This Matcha Chiffon Cake is spongy, moist, and light as a cloud. Its lightly sweet flavor balances perfectly with earthy and savory notes from Japanese green tea powder. With its soft green matcha color, you’ll love this popular Japanese cake as a light afternoon snack.
Making chiffon cake was one of my dreams since I started baking regularly last year. I always thought it was going to be difficult to make a chiffon cake. However, after some lengthy experiments with my Castella recipe, this Matcha Chiffon Cake (抹茶シフォンケーキ) was a lot easier than I expected.
If you are new to chiffon cake, it is a very light sponge cake made with vegetable oil, eggs, sugar, flour, and whatever flavor you want to add. You beat the egg whites and fold them into the oil-based cake batter so that the cake will get a fluffy texture.
Tips on Making Matcha Chiffon Cake
1. Use the correct chiffon cake pan.
The best types are the aluminum ones with a removable base (Do not use non-stick bakeware for chiffon cake – it will not work).
I bought 17-cm and 20-cm aluminum chiffon cake pans while I was in Japan because I wanted to follow a Japanese chiffon cake recipe. If you are interested in the same pan and know someone in Japan who can receive the package for you, you can purchase one from Rakuten (かっぱ橋浅井商店つなぎ目のない17cmシフォンケーキ型). They are great!
Or, you can order this 17-cm aluminum chiffon cake pan online from Nihon Ichiban which ships internationally.
If you have a different size chiffon cake pan, then check the conversion of the ingredients in this post.
2. Do not grease the mold.
The cake needs to cling to the sides and center of the pan for support as it rises or it will collapse.
3. Use good matcha.
You want to be able to taste the subtle matcha flavor, so I recommend using good quality matcha (green tea powder). When it comes to chiffon cakes, I like them to be simple. No sweet frosting necessary. A good reason to enjoy more than 1 slice.
You only use 3 tablespoons of oil for this recipe, so you can expect a very light cake. If no one was looking, I would probably eat the entire 17 cm (about 7 inches) cake all by myself!
If you follow the recipe closely, you can expect a fluffy, light, and moist Matcha Chiffon Cake. It turned out just like the chiffon cake that I have tried in Japan and dreamed of making myself.
If you are a fan of not-so-sweet desserts, this is for you. Knowing how easy it is to make chiffon cakes now, I am going to try making other flavors soon. What would be your favorite flavor?
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Matcha Chiffon Cake
Video
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell) (yolks and whites separated)
- 85 g sugar (½ cup minus 1 Tbsp; divided into thirds)
- 40 ml neutral oil (3 Tbsp minus 1 tsp)
- ¼ cup water
- 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 heaping Tbsp matcha (green tea powder) (1 level Tbsp matcha weighs 6 g)
- 1 tsp baking powder
Instructions
- Before You Start: 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.
- Gather all the ingredients. Separate the egg yolks and egg whites from 3 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell). 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.
- Preheat the oven to 340ºF (170ºC). For a convection oven, reduce the cooking temperature by 25ºF (15ºC). You will need 1 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 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. Then, add 40 ml neutral oil and ¼ cup water and beat with a whisk to combine.
- To a flour sifter or fine-mesh sieve, add 75 g cake flour, 1 heaping Tbsp matcha (green tea powder), 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 (see the next step for how to check). 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 homogeneous 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 homogeneous, fold the batter one last time and scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure there is no matcha accumulation. The final batter should fall in ribbons when you lift the spatula or whisk.
To Bake
- Prepare 1 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.
- 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.
To Serve
- I serve the Matcha Chiffon Cake as is, but you may dust the top with confectioners‘ sugar, if you‘d like (optional). 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).
hello Nami,
thank you for your endless supply of fabulously tasty dishes. i have a question for you. i have tried on two occasions to make your chiffon cake. everything comes out perfectly ( i say so modestly) except when it comes to the colour of the cake. the outer edges of the slice are always greener than the middle area…am i doing something wrong? is the tea i am using no tthe right one? when in Tokyo i did notice that the slice was uniformly green. this morning, however in a japanese restaurant in Paris i noticed the same effect on their slices of matcha cake, but they were unable to tell me why. i am hoping you can clear this point up for me.
tahnking you in advance.
sincerely william
Hi William! May I know how it looked like when you were done at Step 8? Was the batter homogenous color? I assume it was, that is why you’re not sure why it has different color when it’s done baking. How uneven was it? So it was darker green vs lighter green?
My guess is that your oven temp is maybe a little higher than mine (each oven it’s different). I assume you didn’t grease the pan (please don’t), but maybe outer layer of batter might be affected from heat. Do you think that’s possible?
After you pour batter, you can also try mixing the batter with a skewer. I think I showed that in my other recipe.
https://www.justonecookbook.com/meyer-lemon-chiffon-cake/
Step 14. You can try that to even the batter.
Hope this helps… sorry I could only guess.
