Light, fluffy, and delicately sweet, the Chiffon Cake is a true classic — combining the richness of a butter cake with the airiness of a sponge cake. It’s made with oil (instead of butter) and whipped egg whites, giving it a soft, moist texture and tall, airy rise. It’s perfect plain, dusted with powdered sugar, or dressed up with whipped cream and fruit.
🍰 Classic Vanilla Chiffon Cake
🕒 Total Time: ~1 hour 30 minutes (including cooling)
🍽️ Makes: One 10-inch tube cake (about 12 servings)
🧾 Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
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2¼ cups cake flour (or all-purpose flour sifted 3x)
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1½ cups granulated sugar, divided
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1 tbsp baking powder
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½ tsp salt
Wet Ingredients:
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7 large eggs, separated
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¾ cup water
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½ cup vegetable oil
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1 tbsp vanilla extract
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½ tsp cream of tartar (for stabilizing egg whites)
👨🍳 Instructions
1. Preheat and Prepare
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Preheat oven to 325°F (163°C).
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Do NOT grease your 10-inch tube (angel food) pan — the cake needs to cling to the sides as it rises.
2. Combine Dry Ingredients
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In a large bowl, sift together flour, 1 cup of sugar, baking powder, and salt.
3. Mix Wet Ingredients
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In another bowl, whisk together egg yolks, water, oil, and vanilla until well combined.
4. Make the Batter
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Add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients and whisk until smooth — no lumps.
5. Beat the Egg Whites
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In a clean, dry bowl, beat the egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form.
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Gradually add remaining ½ cup sugar and beat until stiff but glossy peaks form.
6. Fold and Combine
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Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter in 3 batches, using a spatula.
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Be careful not to deflate the mixture — fold, don’t stir.
7. Bake
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Pour the batter into your ungreased tube pan.
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Bake for 55–65 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly touched and a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Cool Upside Down
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Immediately invert the cake (pan upside down) onto a bottle or cooling rack.
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Let cool completely (1–2 hours) before removing from pan.
9. Release & Serve
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Run a knife around the sides and center tube to loosen, and gently remove the cake.
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Serve plain, dusted with powdered sugar, or topped with whipped cream and fresh fruit.
🍓 Flavor Variations
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Lemon Chiffon: Add 2 tbsp lemon zest + 2 tbsp lemon juice
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Orange Chiffon: Use orange juice in place of water and add orange zest
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Chocolate Chiffon: Add 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder to dry ingredients and increase sugar slightly
🧊 Storage
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Room temp (covered): Up to 2 days
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Fridge: Up to 5 days (best served at room temp)
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Freezer: Freeze in slices, wrapped tightly, up to 1 month