This delightful Earl Grey Chiffon Cake is the perfect sweet treat for an afternoon snack. It’s light, spongy, and airy, with a lovely fragrance and calming citrus flavor from the bergamot orange oil in the tea. Tea-infused baked goods and chiffon cakes are very popular in Japan, and for good reason. Follow my simple techniques for a beautiful cake that’s surprisingly easy to make at home.
Have you tried Earl Grey flavored baked goods before? How about baking with tea leaves? If you haven’t, you must try this Earl Grey chiffon cake. Earl Grey is a tea blend with a delightful and calming citrus flavor. The citrus flavor comes from oil extracted from the rind of a bergamot orange.
As Earl Grey is my all-time favorite tea, all kinds of baked goods infused with Earl Grey tea are my top choices in bakeries. Given my love for sweets, I would even rank any Earl Grey flavored baked goods higher than chocolate. I am not kidding! From Earl Grey cookies, and Earl Grey pound cake to this Earl Grey chiffon, I can never resist any of them.
Tea-Infused Baked Goods
After living in the U.S., I realized tea-infused baked goods are not as popular compared to Japan. This actually motivated me to learn how to bake so that I can enjoy my favorite Earl Grey baked goods at home.
If you haven’t tried making a chiffon cake before, you will have to trust me when I say it’s one of the easiest cakes to bake. Not an experienced baker? Not to worry. I used to think it would be intimidating to bake chiffon cake as well, but it turned out to be less challenging than I had presumed. Once you understand the simple techniques, it will be one of your favorite cake recipes to bake at home.
Tips to Make Airy Chiffon Cake
The most crucial part to make a successful chiffon cake is to make perfect meringue and fold it into batter correctly.
Meringue
In Japan, the majority of recipes call for cold egg whites to make meringue (and we don’t use cream of tartar). If you already know how to make meringue with room-temperature egg whites and cream of tartar, please use your own method. Otherwise, you can follow my detailed instructions in the recipe.
Fold In
When you finish making meringue, make sure to fold in egg whites gently so the tiny bubbles don’t deflate. If you deflate the egg whites too much, the cake will not be fluffy.
How to Make the Perfect Chiffon Cake
- Have a question on chiffon cake making?
- Do you have a different size chiffon cake pan?
I answered your questions in this post.
Itadakimasu!
Chiffon cakes are my daughter’s favorite cake because she can help me make them and we enjoy making different types together. What I like best about chiffon cakes is they are so fluffy and bouncy, and not too sweet. The sponge-like texture is exceptionally light and airy and I feel like I can gobble up half of the cake myself.
It is also slightly healthier than other types of baked goods that use plenty of butter. This earl grey chiffon cake recipe uses just 3 Tbsp. of oil. With a faint citrus aroma, it makes the perfect cake to enjoy in an idyllic afternoon when you have some good friends over.
If you don’t like Earl Grey, try my Green Tea Chiffon Cake or Meyer Lemon Chiffon Cake.
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Earl Grey Chiffon Cake
Video
Ingredients
- 2 tsp Earl Grey loose tea leaves (for the tea powder)
- 1 Tbsp Earl Grey loose tea leaves (for the strong brewed tea)
- 6 Tbsp hot water (just boiled)
- 3 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell) (yolks and whites separated)
- 85 g sugar (½ cup minus 1 Tbsp; 3 oz; divided into thirds)
- 40 ml neutral oil (3 Tbsp minus 1 tsp)
- 75 g cake flour (⅔ cup minus 2 tsp; weigh your flour or use the “fluff and sprinkle“ method and level it off; you can make Homemade Cake Flour)
- 1 tsp baking powder
For Serving
- confectioners’ sugar (for dusting; optional)
Instructions
- Before You Start: Gather all the ingredients. I highly encourage you to weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale for this recipe. Click on the “Metric“ button at the top of the recipe to convert the ingredient measurements to metric. If you‘re using a cup measurement, please follow the “fluff and sprinkle“ method: Fluff your flour with a spoon, sprinkle the flour into your measuring cup, and level it off. Otherwise, you may scoop more flour than you need.
- Preheat the oven to 340ºF (170ºC). For a convection oven, reduce the cooking temperature by 25ºF (15ºC). You will need a 17-cm (7-inch) chiffon cake pan. If you have a different size pan, read this post to adjust the ingredient measurements. Make sure you use an aluminum pan with a removable base (read my blog post for more details). Please see my Notes at the end of this recipe for additional details on ingredients, equipment, and techniques.
