Brighten your day during citrus season with this delicate Meyer Lemon Chiffon Cake. Reminiscent of my favorite Japanese yuzu, Meyer lemons have an incredibly refreshing fragrance and tart sweetness that‘s perfect for desserts. It‘s a light and airy Japanese cake that‘s bursting with the sweet smell of lemons. Top it with powdered sugar or my optional Meyer Lemon Icing Glaze.

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 from 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 of lemons. It’s a perfect slice of cake to enjoy with coffee or tea!
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 them in her recipes (source).
Meyer lemons are moderately acidic and do not have the tangy flavor of 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 of making a delicate, frothy meringue, the rest of it is rather straightforward.
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 of 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 their intense and natural sweetness, Meyer lemons make an excellent flavoring for the cake.
Can we substitute regular lemons for Meyer Lemons?
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, troubleshooting, and 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!
More Amazing Dessert Cake 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)

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Meyer Lemon 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)
- 2 Meyer lemons (for the zest and ¼ cup (60 ml) of juice)
- 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
- 2 Tbsp confectioners’ sugar (for dusting on the cake; optional)
For the Meyer Lemon Icing Glaze (optional)
- ½ cup confectioners’ sugar
- ½ Meyer lemon (for 1 Tbsp juice)
Instructions
Before You Start…
- Gather all the ingredients. I highly encourage you to use metric measurements 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.
- You will also 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 Mix the Batter
- Preheat the oven to 340ºF (170ºC). For a convection oven, reduce cooking temperature by 25ºF (15ºC). Separate the egg yolks and egg whites of 3 large eggs (50 g each w/o shell), and keep the whites in a small bowl or a stand mixer bowl. Refrigerate or freeze the mixer bowl and the 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.
- Start mixing the batter. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks and one-third of the 85 g sugar (½ cup minus 1 Tbsp) with a hand whisk. Whisk vigorously until it‘s a creamy, pale yellow color.
- Next, add 40 ml neutral oil (3 Tbsp minus 1 tsp) and the zest of up to 2 Meyer lemons. Tip: I love the intense fragrance and sweetness of Meyer lemons, so I use the zest of 2 lemons. You can use 1, if you‘d prefer.
- Cut the Meyer lemons in half. Juice all 4 halves into a measuring cup.
- Measure 4 Tbsp (¼ cup or 60 ml) lemon juice. If you don‘t have enough juice, add water to make up the difference.
- Add the lemon juice to the egg mixture and whisk well.
- To a flour sifter or fine-mesh sieve, add 75 g cake flour (⅔ cup minus 2 tsp) 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 egg whites and the mixing bowl 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 remaining sugar and continue whisking.
- After 30 seconds or so, 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 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 zest 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.
- Run a wooden skewer through the batter to release any remaining air pockets. 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.
- 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. 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.
- 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. 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
- Dust the top of the cake with 2 Tbsp confectioners’ sugar (optional), if you‘d like. Alternatively, you can top the cake with Meyer Lemon Icing Glaze (optional). To make the glaze, place ½ cup confectioners’ sugar in a small bowl and stir in the juice of ½ Meyer lemon. The glaze should be thick, but pourable. Add more sugar or Meyer lemon juice as necessary to achieve the desired consistency. Drizzle over the cake using a spoon. 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: The post was originally published on Mar 2, 2016. It has been edited and republished in February 2020.
Hi Naomi, I simply love your recipe! I have followed your recipe and made Meyer Lemon Chiffon 3 times. The cake has only risen a little and never to the brim like how you have it. I noticed my batter was also not as much as you have after I poured into the 7-inch baking tin. Do you think it could be due to the size of eggs as I have measured every ingredients except for the eggs? I used convection oven at 155 degrees C. Thanks!
Hi Min! Thank you for attempting Nami’s recipe!
It could be because of the egg’s size. Do you use the large eggs? It should weigh around 50 g without the shell.
