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Take advantage of the citrus season and make this delicate Meyer Lemon Chiffon Cake cake that guarantee to brighten up your day!
Bright, sweet and tart. Citrus fruits are the sunshine of the cold season. Right here in California, I am so grateful to find fresh Meyer lemons at my local farmers market at the start of November all the way through May. Said to be a cross between a lemon and a mandarin orange, Meyer Lemons remind me of my favorite Japanese Yuzu. Both citrus fruits have an incredibly refreshing aroma and fragrance that they are best used in dressings and desserts.
Whenever I scoop up some of these seasonal fruits, I can’t wait to make this Meyer Lemon Chiffon Cake. A light, airy cake that is bursting with the sweet scent from the lemons. It’s a perfect slice of cake to enjoy with coffee or tea!
Watch How To Make Meyer Lemon Chiffon Cake
Airy, fluffy, and delicate Meyer Lemon Chiffon Cake with a sweet glaze and lightly dusted with powder sugar. It’s hard to eat only 1 slice!
What is Meyer Lemon?
Some of you may not have heard of Meyer lemons. I didn’t know anything about it until I came to the United States. When I Googled Meyer lemon, I found out they originated in China (that was unexpected) and were brought to the U.S. by Frank Meyer – which explains the name.
But Meyers lemons didn’t become popular until the end of the 1990s when chefs like Alice Waters at Chez Panisse started to use in “California Cuisine” and Martha Stewart featured in her recipes (source).
Meyer lemons are moderately acidic and do not have the tangy flavor as regular lemons. They even taste slightly sweet. My favorite part of Meyer lemons is their rinds. They smell so good that if there were a pile of Meyer lemon zest I feel like I could dive right in!
Another Meyer lemon recipe: Meyer Lemon Pound Cake
Airy, Fluffy, Not-So-Sweet Meyer Lemon Chiffon Cake
Chiffon cake has been one of my favorite desserts to make at home. Once you learn the trick on making a delicate, frothy meringue, the rest of it is rather straight forward.
Popular Dessert Cake In Japan
The Japanese love a good cake! As the texture is light and airy, chiffon cakes are a popular dessert cake in Japan. They are made simple ingredients like oil, eggs, sugar, flour, and flavorings. Personally, I enjoy making chiffon cakes at home because I can balance the taste with a key flavor so it’s not-overly-sweet. With its intense and natural sweetness, Meyer lemons make an excellent flavoring for the cake.
Can we substitute regular lemons for Meyer Lemon?
Yes, you can, in most recipes. Just keep in mind that the Meyer lemon is less tart and slightly sweeter. You probably want to increase the amount of sugar a tiny bit and use less juice. I haven’t tested this chiffon cake recipe with regular lemons. If I tried it one day, I’ll write down the measurement in the recipe (please remind me).
How to Make The Perfect Chiffon Cake
If you are a beginner baker and wish to give this chiffon cake a try, you will want to master the technique of whisking the meringue (beaten egg whites). Just like any baking project, it takes some practice, but the result is always rewarding.
I have a comprehensive guide on How to Make The Perfect Chiffon Cake for your reference. You’ll find everything you need to know, including the right baking pan to troubleshooting to FAQs. Have a read before you start.
And while the citrus fruit is still in season, I hope you grab a bag and make this delightful Meyer Lemon Chiffon Cake!
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- 3 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell) (separated)
- 85 g sugar (3 oz or measure ½ cup and remove 1 Tbsp; separated)
- 3 Tbsp neutral-flavored oil (vegetable, canola, etc) (40 ml)
- 2 Meyer lemons
- 75 g cake flour (⅔ cup and remove 2 tsp; If you're using a cup measurement, please follow this method to measure. Otherwise, the amount of flour tends to be more than you need. You can make your Homemade Cake Flour.)
- 1 tsp baking powder (3 g)
- 2 Tbsp confectioners’ sugar/powder sugar (for sprinkling on the cake)
- 60 g confectioners’ sugar/powder sugar (½ cup)
- ½ Meyer lemon (1 Tbsp juice)
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Gather all the ingredients. You will also need a 17cm (7") chiffon cake pan. Make sure you 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). Do not grease the mold because the cake needs to cling on the sides and center of the pan for support as it rises or it will collapse.
