Chiffon cakes are one of the classic and elegant desserts that are great for any occasion. Here are my tips and techniques for making the perfect chiffon cake that is light, airy, tall, and springy. Troubleshooting included!
In this tutorial guide, I’ll show you the Japanese techniques on how to make a perfectly airy chiffon cake. The Japanese chiffon cakes are also a lot less sweet than the Western-style version, which most people would appreciate.
In addition to all the tips and FAQs, you’ll find my most popular chiffon cake recipes below, such as Earl Grey Chiffon Cake, Chocolate Chiffon Cake, and Matcha Chiffon Cake. I hope you enjoy making them!
Table of Contents
What is Chiffon Cake?
It is pronounced as SHE-fon cake. Chiffon cake is a light cake with a spongy texture made with simple ingredients such as oil, eggs, sugar, flour, and flavorings.
Unlike other types of sponge cakes that use chemical/artificial leavener such as baking soda and baking powder, chiffon cakes are leavened mostly from the meringue (stiffly beaten egg whites). They are baked in a tall pan at least four inches deep and must be cooled upside down to retain their height.
Is Chiffon Cake The Same as Angel Food Cake?
You might be more familiar with angel food cakes as they are commonly sold in grocery stores. The only difference between these two cakes is that angel food cake uses no egg yolks and no fat, but chiffon cakes include both whites and yolks.
How about Sponge Cake? Is There a Difference Between Chiffon Cake and Sponge Cake?
You can say that chiffon cake has the in-between texture of a sponge cake and a butter cake. It is lighter and airier when compared to a sponge cake. The base batter for both chiffon cake and sponge cake is made of separated, whipped egg whites and yolks. However, chiffon cake uses both baking powder and oil, while sponge cake doesn’t contain baking powder.
What Makes a Perfect Chiffon Cake and How to Achieve It?
Here are the characteristics of a perfect chiffon cake:
- It rises tall and straight to the top of the chiffon cake pan without caving into itself.
- No big holes or air pockets all around
- The texture of the sponge is light, fine, airy, fluffy, and bouncy.
- The sponge is very moist, and usually not overly sweet (especially if you are making a Japanese chiffon cake recipe).
In order to make a perfect chiffon cake, there are a few important factors. So let’s go over them.
1. Use the right chiffon cake pan
Make sure you use the right chiffon cake pan. The best types are the aluminum pan with a removable base. Make sure the pan is NOT non-stick. Do not grease the mold because the cake needs to cling to the sides and center of the pan for support as it rises. Otherwise, it will collapse. You can buy a 7-inch round angel cake pan with a removable base on Amazon or a 17-cm aluminum Japanese chiffon cake pan on Nihon Ichiban or Amazon.
2. Make the perfect meringue (beaten egg whites)
This is the most important factor, so I’ll cover this topic in a separate section below.
3. Mix in thoroughly with the whisk
I used to use a silicone spatula to fold beaten egg whites into the egg yolk mixture so that you won’t deflate the egg whites, which would result in a dry and dense cake. However, I have read several instructions and youtube videos that a balloon whisk is actually a better choice to incorporate egg whites into the batter. After a few trials, I am convinced that the whisk is the best way to fold in egg whites.
When you fold in egg whites, you might be afraid of breaking the air bubbles and may not mix the batter thoroughly. I felt the same way and always thought I mixed enough. However, when the egg whites are not mixed in with the mixture thoroughly, they would end up separated in the oven. As a result, it creates big air pockets inside the batter while being baked.
Fold carefully and slowly so you would not deflate the egg whites. Fold in one-third of the egg whites first to lighten the batter, and then fold in another 1/3. Then transfer the mixed batter into the egg whites to fold in the rest.
4. Remove air pockets
It’s important to remove air pockets before baking. When you pour the batter into the pan, make sure to pour it from 6-8 inches high at just one spot to prevent air bubbles from forming. Then, while holding the removable base in place, gently tap the cake pan on the work surface to release any air pockets in the batter. Lastly, run a wooden skewer through the batter to release any remaining air pockets.
5. Let cool upside down
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 and let cool for 3-4 hours before removing the cake pan. If you use an angel food cake pan, invert the cake pan on a cooling rack.