You also want to ensure that the meringue reaches the stiff peaks!
We hope this was helpful!
Hi Naomi,
I have made the chiffon cake using your guided proportion using a 7 inch chiffon pan 4 times. However, each time i make the cake, the same problem happens to me. The top part of the cake did not rise nicely and it kinda collapsed. Please see attached photo.
I’m using the recipe to make a pandan flavoured cake. For the juice/liquid of 60ml, I have used 30ml pandan juice and 30ml of coconut cream.
Would you be able to advise which step did I do wrong? Your advice would be very much appreciated. Thank you.
Hello, Jane! Thank you so much for taking the time to read Nami’s post!
Here are a few things you may look into:
1. Examining the baking powder’s quality. The most recent one is always the greatest.
2. Bake for a bit longer the next time.
3. See this post by Nami: https://www.justonecookbook.com/perfect-chiffon-cake/
We hope this helps!🙂
Hi Nami! I’m so happy every time I make one of your recipes; they are always precise and delicious! I’ve made this chiffon cake so many times but this time I replaced the lemon by yuzu. It was also delicious!
Thanks a lot 🍋❤
Hello, Angeliki! Wow!🤩 The Yuzu Chiffon Cake looks delectable!
Thank you so much for trying Nami’s recipe and sharing your photo of the Chiffon cake.
Nami and the rest of the JOC are so happy to hear that you enjoy many of Nami’s recipes. We hope you continue to enjoy cooking with Nami!
Hi! I’m hoping to make this at the end of the week! Do I have to use a bundt pan or can i use any type of mold? Thank you!
Hi Kim, Thank you for reading Nami’s post and trying her recipe!
If you want to make tall Chiffon cake, we recommend using the Chiffon cake pan, but you can bake a cake in any type of mold.
We hope this helps!
This is my go to chiffon cake recipe! I have made it about 6 times for family parties and comes out perfect each time. Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Jjanon! Aww! Nami and JOC team are so happy to hear you and your family enjoy this Chiffon Cake!
Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback!🥰
Hi Namiko San, I’m so thankful for your recipe, I have tried 4 times, it’s fluffy, the sweet is so perfect.
But I have problem to find large eggs I my area, is it fine if I used 4 eggs (medium size) rather 3 large eggs?
Thank you so much Namiko San.
Hi Fonny! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe!
Yes, if the egg is smaller than 50 g each w/o shell, you can use 4 eggs instead. Different country has different egg size standard, so please check them first.
We hope this helps!
Thank you so much, you have reply my email.
Namiko, I love your website! After amazing success making your veggie gyoza, Inari (homemade age!), and more, yesterday I made a perfectly risen, to 3.6″!!! 10″ round Meyer lemon chiffon cake. It came out wonderfully!! Divine. I used zest from 5.5 lemons (47gm), it was a lot, but due your proportions and I went for it!
I whisked in the egg whites slowly and gently… by the way, your recipe leaves out when to add the vanilla. I used vanilla bean paste, and added it to the yolk mixture at the end. I baked 35 minutes at 340 and it tested done. I ‘dropped’ it gently onto a potholder on a hard surface & immediately turned it upside down to be held by 4, same size inverted glasses. Cooled 2 hours. I loosened with a cake spatula and then banged on the bottom fast and hard all around – it popped out perfectly!!! I’ve never had an angel food or chiffon cake raise this well ever. Thank you for your wonderful site, thorough directions, fantastic tips, and delectable flavors. My Japanese/american husband could not be happier that I have found you :). Next I will attempt mochi!
Hi Katie! Thank you very much for trying Nami’s recipe and for your kind feedback!
We are so happy to hear that the 10″ Chiffon Cake came out perfect!!!😍
The vanilla extract is optional, and Nami did not use it for this recipe. You probably checked out Nami’s How to Make the Perfect Chiffon Cake post. There she posted a basic Chiffon Cake recipe.😉 Regardless, we are glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Happy Baking!