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Preheat the oven to 340 ºF (170 ºC). Separate 3 eggs to yolks and whites. Egg yolks in a large bowl, and whites in a smaller bowl.
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In the bowl with egg yolks, add roughly ⅓ of granulated sugar and whisk until creamy pale yellow color.
- Add 3 Tbsp (40 ml) vegetable oil and zest of 1-2 Meyer lemons (I love more zest in the cake so I use 2, but you can use one).
- Cut Meyer lemons in half. Juice all of it (4 halves).
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If you don’t have 4 Tbsp (¼ cup or 60 ml) of juice, add water.
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Add 4 Tbsp (¼ cup or 60 ml) juice to the egg mixture and whisk well.
- Sift 75 g (2.6 oz) cake flour and 1 tsp baking powder into the egg mixture. Whisk until totally incorporated and make sure there are no lumps.
- Using a stand mixer (make sure there is no trace of water or oil), whip the egg whites on medium low sped (speed 4) till opaque, foamy and bubbly. Add ⅓ of the remaining granulated sugar and continue whipping.
- After 30 seconds or so, increase the stand mixer speed to high (speed 10) and add the remaining sugar slowly in small increments.
- It takes about 2-3 minutes until stiff peaks form (from the moment you switched to speed 10, but this is just a rough estimate). To check on stiff peaks, pull up your whisk and see if the egg whites go straight up (stiff peak) and just the tip is soft enough that it folds over, like taking a bow.
- Using a whisk, fold in ⅓ of the egg whites in the batter until the mixture is homogeneous.
- Fold in the rest of egg whites in 2-3 increments and mix gently until the mixture is homogeneous.
- Pour the batter into the ungreased 17 cm (7”) chiffon cake pan in same location to prevent from forming more bubbles.
- To remove or prevent air pockets before baking, run a skewer (chopstick, knife or spatula) through the batter and then drop the pan gently on the kitchen counter a few times.
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Bake at 340 ºF (170 ºC) for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean and the top of the cake springs back when gently pressed. If the top gets burn too quickly, cover the top loosely with aluminum foil.
- As soon as you take out the cake pan from the oven, drop it gently on the kitchen counter to stop shrinking. The cake must be cooled upside down in its pan so that it stretches downward instead of collapsing. Stick the cake pan on a tall heavy bottle or invert the cake pan onto a cooling rack (if you use angel food cake pan). Let it cool completely.
- To extract the cake, run a thin sharp knife or thin offset spatula around both the outer and inner edge of the cake.
- Remove the cake from the pan and run the knife on the bottom. Move onto a serving plate.
- Dust powder sugar on top, if you like, and enjoy!
- [Optional] To Make Meyer Lemon Icing Glaze, place powder sugar in a small bowl and stir in 1 Tbsp. Meyer lemon juice using the half Meyer lemon you kept from step 4. The glaze should be thick, but pourable. Add more sugar or Meyer lemon juice as necessary to achieve desired consistency. Drizzle over the cake using a spoon and enjoy!
Tips for beating egg whites:
- 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 -- even clean ones may hold oily residue that can affect the beating 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 egg whites -- your cake may fall. Egg whites should be stiff but not dry.
Recipe by Namiko Chen of Just One Cookbook. All images and content on this site are copyright protected. Please do not use my images without my permission. If you’d like to share this recipe on your site, please re-write the recipe and link to this post as the original source. Thank you.
More Amazing Dessert Cakes Recipes You’ll Love:
- Matcha Green Tea Chiffon Cake
- Earl Grey Chiffon Cake
- Orange Chiffon Cake
- Chocolate Chiffon Cake
- Matcha Mille Crepe Cake
- Castella Cake (Easy Japanese Honey Sponge Cake)
Editor’s Note: The post was originally published on Mar 2, 2016. It has been edited and republished in February 2020.
This looks delicious!! Thanks for sharing this with us:-) I will try to make this for my sister’s birthday and hope that it turns out like yours!
Hi Claudine! Happy Birthday to your sister! Hope it will come out well. Good luck! 🙂
Hi Nami,
I love your blog and your videos. Do you have a recipe for Japanese Cheesecake? I would much appreciated if your post one with a video! (^_^)
Winnie
Hi Winnie! Thank you so much for your kind words! I have Japanese cheesecake recipe but haven’t added a video yet. Here’s the recipe:
https://www.justonecookbook.com/japanese-cheesecake/
Hi Nami,
What is the recipe for 21cm (8”) Chiffon Pan? Would like to try out to bake Meyer lemon chiffon! Thank you!