- To make tea powder, put 2 tsp Earl Grey loose tea leaves in a food processor (I used a Nutribullet here). Grind them to a fine powder. Alternatively, you can use a mortar and pestle to grind the tea leaves, or put tea leaves in a bag and crush them. Transfer to a small bowl and set it aside.
- To brew strong tea, put 1 Tbsp Earl Grey loose tea leaves in a fine sieve over a bowl. Next, pour 6 Tbsp hot water over the tea leaves to steep. Let it cool, then remove the tea leaves. Measure 4 Tbsp (60 ml) of this brewed tea and set it aside.
- Separate 3 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell) into egg yolks and whites. Keep the eggs whites in a stand mixer bowl; refrigerate or freeze the bowl and egg whites for 15 minutes until cold. (It‘s okay if the egg whites are partially frozen). Tip: In Japan, we chill the egg whites to make smooth, fine-textured meringue and do not use cream of tartar.
To Mix the Batter
- Start mixing the batter. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks and one-third of the 85 g sugar with a hand whisk. Whisk vigorously until it‘s a creamy pale yellow color.
- Add 40 ml neutral oil and 4 Tbsp brewed tea to the egg mixture. Whisk all together until combined.
- Add the powdered Earl Grey tea to the egg mixture and mix well.
- To a flour sifter or fine-mesh sieve, add 75 g cake flour and 1 tsp baking powder. Sift one-third of this flour mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Whisk by hand to incorporate the dry ingredients well. Check that there are no lumps in the batter, then sift another one-third of the flour mixture into the bowl. Mix to incorporate. Then, sift in the rest of the flour mixture and whisk until just combined; do not overmix. Make sure there are no lumps in the batter. Set aside while you beat the meringue.
To Make the Meringue
- Take out the bowl of egg whites from the refrigerator or freezer. Set the bowl on the stand mixer with a whisk attachment (I used the KitchenAid Professional Series). Start whipping the egg whites on medium-low speed (Speed 4) until the egg whites are bubbly, opaque, and foamy.Add another one-third of the sugar and continue whisking for 30 seconds. Then, increase the mixer speed to high (Speed 10) and gradually add the remaining sugar in small increments. Beat vigorously until stiff peaks form. It takes about 2 minutes of beating at high speed to reach stiff peaks. Tip: I usually pause beating when the egg whites are almost done. Take off the whisk attachment from the mixer and use it to hand-mix the looser egg whites near the bowl‘s edge into the stiffer whites near the center until it‘s all homogenous in texture. Then, put the whisk back on and continue beating.To check for stiff peaks, pull up your whisk. The meringue in the bowl or on the whisk should be firm enough to hold a peak, pointing straight up (or maybe folding over a little bit just at the very tips). By this time, the meringue should have a glossy texture, too. Tip: If you overbeat the meringue, it will become very stiff and grainy and won‘t incorporate into the batter at all.
To Fold In the Meringue
- Using a spatula or hand whisk, add one-third of the meringue into the batter. Mix well by hand until it‘s homogeneous.
- Gently fold in the rest of the meringue in 2 or 3 increments. Take care not to deflate the air bubbles in the meringue and batter as you fold. Once it‘s well combined and homogenous, fold the batter one last time and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure there is no tea powder accumulation. The final batter should fall in ribbons when you lift the spatula or whisk.
To Bake
- Prepare an ungreased 17-cm (7-inch) chiffon cake pan. From 6–8 inches high, pour the batter into the pan at just one spot to prevent air pockets from forming. While holding the removable base in place, gently tap the pan a few times on the work surface to release any air pockets in the batter. Run a wooden skewer through the batter to release any remaining air pockets.
- Put the cake pan on the middle rack of the preheated oven. Bake at 340ºF (170ºC) for 30 minutes. To check if it‘s finished baking, insert a toothpick or wooden skewer into the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean and the top of the cake springs back when gently pressed, it‘s done. Tip: If the top of the cake gets dark too quickly, cover the top loosely with aluminum foil to prevent burning. (The cake may be too close to the heat source.)
- Remove the cake pan from the oven and gently drop the pan onto the work surface to shock the cake. This stops the cake from shrinking. To cool the cake, prepare a tall, heavy bottle with a long neck, such as a glass wine bottle. Invert the center tube of the cake pan onto the bottle‘s neck and let the cake cool completely in its pan. Cooling the cake upside down helps it stretch downward and maintain its loft.Once the cake is completely cool, run a long offset spatula around the outer edge of the pan and a small offset spatula around the inner tube. Gently take out the removable base and cake from the outer pan. Then, run the offset spatula along the bottom of the cake to release it from the base. Tip: I used to use a knife for this step, but the tip of the knife tends to poke the cake while moving around, so I now recommend using offset spatulas.
