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.
Wow I’m so impressed and will try it immediately. I love baking
Thanks soo much for the receipy
Kind regards
Audrey from South Africa
Hi Audrey!
Thank you very much for your kind feedback!
Let us know how it goes! Happy Baking!🤗
I never made a cake like this before so I was super nervous but was so happy with how it turned out! I was patiently waiting for my local store to get Meyer lemons and the moment they did I bought them and made the cake. It was perfectly tart and not overly sweet. I used the glaze recipe and decorated the top with fresh raspberries. I brought it to a friends house who don’t care for sweets and they both had a second piece because they loved it so much!! I can’t wait to make this recipe again for myself and others. 10/10 for sure.
Hi Abbey!
We couldn’t be happier to hear how much joy and excitement Nami’s recipe has brought to you and your friends!
Thank you very much for trying this recipe and for your kind feedback.☺️
have no idea where to find Meyer Lemon in Penang, so gonna just use regular lemon tomorrow :
Question: – I’m using 10” chiffon pan, should I use the 170ml liquid all lemon juice, or I should get the juice from 4 regular lemons, then top up to 170ml with water? 😅
Hi Ju!
First of all, if you are using regular lemon, we recommend adding an orange. Because Meyer lemons are moderately acidic and do not have the tangy flavor as regular lemons, they taste slightly sweet. So you need to adjust the sweetness somehow.
170ml all lemon juice sounds a bit too tangy unless you prefer that way. How about you mix the orange juice and adjust the sweetness to your liking? You may also add water to diluted the strong flavor as well. It’s up to you!
We hope you will find a good balance of sweetness and lemony taste in your Chiffon Cake! Good Luck!😊
Didn’t do lemon chiffon after all as trying to avoid weekend-crowd in market during COVID19 period 😅
But I found a bottle of calamansi (Limau Kasturi in Bahasa Malaysia) concentrate in my cupboard 😃😃😃
So this morning I made Calamansi Chfffon instead !!!
Much nicer than my Teh Tarik Chiffon last week – can taste the calamansi; but I’ll cut back much more sugar next round baking 😉
Thank you for your wonderful chiffon recipe that’s so versatile that can be use as the base for unlimited other flavours!!!!
Hi Ju!
Wow! Calamansi Chiffon Cake!? It sounds delicious! We one to try it one day.😉
Thank you for sharing your baking experience with us! It has been so much fun to hear how many Chiffon Cake varieties are possible to make using Nami’s Chiffon Cake recipe.
Thank you for writing to us!
I’ve finally made the lemon-orange chiffon as recommended by you! I used juice of 2 lemons 🍋 🍋 + 1 orange 🍊, when it’s still short of the 170ml I needed for my 10” pan, I topped up with the juice of 3/4 pc of lime sitting in my fridge & some water. Oh ya, I cut back 50% of the total sugar content (only used 115g). The result is superbly light, tangy, but enough sweetness to cut through the sour-ish of the citrus juice. Ichiban 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
Hi Ju!
WOW!🤩 We are so happy to hear your Lemon-Orange Chiffon cake came out perfect!!!👏🏻👏🏻
Thank you very much for sharing your cooking experience and tips with us! Your input is so valuable to other readers as well.💕
Thanks so much for the recipe! I just made it, and it is excellent, everyone loves it! It is very soft and spongy. Thanks for sharing all the tips in cooking without keeping any secret! I tried some of your other recipes, and they all came out great, successful in first trail! Unlike some other cooking blog, your recipe is easy to follow, with video, it helps a lot.
Hi Cecillia!
Aww. Thank you very much for trying this recipe and many other recipes!
You have no idea how much your kind words meant to us! Thank you for your kind feedback.☺️
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! 🙂
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/
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!
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,
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. 🙁
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 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, 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, 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/
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. 🙁
What a fabulous way to take advantage of the citrus season! Love, love, love this cake!
Thank you, MJ! 🙂