Light, airy, cloud-soft perfection coming your way ☁️🍰
This classic chiffon cake is fluffy like sponge, moist like butter cake, and surprisingly simple once you know the rhythm.
Classic Chiffon Cake
Ingredients
Dry
- 2¼ cups (270 g) cake flour (or all-purpose flour, sifted)
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ tsp salt
- 1½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar, divided
Wet
- ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
- 7 large egg yolks
- ¾ cup (180 ml) water
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
Meringue
- 7 large egg whites
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
Instructions
1. Prep
- Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C)
- Use an ungreased 10-inch tube pan (very important!)
2. Dry Mix
- Sift flour, baking powder, salt, and ¾ cup sugar into a large bowl.
3. Yolk Batter
- Whisk oil, egg yolks, water, and vanilla until smooth.
- Add to dry ingredients and mix until silky and lump-free.
4. Meringue
- Beat egg whites with cream of tartar until foamy.
- Gradually add remaining ¾ cup sugar.
- Beat to stiff, glossy peaks (not dry).
5. Fold
- Gently fold ⅓ of the meringue into the batter to lighten it.
- Fold in remaining meringue in two additions—slow and gentle.
6. Bake
- Pour batter into pan and smooth top.
- Bake 50–60 minutes, until top springs back when lightly touched.
7. Cool Upside Down
- Immediately invert the pan (on a bottle or feet).
- Cool completely before removing—this prevents collapse.
Unmolding
- Run a thin knife around the edges and center tube.
- Lift out and slice with a serrated knife.
Flavor Variations
- Lemon chiffon: add 2 tbsp lemon juice + 1 tbsp zest
- Orange chiffon: replace water with orange juice
- Pandan chiffon: replace vanilla with pandan extract
- Chocolate chiffon: replace ¼ cup flour with cocoa powder
Chiffon Cake Secrets
✔ Don’t grease the pan
✔ Fully whipped egg whites = height
✔ Fold gently or you’ll deflate the magic
✔ Cool upside down—always
If you want, I can help you:
- Make a 6-inch or loaf version
- Fix a collapsed or dense chiffon
- Add a whipped cream or glaze pairing
Just tell me how you plan to serve it 🍰