Hi Nami,
This recipe looks really wonderful. I am wondering if it can be adapted to be baked with a rice cooker. Have you ever made cake with a micom rice cooker? Thank you,
MY
Hi Mingyuk! Rice cooker! Hmm.. I’ve never done it. You know, chiffon cake batter has to climb up and become upside down so that it’s tall and has the right texture. You can definitely make a cake in a rice cooker, but I don’t think it is not optimal way to make “chiffon cake”. 🙂
Hello Nami! I tried this recipe today on a small pan and baked it in the toaster oven. It was soooo good! My husband and I wanted to finish the whole thing but had to control ourselves! He loves cake that is not too sweet and with no frosting. The size of this recipe was perfect for both of us too. Although of course it was so good that 2 hours after eating it, I was still thinking of it. So I had to make more that same day! I doubled the recipe and used the small pan and a loaf pan and made sure to invert them after they finished baking. It was soooo good again. My husband can’t wait for me to convert the recipe to a mocha/coffee chiffon cake which is his favorite! I think I’ll make coffee and cool it down and substitute the water with it plus I’ll have to finely grind instant coffee and substitute the green tea powder with it. I have a coffee bean grinder that can grind the beans to a really fine powder. Do you think that would still work as I actually don’t have instant coffee at home.
Btw, I love your almond cookie recipe too! I’ve made it for Chinese New Year for 2 years already. 🙂
Hi Sunflowii! I’m so happy to hear your chiffon cake came out well! It’s so light and fluffy and perfect sweetness! Another chiffon cake coming this week. 🙂 Good luck with mocha/coffee chiffon cake. I’d love the coffee flavor. I like my Earl Grey Chiffon Cake too… matcha, tea, coffee.. they are all my favorite. 😀 And wow thank you for trying the almond cookies two years in a row! I am so happy that you liked the recipe!
Thank you so much for the recipe. I baked the cake and it seems spongey in enough but didn’t rise as high as it appears in the picture. How high does your chiffon rise to? Any tips?
Hi Lily! Did you use a non-stick chiffon cake pan? The cake needs to climb up, so that’s first thing I wanted to ask.
Then secondly, I would probably ask how was your meringue – that’s the key for tall chiffon cake as you need nice air. If you didn’t make good meringue, the bubble will collapse and the cake will be flatter.
Hope this helps?
Hi Nami,
Thanks for responding. Yes, I bought the pan you put on the link above. Maybe my meringue wasn’t stiff enough then? Well, I’m going to try it again hopefully with better success. Not going to give up until I get a cake as lovely as yours. Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipes with the world.
Lily
Hi Lily! Glad you could purchase the chiffon cake pan! Good luck on your next chiffon cake making! 🙂
Hi Lily,
I tried this recipe out last night. The yolk batter was thick n sticky n my cake turned only filled up abt 65% of a 17-cm chiffon pan.
It is also not as soft n fluffy but taste wise, it’s good.
I would like to try again but just wonder what is the outcome of your subsequent tries n any advice for me?
Thanks!
Hi Nami,
Can I replace veg oil with olive oil? Eager to try this recipe as I’m a matcha fan!
but mine is the dark green matcha powder, bitter taste so should I add in more sugar?
Thanks!
Hi Fen! Please use vegetable or canola oil for this recipe. Olive oil is a bit too heavy and it is not neutral flavor oil. 🙂
If it’s a good quality matcha, then it should have a bright vivid green color. Matcha is bitter, but if it’s low grade matcha, it has unpleasant bitter taste (besides matcha’s bitter taste).
More about matcha here: https://www.justonecookbook.com/pantry_items/green-tea-powder-matcha/
Been meaning to find a recipe that uses a matcha cooking powder I bought online a while ago. Tried your recipe and it was a huge success! Admit I used a little bit more sugar but still cake not too sweet, super spongy, light and you can really taste the tea flavour! I was skeptical because it only called for 1 tablespoon but it was just right. Thanks very much for the recipe!
HI Marina! Ohhh you’re at a right website. 😀 I have many matcha recipes as I LOVE matcha all my life! I hope you find some recipes that inspire you to make. 🙂
I’m glad to hear you enjoyed this chiffon cake! 1 Tbsp. matcha is quite a lot (and expensive) but I tend to like more matcha flavor so if you have good quality matcha (that’s not low-grade yellow green and awful bitter taste), it is wonderful with even 1 Tbsp! Thanks so much for your kind feedback, Marina!
Nami, thank you for sharing the wonderful receipe.
Can i used top flour instead of plain flour. What is the weight of the egg you using?
Hope to hear from you. Thank you
Hi Lucy! I’m sorry for my late response. I didn’t see your comment in my Inbox until today and I apologize I couldn’t respond sooner. What is “Top flour”? I’m not familiar with the name of the flour. The weight of egg is 50 g (American large egg). 🙂
Hi Nami,
How are you?
Can I use brown sugar or does it have to be granulated sugar? Please advise. Thank you.
