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How to Make a Light and Moist Chiffon Cake

Beginner-friendly, easy recipe with a step-by-step guide. It includes tips, tricks, and techniques for making a basic Chiffon cake that is incredibly light and moist.
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 5 minutes
Course: Cake
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Basic Chiffon Cake, Light and Moist Chiffon Cake
Servings: 8
Author: kanthi

Equipment

  • 20cm (8-inch) Tube Pan

Ingredients

  • 5 large eggs see the notes
  • 130 g cake flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • 1/8 tsp salt
  • 140 g granulated white sugar divided, (see the notes)
  • 60 ml vegetable oil
  • 100 ml milk at RT
  • 1/2 tsp cream of tartar or 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract optional

Instructions

Prep

  • Preheat the oven to 180 C.
  • Have ready a 20 cm (8-inch) ungreased, unlined tube pan.

Separate the eggs

  • Place the egg yolks in a small bowl and set aside. Place the egg whites in a large clean dry bowl. Keep it in the fridge covered while you continue making the batter.

Sift the Dry Ingredients

  • Sift the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

Beat the Wet Ingredients

  • In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks with sugar (60g) at medium-high until thick for about 3 minutes.
  • Gradually add oil while beating constantly until it is well combined (about 1 minute).
  • Gradually add milk while beating constantly until combined (about 30 seconds).
  • Set the yolk mixture aside briefly while you continue making the whipped egg whites. (I folded the flour mixture into the yolk mixture, after whipping the whites)

Make the Whipped Egg Whites (Meringue)

  • Take the egg white mixing bowl out of the fridge. Add cream of tartar or lemon juice. Beat at medium-low speed of a hand mixer to whip the egg whites for 30 seconds.
  • Gradually increase the speed to medium-high. Continue whisking until the foam starts.
  • Keep beating until they start forming medium peaks. Gradually add the sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, while beating constantly.
  • Keep beating until it is slightly glossy and stiff peaks just start to form. Lift the whisk quickly and vertically out of the meringue. You will see a pointed peak. The peak should curl over just slightly at the tip.
  • Set meringue aside briefly while you continue making the batter.

Combine the Dry and Wet Ingredients

  • Pour the wet ingredients (egg yolk mixture) into the dry ingredient (flour mix) bowl. Mix gently with a rubber spatula until well combined.

Prepare the cake batter

  • Briefly re-beat the meringue at medium-low for 30 seconds or so.
  • Add one-third of the meringue to the batter and fold gently until almost blended to lighten the batter. I used a balloon whisk.
  • Add half of the remaining meringue to the batter and fold in likewise being careful not to deflate them.
  • Lastly, transfer the batter (egg yolk + meringue mixture) into the meringue mixing bowl. Gently, fold it into the remaining meringue until incorporated.
  • Pour the batter into the cake pan, and gently spread the batter with a spatula to create a smooth surface.
  • Bake at 180 C for 20 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 170 C and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes. When the cake is done, insert a cake tester. It will emerge damp but clean, with no gooey batter clinging to it.

Let cool upside down

  • Remove the cake from the oven and promptly turn it upside down (see the picture below). Stick the cake pan on a tall heavy bottle. Let the cake cool completely for 3-4 hours before removing the cake pan.
  • To unmold, turn the cake right side up. Then run a long, thin, sharp knife around the cake’s edge. Also, run the knife around the central tube.

Serve and Enjoy!

  • Serve plain, dusted with powdered sugar. It also goes well with cream cheese, yogurt, and fruit preserves.

Notes

  1. This batter is enough to make a 20 cm (8-inch) chiffon cake. If you don’t have a tube pan, you can also split this cake between two round cake pans 20 cm.
  2. Eggs (250 g approx. without shell) are separated into whites (150ｇ(approx.) and yolks (100ｇapprox.).
  3. Sugar is divided into 60g (for egg yolk batter) and 80ｇ(for whipping egg whites).
  4. When you start mixing the whites and egg yolk mixture, whites will start to defoam fast. Mix them as gently and fast as possible.
  5. The cake must be cooled upside down in its pan to prevent collapsing.