2 Tips to Make Perfect Meringue (Beaten Egg Whites)
The key to a successful chiffon cake is the meringue (the beaten egg whites). There is no clear and easy way to show how much beating is enough, except for your own trials and errors. I could only give you a few tips that will help you succeed. Before anything, make sure your beaters and mixing bowl are clean and dry.
Tip #1: Chill egg whites (What?!)
I know, it’s the total opposite of what you learned from American recipes. I’ve seen most of the American recipes use room-temperature egg whites to make the meringue. However, almost all (99%) Japanese chiffon cake recipes require cold, well-refrigerated, or sometimes half-frozen egg whites, to make meringue without cream of tartar. Chilled egg whites will make very fine and smooth meringue with small and strong air bubbles inside. They remain strong even in the oven and help the batter rise higher and fluffier. If you are not from the US, which method do you use?
Tip #2: Whisk until stiff peak with a tip that folds over
There is always discussion on how much you should beat the egg whites. From my experience, it’s best to stop the mixer when you’re close to finishing to check the condition of the peaks.
When you lift the whisk, the egg whites in the bowl or on the whisk should be firm enough to go straight up and hold a stiff peak, but just the very tip may fold over a little, like taking a bow. The meringue should have a slightly glossy texture, too.
Then, switch from the hand-held electric mixer (or stand mixer) to a balloon whisk, and thoroughly mix the sides and center of egg whites a few times to get to the same consistency throughout.
If you overbeat the meringue, it will become very stiff and grainy and won’t incorporate into the batter at all.
Adjust Ingredients for Different Sizes of Chiffon Cake Pan
Since a 17-cm chiffon cake pan is the most common size for chiffon cakes in Japan, I usually bake with a 17-cm Japanese chiffon cake pan. It’s a decent-size cake by Japanese standards, but it will look smaller next to typical American cakes.
*Below I include the measurements for different-size pans for your reference.
15-cm (6-inch) chiffon cake pan
- 2 large eggs (100 g without shell)
- 60 g (5 Tbsp) granulated sugar
- 30 ml (2 Tbsp) vegetable oil
- 40 ml (2 Tbsp and ¾ tsp) water/milk/citrus juice (such lemon juice)
- 50 g (¼ cup and add 4 tsp) cake flour (Make sure to measure correctly; See my tutorial video.)
- 3 g (¾ tsp) baking powder
- vanilla extract
Bake at 340 ºF (170 ºC) for 25-30 minutes.
17-cm (7-inch) chiffon cake pan (BASIC)
- 3 large eggs (150 g without shell)
- 85 g (measure ½ cup and remove 1 Tbsp) granulated sugar
- 40 ml (measure 3 Tbsp and remove 1 tsp) vegetable oil
- 60 ml (¼ cup) water/milk/citrus juice
- 75 g (⅔ cup and remove 2 tsp) cake flour (Make sure to measure correctly; See my tutorial video.)
- 4 g (1 tsp) baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Bake at 340 ºF (170 ºC) for 30-35 minutes.
20-cm (8-inch) chiffon cake pan
- 5 large eggs (250 g without shell)
- 130 g (⅔ cup) granulated sugar
- 60 ml (¼ cup) vegetable oil
- 95 ml (measure ⅓ cup and add 1 ½ Tbsp) water/milk/citrus juice
- 120 g (1 cup) cake flour (Make sure to measure correctly; See my tutorial video.)
- 6 g (1 ¼ tsp) baking powder
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
Bake at 340 ºF (170 ºC) for 35-40 minutes.
22-cm (8.5-inch) chiffon cake pan
- 6 large eggs (300 g without shell)
- 170 g (measure 1 cup and remove 2 Tbsp) granulated sugar
- 80 ml (6 Tbsp) vegetable oil
- 120 ml (½ cup) water/milk/citrus juice
- 150 g (1 ¼ cup) cake flour (Make sure to measure correctly; See my tutorial video.)
- 8 g (2 tsp) baking powder
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
Bake at 340 ºF (170 ºC) for 40-45 minutes.