Hi Evon! Please use this basic chiffon cake chart to see 21 cm: https://www.justonecookbook.com/perfect-chiffon-cake/
Hi Nami,, thank you so much for sharing the Meyer Lemon Chiffon Cake recipe. It is oishii!!! 🙂 I had so much fun baking it. I could not find Meyer lemons so I used regular lemons. I followed your advice and used less lemon juice. It came out perfect – tangy, fluffy and not too sweet. I could eat a few slices at once. :p I have a question – if I want to change the flavor to orange, does it mean I can just use the same amount of zest and juice for orange instead? Please advise. Thank you.
I enjoy your videos very much. Ganbatte!
Sincerely,
Cindy
Hi Cindy! I’m so happy to hear your chiffon cake came out well! Orange juice is naturally sweeter, so you may not need as much sugar as lemon. You might want to test and see how much sugar you would like to reduce, but pretty much same method, including zest etc. 🙂 Thank you for your support, Cindy! xo
This is the best cake that I ever made! I followed your recipe and it came out great! I ate 1/3 of it by myself :-P. I forced myself to put it away so that I’d not eat the whole thing in one sitting.
I am making the Earl Grey one next!
Hi Amy! I’m so happy to hear your chiffon cake came out well! See, I really think I can eat half of the cake in ONE SITTING! I pretend to behave and eat a good portion slice… but in reality I can totally eat the entire cake!!! You’ll love earl grey one. So delicious!!! Thank you for your kind feedback! xo
Hi Nami,
Tried your recipe twice and both times came out great. Thank you!!!
Only thing is the cake flour measurement seemed to be incorrect. 75g should be about 1/3 cup instead of 2/3 cup.
I used a 9 inch nonstick angel cake bakeware. I put parchment paper on the bottom and side of the pan so the cake can climb up. 1st time I used the same ingredient amount, which came out great but thin. 2nd time I doubled the amount and it was perfect height. Both times I did the same temperature and baking time.
I used regular lemons. The cake came out light, fluffy and not too sweet. My husband absolutely loved it. Thank you!
Hi Ariel! I’m so happy to hear you and your husband enjoyed this cake! Thank you for your kind feedback and your tip on non-stick angel food cake pan! 🙂
As for the cake flour amount, 75 g = 2/3 cup, and it’s not a mistake. If you check online, 2/3 cup cake flour is usually 65 g. I do “fluff, scoop with spoon into a measuring cup, level off” method and it’s always 75 g, so I do with my measurement instead of typical 65 g here. Hope this helps!
Thank you for clarifying the measurement! I forgot g doesn’t equal to ml and went for less flour. Good news is they still came out good! ???? I’m gonna try other flavors! Thank you so much for sharing the recipe!
Hi Nami, your cake looks pretty! My cake is fluffy & soft and taste nice but it doesn’t look as tall as your cake. The top of the cake is also not as flat as yours but a dome shape instead, only the centre rise as high as your cake but not the side. Could it be the oven temperature causing this?
Thank you Iva! Do you use the same size chiffon cake pan? It might be caused by the oven temp, or how you mix the batter. Test a few times to see how you can improve/fix. I’ll be happy to help. 🙂
Hi Nami
I baked my first chiffon cake using your recipe. It was yummmmmmy! Thank you for sharing 🙂
Quite a few other recipes I’ve read use an extra egg white. Does that make much of a difference?
Nha
Hi Nha! Thank you for trying this recipe! Probably to add more volume to the cake. I really like the base of this recipe, so personally I wouldn’t change. 🙂
Hi Nami
Thank you for another delicious chiffon!
Can I know the size of the eggs u used here, as in the weight of each egg?
The reason I asked is because I tried making your matcha chiffon cake but the cake did not rise much compared to yours. And the texture is also quite dense, unlike yours.
Hope u can clarify as soon as possible as I would really love to give your recipe another try. Thank u!
Note: I used a 17cm aluminum tube pan to bake that matcha chiffon.
Hi Grace! American large egg is 2 ounce (56.7 g). When I measure after I crack an egg, it’s usually around 50 grams. Hope that helps!