Cindy
Hi Cindy! It may affect the taste and density of the cake but I think you can make it (I’ve never tried it before). I assume the cake may not be as light as it would if you used white sugar. 🙂
Hi, Nami,
After making your green tea chiffon cake a few times, once, I decided to try something different, so I replace water with orange juice (omit the matcha powder as well), and it turned out GREAT! I forgot if I zested the orange before I juiced it but it was defintely a orange chiffon cake at the end! I made it the 2nd time just recently, I used Tropicana oj w/ pulp, and it came out just the same as my 1st try (thus why I can’t remember if I used the zest the 1st time or not). Nice orange colour and I think it came out fluffier and more moist than green tea chiffon cake.
I love your recipes, your website is now my first go-to place to look for any inspirations. Thank you for sharing! 🙂
Hi Jane! Thanks so much for sharing your tip to make Orange Chiffon Cake! Sounds awesome!!!! My kids will love it! Once my kitchen remodel is over, I’d love to give it a try! Thank you!!
Hi again Nami – I recently made a lemon chiffon and thinking green tea needs to be next. I was looking at this recipe and if you see this, can you confirm that you only need that small amount of flour (looks like just 6-7 tbsp)? Not questioning you at all but it’s just less than I’m used to so double-checking. : ) Thanks and hope you’re having a wonderful summer!
Hi Monica! Lemon Chiffon Cake! That sounds so good in this humid weather in Japan now… I’m confirming that it’s 75 gram. I always make chiffon cakes that are 17 cm (about 7 inch and the Japanese chiffon cake pan is usually taller than Angel Food Cake pan). I have never had chiffon cake in the US so I can’t tell, but I’ve been eating chiffon cakes in Japan and the texture of this recipe is just like ones from the bakeries here. So fluffy and airy! I hope you’re having a wonderful summer with your family! 🙂
So sorry to interrupt your Japan vacation, Nami…but thank you for confirming! I knew it would be accurate but doesn’t hurt to ask. I do need to figure out about the cake pan because I notice yours is not only smaller but nice and tall. : ) Thanks again!
Hi Monica! Ohhh no no, it’s totally okay. I miss checking blogs and being in touch with my fellow blogger friends, so it was very nice to hear from you. 🙂
I don’t know why there is no chiffon cake pan in the US where chiffon cake was originally created? I always wondered why.
In case you’re interested, I have listed a store that sells and ships chiffon cake pan internationally. Hope that helps! 🙂
What do u mean by take away 1 tbs sugar from 85 gr sugar?
Hi Hangga! The recipe says:
85 g (3 oz, or ½ cup and take away 1 Tbsp.) sugar
A lot of Americans prefer recipes with cups (not grams), so I have to measure precisely buy using cups and Tbsp/tsp… So if you’re using a measuring cup, you need 1/2 cup of sugar but have to take away 1 Tbsp, which is close to 85 grams.
Hope that makes sense. 🙂
This recipe looks wonderful! Do you know how much vanilla extract I would use to substitute the matcha in this recipe? Will it still turn out well with the vanilla substitute?
Hi Morella! Sure but I’d increase on flour a tiny bit as you’re not using matcha. 🙂 Hope you enjoy!
Hi Nami,
I made this chiffon for my friend’s birthday. It’s really soft and moist and packed with matcha flavor! My friend absolutely loved it ! Thank you so much for the recipe
Thank you so much for trying this recipe! So happy to hear yours came out well! Thank you for your kind feedback. 🙂
Unfortunately I don’t have a chiffon cake pan, so I tried it baking it in a normal one – although it wasn’t even half as beautiful as yours, the taste turned out really well, and my family was complimenting its soft and fluffy texture. As they don’t like the taste of matcha as much as I do, i tried adding a lime icing, which went well with the matcha, I thought.
I love how detailed your recipes and how helpful your tips are! Thank you 🙂
Hi Pina! I’m so glad to hear it came out well. Yeah, this size chiffon cake pan is smaller and tall, and I get feedback from others that even non-chiffon cake pan works and theirs came out well as well. Lime icing sounds delicious! Thank you so much for your kind feedback, Pina! 🙂
Dear Nami,
I’m a big fan of your website and recipes! How would you adjust this Green Tea Chiffon Cake recipe for a 10 inch Chiffon Cake Pan? I just tried using six eggs and 150 g cake flour, while keeping everything else the same, and baking for about 50 minutes. It didn’t come out as well as following your recipe exactly last time using a 7 inch pan. Also, after whipping the egg whites,can I use the same bowl in the stand mixer to mix the egg yolks with the other ingredients?
Thanks and happy new year,
Lei Lei
Hi Lei Lei! Thank you so much for reading my blog and trying out my recipes! I’m afraid to give you adjustment as I’ve never tried using another size cake pan, especially when it’s not simple double or 1/2 amount… I need to test it out to see how it works, especially with different size pan.
You MUST fold the meringue into the batter. Don’t mix it. You need to keep the air in the meringue and not break it. Otherwise the chiffon cake will not rise. 🙂 Hope this helps. Happy New Year!