredients and mix until smooth.
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Whip egg whites: In another clean bowl, beat egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar and beat until stiff, glossy peaks form.
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Fold the egg whites gently into the batter in batches. Don’t deflate the whites.
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Bake in an ungreased 10-inch tube pan for 55–65 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.
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Cool upside down: Invert the pan over a bottle or rack and let cool completely to prevent collapse.
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Release from pan using a thin knife around the edges.
🍋 Flavor Variations:
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Lemon chiffon: Add zest and lemon juice.
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Chocolate chiffon: Replace some flour with cocoa powder.
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Orange chiffon: Use orange juice and zest.
Would you like a flavor-specific version or a smaller/larger batch conversion?