23-cm (9-inch) chiffon cake pan
- 7 large eggs (350 g without shell)
- 190 g (measure 1 cup and remove 1 Tbsp) granulated sugar
- 90 ml (measure ⅓ cup and add 1 Tbsp) vegetable oil
- 135 ml (measure ½ cup and add 1 Tbsp) water/milk/citrus juice
- 170 g (measure 1 ⅓ cup and add 1 Tbsp) cake flour (Make sure to measure correctly; See my tutorial video.)
- 9 g (2 ¼ tsp) baking powder
- 2 ½ tsp vanilla extract
Bake at 340 ºF (170 ºC) for 45-50 minutes.
25-cm (10-inch) chiffon cake pan
- 8 large eggs (400 g without shell)
- 230 g (measure 1 cup and add 2 Tbsp) granulated sugar
- 110 ml (measure ½ cup and remove 2 tsp) vegetable oil
- 170 ml (measure ⅔ cup and add 2 tsp) water/milk/citrus juice
- 210 g (1 ¾ cup) cake flour (Make sure to measure correctly; See my tutorial video.)
- 11 g (2 ⅔ tsp) baking powder
- 2 ¾ tsp vanilla extract
Bake at 340 ºF (170 ºC) for 50-55 minutes.
What Went Wrong? Troubleshooting Chiffon Cakes
1. My chiffon cake didn’t rise properly. My chiffon cake sank/deflated after I took it out of the oven.
- Get a chiffon cake pan: Please use an aluminum, 2-piece tube pan. You cannot use a non-stick pan to make chiffon cake as the wall is too slippery for the batter to cling to the sides and center of the chiffon cake pan in order to rise higher.
- Do not grease: For the same reason, you do not need to grease the cake pan.
- Invert the cake pan to let it cool: If you didn’t use a chiffon cake pan, you can’t do this step. It’s very important to invert the chiffon cake pan while letting it cool so the cake will not collapse and it will continue to stay tall with the help of gravity.
- Beat egg whites correctly: Under-beating egg whites will cause the cake structure to collapse, while over-beating can cause the mixture to break down when you fold it into the batter, creating a heavy batter. Therefore, always keep an eye out for the egg whites as they thicken. A safe way to do this is to whip your egg whites on medium speed. And it’s ok to stop frequently to check as you get close to the stiff peak stage.
- Check oven temperature: When the oven temperature is too low, the cake will not rise to its optimum height. It’s also possible that your oven setting doesn’t display the actual oven temperature. Get an oven thermometer to place it in the oven and test the actual oven temperature at 4 corners and the center. My oven has some hot spots in one corner so I know I need to avoid placing my cake there.
- Increase baking time: If you did everything right, maybe the baking time was not enough.
2. My cake got burnt on the top.
- Use aluminum foil: Your oven may be a bit too small for this cake pan. You need at least some space between the cake pan top and the oven. To fix this problem, you can cover the cake with aluminum foil over the top to prevent further browning once the cake reaches a nice golden color.
3. My cake has big holes (air pockets).
- Mix thoroughly: When you don’t fold the egg whites and batter thoroughly, the cake batter is not consistent. The meringue parts have too many air bubbles than the other parts, which results in large pockets and other parts of the batter cannot sustain the structure. Make sure you mix everything thoroughly without destroying the bubbles.
- Beat egg whites correctly: When egg whites are under-beaten, the small air bubbles cannot sustain as the temperature goes up. As a result, small air bubbles turn into one bigger hole.
- Prevent air pockets: The air pockets may be created when you pour the batter into the chiffon cake pan. Make sure to pour the cake batter all at once in one location. Also, run the wooden skewer in the batter a few times and gently tap the chiffon cake pan against the kitchen counter to get rid of large air bubbles that are trapped in the cake batter.
4. My cake has white streaks.
- Mix thoroughly: Those white streaks are meringue (egg whites). It happened when you didn’t incorporate meringue into the batter thoroughly, so the egg whites appeared as white streaks.
FAQs
Q: Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour?
A: Japanese chiffon cake recipes always use cake flour. It is the reason why they are airy, fluffy, and soft. All-purpose flour has a higher protein content, which develops more gluten and results in a tougher cake. You would see the difference immediately.