Hi …..I have already tried the recipe and it was delicious, I was wondering if I can double the recipe….thanks
Hi Huda! I’m so happy to hear you liked this recipe! Thank you for your kind feedback. 🙂 You can double the recipe, but you’ll need another chiffon cake pan. 🙂
Hi!
I love so many of your recipes! Really want to try this one, but just wondering – my angel food cake tin is way larger (23cm) which is almost twice the volume, do you think this recipe would still work if i doubled it? Or should i just have a much shorter cake?
Thank you!
Hi Yumeniai! Thank you so much! I recommend doubling it, and whatever you have left should be poured into another small ramekin or baking pan. It looks nicer when it’s tall. 🙂
Hello!
Will this recipe work using self rising flour? I’m very excited to try this recipe!
~Janice
Hi Janice! I’m a little bit scared to use it. Self-rising flour can be made of combining 1 cup (120 g) all purpose flour with 1 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt. Now, this recipe requires 75 grams cake flour and 1 tsp. baking powder, but no salt is necessary. It’ll be very difficult to prepare the correct ingredients if you use self-rising flour in this recipe… You can make cake flour by yourself, using corn starch. I hope this makes sense… baking is chemistry, so you really want to make sure ingredients are correct. 🙂
Thank you so much for replying back so quickly! I made this chiffon cake last week using cake flour and it turned out very well! The cake tasted very good, but it wasnt as fluffy as yours looked. Is there something I should improve on to make the cake more fluffy and airy?
Hi Janice! The fluffiness depends on how well you beat egg whites as well as using the right equipment (cake pan). Egg whites should be beaten correctly to get the air bubbles into the batter, which will give the fluffiness in the cake. Also, if you don’t use the good cake pan, it won’t climb up as high (and it’s important to make it upside down). Hope this helps?
Hi Nami! We just got a bunch of Meyer Lemons and am dying to try your recipe. Just wondering if I have to use vegetable oil? We only have olive oil and coconut oil. I really dont want to have to buy vegetable oil as we wouldnt be using it anything other than this recipe. Look forward to your comment! Thanks.
Hi Jenn! I truly believe you will need vegetable or canola oil – neutral flavor oil, and saturated oil like coconut oil won’t work. Olive oil has taste to it and not only that I think it’s too heavy. You can see the texture of the oil is very different too. Buy a small vegetable oil. I am sure you’ll want to make this cake often. 🙂 Plus, if you cook Japanese food (I’m not sure if you read my blog but just in case), we use neutral flavor oil for cooking. 🙂
love your lemon chiffon cake, wish you can show me how to make mocha chiffon cake my favorite of all chiffon. Thank you Namiko.
Thank you Jazmin! I’ll add to my list. 🙂
This is such an easy and tasty recipe. I really loved the texture!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you Ana!
HI Naomi,
i have tried your receipt this afternoon and the cake is so great. it’s delicious, fluffy and pretty chiffon cake( i had failed 3 times before >_<). The receipt is so good so as the cake, thank you Naomi.
I have the other question is if i want to bake an original flavor chiffon cake, should i just replace the lemon juice into milk with the same ml (1/4 cup)? have you ever tried to make the original flavor chiffon cake? would you please share your opinion?
thank you so much 😀
Hi Erumo! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and I’m glad yours came out well!
I’d probably do that and add vanilla (1 tsp). 🙂
Tried this with regular lemons because Meyer lemons are hard to find here. They were quite large so two lemons produced exactly 60ml of lemon juice; didn’t top up with any water. It is definitely too sour for a cake this size. Cake texture isn’t affected though, still as light and fluffy as ever! But would probably recommend to cut down lemon juice to 30-40ml and top up the remainder of the 60ml with water.
Thanks for the recipe, loved this and the matcha one. 🙂
Hi Gwen! Thank you for letting me know. Meyer lemon is definitely less sour than regular lemon. Thanks for the tip of adding water. 🙂
My family really loved this dessert and has requested a version with hazelnuts and/or chocolate. I got the small Japanese pan from your link and wondered if you could share a nut version that fits this size pan. I also wonder if ground nuts are too heavy to use in the batter. Thank you in advance.
Hi Sharon! I’m happy to hear your family enjoyed this recipe and thank you for trying it. I haven’t tried using nuts in this recipe so I won’t be able to tell, but maybe you can make chocolate glaze and sprinkle the hazelnuts on top?