To Serve
- Invert the cake with the removable base onto a plate or cake stand. The cake will slide off the inner tube. Chiffon cake is served “upside down” with the flat bottom on top. Dust confectioners’ sugar on top, if you‘d like. Slice and enjoy.
To Store
- I strongly recommend consuming the cake sooner for the best freshness. However, you can keep the cake covered on a plate or stand at room temperature in a cooler place for 1–2 days. To keep it longer, wrap individual slices in plastic wrap or put in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3 days or in the freezer for 2 weeks.
Notes
- Make sure your beaters and mixing bowl are clean and dry. A speck of oil or egg yolk on either one can minimize the volume of the beaten egg whites.
- Avoid plastic bowls, as even clean ones may hold oily residue that can affect the beaten quality of the egg whites.
- Use a bowl that’s wide enough to keep the beaters from being buried in the egg whites.
- Do not overbeat or underbeat the egg whites or your cake may fall. Egg whites should have a stiff peak, pointing straight up (or maybe a little bit folding over just at the very tips).
Nutrition
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on June 7, 2015. The blog content has been updated with more information.
Thank you for your ever-thorough and easy-to-follow recipes! I have been slowly working through the many recipes on JOC throughout this quarantine. This cake specifically turned out perfectly and was so delicious, with the perfect amount of sweetness (a lot of American sweets are too sweet for me). Do you happen to have a recipe for earl grey ice box cookies? If so I’d love to see it on the blog! Thanks for considering 🙂
Hi Alicia, Thank you very much for trying many recipes and for your kind feedback! We are so happy to hear you enjoyed them!
We currently don’t have the Earl Grey Icebox Cookie recipe on the site. We’ll make sure to add the recipe to Nami’s list. Thanks for your request!
Hi Nami!
Just want to tell you I love your recipe, I’ve made it many times over the last year and everytime it was a big hit wherever I served it. Be it with friends or family, it’s a lovely cake and doesn’t last long.
Thank you for sharing, I can finally compete with my uncle’s pandan chiffon cake.
Hi Sabrina, We couldn’t be happier to hear how much joy and excitement Nami’s recipe has brought to you! Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback. 😊
Hi Naomi, just wondering whether I can use this recipe for cupcakes? Thanks 🙂
Hi Jane, Some readers use this recipe for a cupcake size so that you can do that. But please adjust the baking time for a smaller size. We hope this helps!
Can this recipe be used for cupcakes???
Hi Jean,
We have never baked the Chiffon cake in cupcakes shapes before, and we don’t know how the outcome will be…
Let us know how it goes!
Hi Nami, your recipe looks great! I just wanted to ask about “folding the egg whites in” – I read in your other post that you suggest using a whisk to fold them in but in this recipe you still use a spatula. So, should I go for the whisk or the spatula? I was also wondering if I should chill the egg whites (and for approx. how long) as it is not directly indicated in the recipe. Thanks and happy holidays! 🙂
Hi Nina,
Thank you very much for trying this recipe!
This recipe was published on June 7, 2015, and Nami was using the spatula at the time. Please use a whisk to fold the egg whites if that works for you.
As for the egg, we recommend chilling them for this recipe. 😉
Happy Holidays and New year!
Hello Nami, do you think I could add a berry puree into the cake? Thought such a combination will be great!
Hi Kat,
We see other readers adding the mango purée to a Chiffon cake, and we think it would work, but we did not test it ourselves.
If you add a puree to this recipe, we recommend adjusting the water amount. Please let us know how it goes!😁
Hi Naomi, in this recipe should I reduce the tea and/or oil since there is no water? And should I reduce the same volume as the amount of pureee I add in?
If I reduce the liquid tea, will it help to retain the tea flavour if I add the powder tea leaves?
Not very sure how this will go, will let you know after I try! Thanks so much for your advice!
Hi Kat,
In this recipe, you need 6 Tbsp hot water (90 ml). So if you reduce this amount, you will get more strong tea. Then you don’t need to add the powder tea leaves?🤔 We can’t wait to hear the result! Please keep us posted it.😉
Thank you Nami for yet another fabulous recipe! The cake is so soft and moist and has a great fragrance, though for my personal taste I might reduce sugar slighly in future. It’s definitely a cake i would bake again 🙂
Hi DT,
Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback!