The substitution or the easiest workaround for cake flour is to mix all-purpose flour with cornstarch. To make 1 cup of cake flour, simply take out 2 Tbsp from 1 cup of all-purpose flour and replace it with 2 Tbsp cornstarch. However, in my opinion, store-bought cake flour would give a better result as it has been sifted finely with the machine.
Q: Do we need to add baking powder?
A: In general, baking powder is not necessary as chiffon cake relies on egg whites to rise. Baking powder is just a backup. However, a chiffon cake recipe includes oil and egg yolks (fats), and baking powder to counteract and help the cake rise.
Q: Can I use melted butter instead of vegetable oil?
A: No, to get a light, airy, soft texture, it has to be vegetable oil or canola oil. Please don’t substitute it with butter.
Q: Can I bake it in a regular cake pan or bundt pan?
A: I highly recommend getting a tubed aluminum pan that allows the cake to rise taller. Avoid a non-stick pan and never grease the pan because the cake will not be able to cling and rise as high. If your chiffon cake pan is not the same size as mine, I always recommend doubling the recipe (instead of trying to divide an egg by weight). Use the leftover batter to make a small cake in a regular ramekin or smaller cake pan (it won’t be a proper chiffon cake though).
Q: When does the cake taste best?
A: It’s best half-day to a whole day after baking.
Q: How long does the cake last? Can I freeze chiffon cake?
A: Wrap the cake in plastic wrap and keep it in a cool, dark place for about 2-3 days. Depending on the ingredients or climate you live in, it might be better to keep it in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Be sure to let the cake come to room temperature before serving, or it may seem dry and dense.
You can also wrap the individual piece or the whole cake in a layer of plastic wrap and another layer of tin foil before storing in the freezer. Note that some flavors will be lost. Defrost naturally and enjoy.
Our Most Popular Chiffon Cake Recipes
Each of the recipes below includes step-by-step images (and some with videos) which provide visual guidance:
- Chocolate Chiffon Cake – This is an all-star dessert! You’ll love the rich chocolate flavor and super moist texture.
- Earl Grey Chiffon Cake – So lovely for afternoon tea.
- Matcha Green Tea Chiffon Cake – The earthy, vanilla-like matcha green tea flavor is unmistakable.
- Meyer Lemon Chiffon Cake – Who would resist the refreshing aroma of the Meyer lemons in a cake?!
- Orange Chiffon Cake – This one has a warm, citrusy aroma from the orange zest and a hint of cardamom. Get ready to impress!
- Have you tried any fun flavors you would like me to share next? I’d love to hear from you!
You can serve the chiffon cakes on their own or with fresh whipped cream (or frosting but go easy with it) and fresh-cut fruits.
I hope this tutorial guide will help you with your chiffon cake adventures. If you baked a chiffon cake and you’re still having trouble, please ask in the comments below. I’ll be happy to help.
Wish to learn more about Japanese cooking? Sign up for our free newsletter to receive cooking tips & recipe updates! And stay in touch with me on Facebook, Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram.
Hi,
I was wondering whether you bake your chiffon cakes in a convection or conventional oven? I only have a fan forced oven, and seems like most of the recipes I’ve come across is made in a conventional oven.
Thank you
Hi Ann! My recipes are all using conventional (no fan) oven. I have both functions but since not everyone’s oven is convection, I keep it basic. 🙂 Please reduce the oven temperature by 25 ºF. 🙂
Hi Nami,
Thank you so much for your prompt reply. I just realised I also need to ask you about the quantity for cardamom and navel oranges for 9.5 ” chiffon cake pan.
Should I use 20 pods of cardamom instead of 10 pods? Will it be too strong? And should I double the navel oranges from 3-4 oranges to 6-8 oranges? Thank you so much!
Hi Jinny! All the ingredients need to be increased proportionally. 🙂 Each navel oranges yield a different amount of juice, so follow the amount of liquid. Cardamom – try that this time and adjust based on the result? 🙂
Hi Nami, if I want to add mango purée to the cake batter, is this where the 60ml water /milk/ citrus will go to?
Thank you!!