This cake is so light and fluffy, I love it. I love how it is not overly sweet and has a zing from the lemons, but also not too tart. However the recipe does not make enough for my family since it is devoured so fast! Would it be possible to double all the ingredients to make a larger cake? I have heard doubling does not always work in the baking world. Do you have a similar recipe for a chocolate chiffon cake? I love lemon but my hubby loves chocolate. Thank you.
Hi Annie! I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe, and thank you for your kind feedback. I know, these chiffon cakes are so fluffy, my family finished it in less than a day… Sure you can make it a larger cake, I don’t think you can double and fit in one chiffon cake pan though. I prefer making two cakes instead. You will need to adjust the baking time and test to see the timing. For chocolate, I haven’t tried it myself… maybe I should try that one day for the blog. I have matcha chiffon cake. Usually matcha and cocoa can be replaceable. Maybe try that instead?
Love your recipes all!! <3
Thank you, Silvana!
Would you suggest multiplying by 1.5 times the recipe for a 9“ tube pan? Thanks for all of your very delicious posts.
Hi Karen! I have not tried that way before with 9 inch tube pan. I usually double the recipe unless it’s super easy to do do 1.5 times.
I made this Meyer Lemon Chiffon cake for my wife’s birthday tonight. She is Japanese and loved it. I used a standard 9 x 5 loaf pan and it came out perfect. All my other baking pans are non-stick. Thanks for the tip about not using a non-stick pan for this cake. I added the lemon zest to the sugar for a couple of minutes before adding to the egg yolks. Adds a little more lemon flavor to the cake. Excellent flavor and easy to make. I am a huge Meyer lemon fan and have two plants in my house to go along with my Yuzu tree here in Baltimore.
Thanks for your awesome website. I lived in Japan for a couple of years and this is my go-to site for Japanese cooking. My Japanese wife is always impressed when I use one of your recipes. I have used about 15 so far and they have all been good. I am looking forward to making the Cherry Blossom Cookies and Cherry Blossom Pudding.
Hi Jim! Please send my Happy Birthday wish to your wife. She’s so lucky that you made a cake for her! And I’m so happy you two enjoyed this cake. Thank you for your kind feedback on this recipe as well as my other recipes. I’m flattered that you enjoy them. p.s. I’m jealous of your yuzu tree. 🙂
Can I double the recipe to use a bigger pan?
Hi Danielle! I would recommend so. Hope you enjoy this recipe!
Made this cake today and it was delicious! I’m not a huge of lemon and I loved it!
Hi Ko! I’m so happy to hear that. Thanks so much for trying this recipe! 🙂
Can’t get enough of this cake. I would like to make this cake again for a party. To fill a 26 cm angel food pan can I just double the recipe? Thank you!
Hi Ko-Lin! I’m so happy to hear you enjoy this recipe! I think you will need a triple amount for your 26 cm angel food pan. 🙂
Hi, I made this cake with added flavour of elderflower in a regular (round not fluted) pan and iced it with fresh cream. This was for my mother in laws birthday.it came out incredibly well! I increased the amount to four eggs and increased everything else proportionally too. Wish I could show you a pic but there isn’t a link to upload one here. Anyway thanks for the recipe. It was light as air and looked spectacular as a celebration cake without feeling heavy or sugary which was perfect!
Hi Snigs! AWWWW! I’m so happy to hear that. If you use Instagram, you can always share it with #justonecookbook as I check the hashtag time to time to see what everyone is making from my blog. 🙂
I’m so happy to hear your cake came out well and how lucky your MIL is! Thank you again for your kind feedback. xo
I only have a 9 1/2” x 4” tube cake pan. Should I double or triple the recipe?
Hi April I have a measurement for 8.5 inch tin here:
https://www.justonecookbook.com/how_to/perfect-chiffon-cake/
I think you will need more batter….
Hi Nami have u ever tried using bottled lemon juice for this recipe?
Hi Judy! No, I never used it before. For a recipe that relies heavily on one ingredient, such as this lemon, I wouldn’t use a bottled lemon juice which includes chemicals and preservatives (basically not 100% lemon juice). Since lemons are relatively easy to find, I highly recommend you to get fresh lemons instead. 🙂
This recipe is fantastic! It’s easy and delicious! Thank you. Do you have a recipe for a marble coffee chiffon cake?