We are so glad to hear you enjoyed this Chiffon Cake.😊
H Nami,
If I don’t have a Chiffon cake pan, can I just use a regular circular cake pan? If it’s fine to use a regular circular cake pan, would the baking time change?
Thank you!
Hi Cals,
We don’t recommend using a circular cake pan to make this Chiffon Cake.
The batter is supposed to climb up using the tube area. Also, the center will not be cooked through without a hole in the middle.
However, some readers told us that they used muffin pans to make other chiffon cake (matcha), and they loved it! 😀
Hai Nami
Thank you for sharing this great recipe.
I like making chiffon cake also. And this earl grey flavour is new for me.
I adjust the sugar, since i dont like something too sweet. I put only 55 gr sugar. But it still too sweet for me. Next i will only just put 40gr only.
And i also skip baking powder .
As long as the meringue is on the right consistency, it will still turn great without baking powder.
Again thank you for share this good recipe.
Hi Lin,
Thank you for sharing your cooking experience and tips with us!
Your comments are valuable and very helpful!
I’m going to make this today! How do I adjust the earl grey ingredients if I’m making it in a 10inch pan? Do I still grind only 2tsp of leaves +4 Tbsp of the tea or should I increase these slightly?
Hi Vicky! I’d increase slightly as you’re making more batter. 🙂
Hi Nami, I have a 25cm chiffon tin and was wondering how you adjust the quantity of the earl grey leaves when using a bigger pan? Thank you.
Hi Ana, you need to make sure your tea is strong and 170 ml (measure ⅔ cup and add 2 tsp) total. Please check this page for finding ingredient measurement for your 25 cm pan.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/perfect-chiffon-cake/
Hello Nami,
Just made this and it turned out AWESOME! I only had a 23cm tin but thanks to your guide, I managed to adjust the ingredients effortlessly. This is my first attempt at chiffon cake. honestly I was praying that it doesn’t collapse when it came out of the oven – fortunately it didn’t :D. Now I can’t wait to try out the other flavours you have shared! Thank you for all the information you have provided as well!
Hi Faye! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! I’m so glad your first chiffon cake came out well! Thanks for your kind feedback! 🙂
Hi Nami. I’ve tried the recipe a few times and the taste is amazing! Just a problem though, I’ve used top flour instead of cake flour and the cake seemed a lil flat. Just wondering if there’s an issue with substituting it? I’ve read that both are pretty similar.
Hi Huda! Thanks for trying this recipe and I’m so glad you enjoyed it! What’s top flour? Does it have more gluten in it (to make bread?)? The type of flour you need is the one with the LEAST gluten in it. It creates fluffy and airy texture and not with other types of flour. 🙂
If the flour is the best one that’s similar to cake flour…
1) Did you use an aluminum chiffon cake pan? DO NOT use a non-stick coated chiffon cake pan. It won’t rise tall.
2) Make sure the meringue is well made to give the cake rise.
Top flour is similar to cake flour and is ideal for chiffon and sponge cakes and swiss rolls! Yes, i use an aluminium pan and my meringue seems okay so im not sure what caused the problem 🙁
Hi Huda! Thank you so much for letting me know. Do you think the cake was completely cooked through? Sometimes when it’s under-baked, the cake sinks as it’s not done inside. Add 2-3 mins more may help if this problem continues?
Hi Nami – So far so good with this cake, it’s currently cooling upside down and smells amazing! Would you recommend storing this at room temp or in the fridge? Your other article said it depends on the ingredients. Thank you!
Hi Andrea! I actually changed to this: Wrap the cake in plastic wrap and keep at a cool, dark place for about 2-3 days. Depends on the ingredients or climate you live in, it might be better to keep in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. If you live in warm, humid place, definitely refrigerate. Otherwise, it should be okay at room temp (cool and dark place) for a few days.
Hi Nami,
I would like to make this recipe with a 10inch pan. What would be the amount of earl grey tea leaf for 10 inch? Also the amount of hot water here is 6 Tbsp (90 ml) but when i check your other post for making chiffon cake for other size, the amount of hot water for 7 inch is 60ml – so what would be the amount of water needed for 10 inch, is it still 170ml like you stated ?(i jsut want to double check).
Thank you and im excited to make this!!
Hi Zoe! See the step 3, I only used 4 Tbsp. You need to prepare extra for leaves to absorb moisture etc, which is why the ingredient amount is more. 🙂