Hi Candy! Yes, you will need to replace that, but make sure the texture – you may need to test the thickness and see if you need to dilute etc. 🙂
Hi,
Can I use avocado oil instead of vegetables oil and canola oil? Thank you 😊
Hi Josephine! I haven’t tried it but I think it should be okay…
Hi Nami,
Thanks for your guide! I’ve got a question though, my cake batter has a lot of tiny bubbles surfacing to the top after I fold in my egg whites with my egg yolks, and I didnt know what to do then so I just baked it. But it turned out flat in the end! Could you please let me know why this is happening? And perhaps how to troubleshoot it if I face a problem like that again?
Thanks a lot!
Hi Jan! Did you tap the cake pan and run the wooden skier in the cake batter to remove the air bubbles/pockets? Tapping on the counter really helps to get rid of those. When did the cake become flat? As soon as you took it out of the oven or while upside down? It seems like the cake batter had some issue.
Love the recipe. Was wondering if it’s possible to add cream cheese to the recipe. And if so how much cream cheese for 22cm recipe?
Hi SC! I wouldn’t add the cream cheese to the chiffon cake. And even I do… without testing I can’t tell. Sorry sc!
Hi, my chiffon cake straight out the oven is risen very good. But if I revert the cake and after cooldown then the top which now is the bottom is half dense/not as fluffy as the the top side. It keeps coming back. Do you know which step i am doing not correctly?
Hi Yoyo! Your chiffon cake came out well at first because heat is rising the air in the cake (like hot air balloon). As soon as it cools, that’s when you know if the cake (inside) is baked correctly or not. The cake will stay up and tall if the cake is cooked through. From reading how you describe, here’s what I think:
1) Your actual oven temperature is not the same as what the oven says (this is very common. you can buy an oven thermometer to test). Possibly your oven temp is lower… so your cake is underbaked. Did you insert a skewer to check if it comes out dry? You must do this to avoid the under bake issue.
2) Maybe you didn’t mix it thoroughly. In the beginning, when I started baking chiffon cake, I had this issue. I was worried about deflating my batter so I didn’t mix properly. So the air bubble wasn’t distributed correctly and it has air pockets that caused layers in the cake.
Your cake could be one of them or maybe both. Hard to tell without being in the kitchen to see how it’s made… Hope this helps! P.S. You’re not using a non-stick pan, right? Make sure to use an aluminum chiffon cake pan. 🙂
Hi there, this chocolate chiffon cake is delicious, thank you for the recipe. I would like to make a coconut version. Shall I replace the cocoa powder amount with desiccated coconut? And should I replenish the flour as there is no cocoa powder? Thank you
Hi Sill! Thank you for trying my chocolate chiffon cake recipe! Glad you liked it! I’d replenish the flour as you mentioned. Do you think desiccated coconut is enough for flavor? How about using coconut oil instead of regular oil? Just a thought (even though I’ve never made it). 🙂
Thank you for your reply Nami! I’m guessing using desiccated coconut will make it a bit more dense. If I were to add another egg would it make it fluffier? When I bake it (once the chocolate has finished!) I’ll let you know the outcome x
No problem! I’m nervous about changing the ratio for basic ingredient measurements. I’m sorry without testing, I don’t know how much coconut you should add (to get the right flavor) and how much of that will affect texture (too many dry ingredients?) etc… Without testing, it’s hard to tell. 🙂
Hi Nami,
I have tried making the earl grey chiffon cake using the recipe you have shared. It was amazing! Super easy and the cake turned out perfect. I love how you are so detailed on the steps and guides in your recipes. Your guide on “how to make the perfect chiffon cake” was extremely informative and helpful. Thank you so much for sharing your recipes and experiences. Cheers!
Hi Zen! AWWW! You made me so happy! Thank you so much for your kind feedback. I’m so happy you enjoyed my Earl Grey Chiffon Cake recipe! 😀 It’s one of my favorites. Thank YOU for trusting my recipe! 🙂
Hi Nami,
I love all your recipes very much! Was wondering if you could provide a black sesame chiffon cake recipe as well? 🙂
Thank you!
Hi Angie! Thank you so much! That recipe is next on my “to-shoot” list. I’ve finished shooting a recipe for Banana Chiffon Cake already but haven’t had time to write a blog post. xD Thank you for your request!