Hi Aileen! Thank you for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe. I’ll put that on my list. 🙂
Can I use this recipe with an 18cm chiffon cake pan?
Hi S! You can, but it will be shorter. I would suggest adapting for a 20 cm pan instead for your 18 cm and it will be slightly taller cake. https://www.justonecookbook.com/perfect-chiffon-cake/
Hey, Nami!
Thank you so much for you blog! I’ve always wanted to know more about japanese recipes, but the ones I found were either too “westernized” or “way too complicated”. Your blog teach us right on the spot! : D
About the cake recipe, I wonder what do you ment with “shock the cake”. My last one totally collapsed (it was before finding you blog, I did many things wrong), but my pan has no hole in the center so even with your recipe I still have a challenge. On the other hand, it’s freaking cold outside so if you meant “temperature shock” I can defnitely provide it. Do you think it can be a good idea to let the cake cool down outside?
Hi Deborah! Thank you so much for your kind words on my blog. 🙂 Sorry, my English was confusing. I rephrased it, but what I meant is to gently drop the pan on the counter, which helps the cake from shrinking. 🙂 Collapsing can be from the improper way of making egg whites although it can be other reasons.
Just in case you haven’t read, I also write this post on chiffon cake: https://www.justonecookbook.com/perfect-chiffon-cake/
Good luck! 🙂
I’d love to make this since Lemon Chiffon is my favourite cake & I haven’t had one for many years. However, this is a very small cake. Can the recipe be doubled? I respect don’t want to buy another cake pan.
Hi Linda! I have different sizes here: https://www.justonecookbook.com/perfect-chiffon-cake/ For other sizes, please double this recipe and see how it goes. 🙂
Hi, Nami! Thank you so much for the the different case sizes. I see a chiffon cake in my future! I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Glad your cake pan was listed. Hope you enjoy! 🙂
Can you give the measurements for Japanese cheese cake in ounces rather than grams. Thank you
Hi Syntra! I just added ounces for you. Hope you enjoy!
Hi there! Your recipe looks amazing. Is there any way I can use either a Kugelhopf pan, or a large aluminium tin that has no funnel inside? That’s all I have at home :/ Thank you! Kissies from London x
Hi Zaz! First of all, it’s very important that your pan is NOT a non-stick pan. The batter needs to climb up and the slippery coating is not good. Secondly, The tube pan is necessary for properly cook the batter in the center of the cake. The tube is also necessary to invert a delicate chiffon cake onto a bottle so it doesn’t deflate. With the regular aluminum pan, you can’t invert the cake which is the important step.
I don’t own a Kugelhopf pan (I love those beautiful top!) but since we can’t grease the pan for a chiffon cake, how difficult is it to take out the cake? I think it’ll stick… and most of Kugelhopf pans are non-stick.
For years, I couldn’t commit to buying a chiffon cake pan… but it’s something you can’t replace with other pans (for successful result), and I had to buy one. No regret. Chiffon cakes are amazing. So fluffy and light.
Hope you get a chiffon cake pan to give this recipe a try!
Hi Nami! Can I replace the Meyer lemons with regular lemons? I can’t get the Meyer ones where I am unfortunately.
Hi Rin! I heard from my readers that they have used regular lemons and enjoyed it. 🙂 Hope you will too!
Hi Nami, do u have a chiffon cake recipe for 20cm chiffon pan? I do not have a 17cm. I just followed the above recipe n I used the 20cm chiffon pan. The cake only reached 3/4 of the pan and is now turned upside down to cool. I remember you mentioned that you bought a 17cm and 20cm chiffon pan in Japan.
Hi Jackie! It’s here: https://www.justonecookbook.com/perfect-chiffon-cake/
Hope that helps! 🙂
Thank you Nami
Hi Nami, thanks for the detailed and accurate guide, as always. I usually place the chiffon cake at the bottom rack of oven and bake it using bottom heat as I do not want the top to get burned. Do you recommend this? Thanks!
Hi Elsie! Hard to know and give advice as I have never used your oven before. Even it’s my own, I would definitely test both to see the result. My oven’s heat source is both from top and bottom. But American oven is pretty big so that needs to be into consideration. I can only suggest to give it a try… without testing, we can’t tell… 🙂
Hey, thanks for the lovely recipe. These days, I don’t eat as sweet as I used to, also, I’ve diabetic family members. I am new to cake baking, so would you be able to advice how best to reduce sugar in the recipe without affecting the overall texture? Do you reckon it will work if I skip the 1/3 sugar (added to yolks) altogether? Or would it be preferable to reduce overall sugar in the recipe? Thanks so much.
Hi Wenn! I understand your struggle, and I do try to reduce the intake of sugar as much as possible. But baking is science and sugar is necessary most of the time. There are cases that you can reduce sugar for taste (I often reduce sugar when I make American sweets). Japanese sweets (including chiffon cake like this) are much less sweet compared to western sweets. So please take that into your consideration. I had never reduced the sugar for this recipe as chiffon cake can be a bit tricky… I personally reduce the number/amount of sweets I take (an easy solution for me). This recipe works perfectly as it is, so I suggest to reduce sugar small amount at a time if you wish to reduce the sugar.
Namiko-san, Thank you for this recipe. I will try to make it as soon as my chiffon pan comes from Japan. I was wondering, have you ever considered making a recipe for a chocolate cake? I recently tried making an American marble cake from a recipe I found online. I slightly reduced the sugar and butter it recommended, but it didn’t taste as good as the Castella or Ichigo Shortcake. While I can experiment with the marble cake on my own, would you consider making a Chocolate sponge or chiffon cake? I think it would be a huge hit for Valentine’s Day, or people who are in love with chocolate!
Hi Ashton! How funny! It’s my son’s favorite flavor and he asks for chocolate chiffon. My daughter makes my Gateau chocolate (https://www.justonecookbook.com/chocolate-gateau-chocolate-cake/). But I think you’re talking more about lighter spongy cake. I’ll put it on my list! Thank you for your request, and I hope you enjoy making chiffon cakes. 🙂
Hello Namiko-san!
I just want to say I tried this recipe twice. One with Meyer lemons and one with regular lemons. For regular lemons, I added 1 tablespoon more sugar. My family tried both, and they preferred the recipe with regular lemons. For some reason, it came out moister, and had a more authentic “lemon” taste and scent. I guess it’s because we grew up with regular lemons, so we’re used to it. But we honestly love this chiffon recipe. It’s so easy to make, and it comes out perfect almost every time. It’s almost like a cross between cake and cotton candy! LOL
Hi Ashton! Thank you so much for trying this recipe! I’m so happy to hear you and your family enjoy the lemon chiffon cake! Thank you for your kind feedback! xo
What a fabulous way to take advantage of the citrus season! Love, love, love this cake!
Thank you, MJ! 🙂
I do have the 7″ pan and all the ingredients. I am always in a quandry when I don’t see High Altitude instructions in the recipe. Typically, those of us above 5500 ft make adjustments like a little more flour, a slightly higher baking temp, etc. This looks too good to mess up. Any suggestions?
Hello D! I truly wish that I know how to bake at higher altitude, but I have zero experience and knowledge as I haven’t tested it myself. I’m sorry I can’t share my personal experience or knowledge with you. 🙁
Hi Nami, my pan is ard 8inches (20-21cm). How do I adjust the Ingredients proportions for this pan size?
Hi Felicia! Please see this page for your 8 inch pan: https://www.justonecookbook.com/perfect-chiffon-cake/
Hi, Your Chiffon Cake looks AMAZING!! I am looking forward to making it. One question, is the sugar Caster Sugar or ordinary white sugar.
Hoping to hear from you soon.
Hi Maria! Thank you so much! I hope you enjoy making chiffon cakes at home. I use granulated sugar all the time. I’ve made chiffon cakes with caster sugar too, but I don’t notice any difference. Either way is okay, in my opinion.
Hi Nami,
Thank you for such detailed instructions in making a superb petite chiffon cake. Do you bake the cake at the center rack or lower 1/3 of the oven. My usual 10 inch chiffon cake, I find, bakes best at the lower 1/3 rack of the oven, but not sure for this little petite version since it is baked at higher temperature of 340 F, not my usual 325 F. Thank you for your time and kind input. I would love to make this beautiful cake in a smaller version successfully the first time.