Hi, I’m Sunnie, may I know the ingredient for 5 inch chiffon cake pan (2-piece tube chiffon cake pan). Thanks in advance.
Hi Sunnie! Sorry, I don’t have the measurement (I have for 6 inches): https://www.justonecookbook.com/perfect-chiffon-cake/
Hi,
I’d like to make the Chiffon Cake. Can you please tell is if the SUGAR is Caster Sugar (finer sugar) or ordinary white sugar?
Hoping to hear form you soon.
Maria
Hi Maria! I use white granulated sugar because that’s what most people have in the kitchen. However, you can use caster sugar for this recipe. 🙂
I know you recommend the chiffon cake pan but I am trying to recreate a guava chiffon cake that used to be made here in Hawaii. The bakery sold a layered 8″ square and topped it with guava or other things. So can I make this in a 8″?
Thank you.
Hi Cheryl! I have never used a square pan to make a chiffon cake. If you try it, let us know how it goes!
Thanks for the Orange Chiffon Cake recipe. I tried and the cake is indeed soft, fluffy and delicious. However, while the top part of the cake is very browned, there is a thin layer near the top that did not seem to be cooked. Could this be due to my oven that’s too hot? And I needed only 20 min to have bake the cake. Looking forward to your advice and thanks.
Hi Wendy! Thank you for trying this recipe! Ohh it seems like your cake was very close to the heat source. If your oven is smaller than mine, I’d recommend tenting the cake with aluminum foil after browning or adjust the oven temperature (but you have to play with it as I don’t have the same oven…).
Thanks Nami for your guidance. I gave the recipe another attempt but this time, the lemon chiffon instead. It turns out to be perfect now – The very first time my chiffon cake turn out all cooked, moist and fluffy. I’m so happy! 😊
Hi Wendy! I’m so glad to hear your chiffon cake came out well! Thanks for your kind feedback! 🙂
Hi, what type of milk are we going to use?
Hi Laurie! I usually use whole milk when I can. Reduced-fat milk should be okay…
What baking mode do you use for chiffon cake? fan bake or normal ( top n bottom elements on, no fan) thanks 🙂
Hi Irene! I always use non-fan (conventional oven) for ALL my recipes even though my oven has a fan (convection) option as well. That way, everyone can have a similar result. 🙂
I have a 6 inch chiffon pan, i understand your recipe requires 2 LARGE EGGS, its difficult to get large eggs at my side, can i substitute with 3 medium (small size i guess) eggs? Or i should stick with 2 normal size eggs?
Thanks in advanced
Hi Corene! Since a large egg here is 50 g (without shell). Maybe you can check and find out the weight for a medium egg? I’m not sure how far off it is… 🙂
Hi, i’d tried with 3 eggs and it came out fabulous!
All the credit to your recipe and explanation… Thank you so much for taking your precious time to reply. Take care and stay safe.
I’m glad to hear that! Thanks so much for your feedback, Corene!! Enjoy the chiffon cake. Take good care! xoxo
Hi Nami, Thanks for all the details in your recipe! Currently troubleshooting my chiffon cake and I have the 10” tin. I covered with foil for 30 mins and left it open for 30 mins but the bottom middle (where the chimney is) is slightly soggy and it’s domed inwards, the outside is slightly burnt and crumbly – and it makes the external appearance very uneven. I carefully peeled it away with an offset spatula but I think it’s because the outside was baked too quickly.. I covered for 30 mins and the batter reached the foil 🙁 I hope you can offer some advice on where I went wrong? Temperature? Time? Thanks again for all your tips!!
Oh! Forgot to mention- the cake itself is lovely and soft in the inside- perhaps a little too soft as the structure is slightly lacking
Hi Manda! Thanks for trying this recipe! You had to cover the pan with foil because outside is getting too burnt? How big is your oven? Maybe lower the oven temperature slightly and bake for a longer time? When you cover with foil, it’s probably hard to cook inside. If you want to cover the foil, it should be toward the end of cooking, not the beginning. 🙂 Hope this helps!
Hi Nami thanks for your reply! I was worried it would get too burnt but now I know to cover it at the end – thank you!
Hi Manda! Hope that will help. 🙂 xo