Hi Violeta! I adjust the rack so that my pan would be in the center of the oven (does that make sense?). Usually higher temperatures with shorter baking time and lower temperatures with longer baking time. I’ve read an article or somewhere in a cookbook that it should not matter for the result. 🙂
Hi Nami! Would like to ask if baking powder can be replaced with baking soda or any other ingredients? I’ve ran out of baking powder 😭
Hi June! Some people don’t put BP in chiffon cake at all, so I think it’s possible to skip it (but it relies solely on your skill to make it rise nicely!). I’ve never seen a chiffon cake recipe with baking soda. 🙂
Hi,
I follow the the recipe of chocolate chiffon cake using 120g of milk and 30 coco powder ,5 eggs with 160 degree centigrade.
It rised very high and crack using cake tin which was instructed. I cooked for 1 and half hours but at the end it collapsed even with turning upside down. The centre can’t cook properly . Can you please let me know what’s the main problems.
Thanks
Hi Lynda! If you do not follow my recipe exactly (https://www.justonecookbook.com/chocolate-chiffon-cake/), it’s a bit hard for me to help you. Sorry. 🙁
I decided to make this cake for my boyfriend’s birthday. It was not the first cake I’ve made, not by a mile – and it was an unmitigated disaster! Dense and flat and absolutely nothing like the photos. My friends have a good sense of humour so I took it anyway as I didn’t have time to make another cake. We had a good laugh but the cake was a real disappointment. I know you won’t post this alongside your other (fake) reviews but just so you know: this recipe is a fail. Stop wasting people’s time. You’re denting the reputation of independent recipe sites. Next time I’ll stick to aggregate sites where at least reviews can be trusted.
Hi Silvia! First of all, thank you for trying my recipe. I wasn’t in the kitchen to see the process, but I believe the meringue wasn’t made properly for your case. When the chiffon cake is “flat and dense”m it’s ALWAYS the meringue. Either it was overbeaten or under beaten, basically, it didn’t have enough air in the meringue, which is why your batter didn’t hold.
I do not need to make fake comments and I never delete “bad” reviews. The base recipe for all my chiffon cakes is always the same. I’ve had many readers who made the cakes with success. These are real reviews (they even posted pics on social media) and I can give you my word that this recipe works. I make chiffon cakes regularly using my own recipes too, so nothing is fake.
Chiffon cake recipes are not complicated, but it requires skills and proper equipment, such as aluminum chiffon cake pan (NEVER use a non-stick pan!). If you use substitute ingredients or slightly different equipment, the results will be lackluster.
I’ll be happy to help you if you plan to make a chiffon cake again. I’ve helped a lot of my readers in the past who have trouble with their oven or techniques (either email so you can send me pictures or public comment here).
Hi! After removing the cake from the oven, I tapped the pan to prevent it from shrinking then I flipped it over to cool it like you suggested. When I returned to check on it, to my horror the cake had dropped down and cracked! The outer skin of the cake had also stuck to my baking rack so it looks awful now.
Did I do something wrong?
I did not have a chiffon cake pan and my only aluminium pan was this 8″ round pan so I just went with that.
Hi scw! For chiffon cake, I highly recommend using a chiffon cake pan with a tube in the middle. The batter/cake clings onto the surface as it cools. Without the middle, and 8″ (big!), it’s hard to keep it upside-down. Having said that, some people make it without a tube but it only works if it’s a tiny cake, like 3×3 inches at biggest? That’s one thing I wanted to mention, and the other part is that your cake could be under-bake. Check temperature (the real temperature inside, not the display) and you may need to bake more. Often times, the chiffon cake drop is related to underbake. Hope this helps!
Hi! I am a Singaporean, I have tried your lemon chiffon cake and really liked it! If I were to double the ingredients (6 instead of 3 eggs), how do I adjust the baking temperature? Hear from you, thank you!
Hi Jessie! Thank you for trying out my recipe and I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it! Hope this page will be helpful. Check under “22-cm (8.5-inch) chiffon cake pan” for 6 eggs. 🙂
https://www.justonecookbook.com/perfect-chiffon-cake/
Unfortunately I didn’t have the right pan, so my cake collapsed when it was cooling. However, it tasted PHENOMENAL! I ordered the recommended pan, so I can’t wait to make this again!
Hi Robin! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback. Hope your next batch will rise beautifully! 🙂