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.
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Hi, I tried baking a chiffon cake. Most of the recipes are same, except I left baking powder out. My problem is, the cake doesn’t rise till the height of the tin and it’s slightly dense on the top part (becomes bottom part when removed and cut). Would like to know what could be the problem.
Hi Jenny! I like to add baking powder as it helps rise beautifully. Let me know how it goes!
The recipe is good, soft, fluffy, fine and spongy but after a few hours the centre becomes sticky, like something melted. Please advise, thank you very much.
Hi Christee! Do you think your oven temperature (the real oven temperature inside, not what the display says) is accurate? Could be not baked properly? Or if you live in high humidity area, the sugar on the surface could be melted and gets sticky.
How much vanilla extract do you put?
Hi Christine! 1 tsp for the basic size (17 cm/7 inches). 🙂
Dear Nami san,
Hope you are well please take care and speedy recovery.
Some other Chiffon cake flavours:
1. Black sesame chiffon cake
2. Pumpkin chiffon cake
3. Satsumaimo chiffon cake
4. Vanilla chiffon cake
5. Houjicha chiffon cake
6. Milk chiffon cake
7. Cream cheese chiffon cake
8. Soymilk chiffon cake
Hi Joey! Thanks for the list of your chiffon cake flavor request! I have Black Sesame Chiffon Cake recipe already but haven’t shot yet. Thinking about sharing 1 and 5 in the near future!
Hi!
Thank you for the recipe. Do you think I can substitute cake flour with pastry flour? And if I could, is there any changes I should make?
Hi there! I read that pastry flour is like cake flour. It should be made same way (but different names)?
Pastry flour has a protein content that places it between cake flour and AP flour, at least here in the United States. It should be fine for this recipe since it sounds like either AP or cake flour can be used.
Hi Good Morning.
My name is Maricel, and im here right now in UAE. I tried cooking the chiffon cake in the Instant Pot Cooker, it was flat like a pudding, it did not rise properly.
Kindly help and advise.
Hi Maricel! Thank you for trying this recipe. You can’t cook a chiffon cake using an Instant Pot. You need to put the batter in the chiffon cake pan and bake it.
Hi, may I ask whether it is absolutely essential to use a chiffon pan that is not non-stick? I can only find non-stick ones in my area, without having to ship it from Japan. Will an aluminium non-stick one still be able to achieve the same rise? Thank you so much.
Hi Fiona! Yes, I’d say so. One of the common failures is due to using a non-stick pan. You want the batter/cake to cling onto the pan to go higher and having a smooth, slippery non-stick surface of the pan just doesn’t help. Since you haven’t bought it, I’d say get the right one from the beginning and save money on getting another one later on, especially it’s already a known issue.
Hi Nami, the cake tasted great, moist and airy. But the cake’s bottom & side is still in pale color ( not a layer of brownish surface like usually seen chiffon cake) + certain part of top layer somehow stick to my finger when I was using my hand to loosen the cake ( top layer is brown).
I baked at 170c for 25min. Do I need to bake more time in order to get the brownish surface at bottom and side? Tq
Hi Nik!! I’m not sure what size of chiffon cake you’re making, so I don’t know if 25 minutes is enough or not. It seems less if you’re baking a typical chiffon cake size though. And it does become brownish when you bake. Also, are you using an aluminum chiffon cake pan?
I had successfully made the chiffon cake Using your orange recipe, however the last 2 round, the cake was look like many hole at the bottom. was it because I didn’t take out from tin quick enough?
Hi Cath! No, usually this happens due to adding air pockets when you pour the batter. Try pouring from one area. Also when you didn’t mix the batter thoroughly, some air pockets end up in one big chunk and created a hole (holes). Try to evenly distribute the egg whites and mix thoroughly (but gently without deflating).
hi there. thank you for all the very informative ideas you shared here. my usual problem when baking a chiffon cake is that, sometimes the bottom tends to be dense, or hard. what is the cause of this? thank you
Hi Amor! I think you didn’t thoroughly mix, which is why the heavy batter stayed at the bottom?
My chiffon rise and collapse while in oven. The TOP part dense while the bottom is light and fluffy. Can advise what’s happening and how to rectify? Thanks
Hi Moi! I will need more information to really see what’s going on. The top part as in after you inverted or before? The fact that you had a “collapse” tell me your meringue might be under or over beaten. And maybe you didn’t thoroughly mix the egg whites and egg yolk mixture well. If the “top” you’re referring to is before inverting, then maybe it was too much rise and the structure wasn’t strong enough inside that it collapse which ended up the sponge texture is all mashed and become dense. What do you think? Again, it’s hard to tell what happened with a short description of the problem without the process etc explained. Hope this helps! 🙂
It is the latter. I whipped the meringue to just stiff peak but it wasn’t so stable. so I tried whipping the meringue to very stiff peak, and it worked better. Thanks for your advice :). Didn’t know chiffon is soooo sensitive.
Hi Moi! Oh I know, chiffon cake is so sensitive! LOL. It’s a pretty easy recipe, as long as you get the correct meringue and good folding batter. Those two are very crucial! I’m sure next one will be easier as you know how far you have to whip the egg whites. Thanks for your feedback again!
Hi Nami! Eager to try your chiffon cake recipe! Just wondering if it would work without the baking powder? Thank you!
Hi Karen! Some recipes don’t use baking powder, but I’ve been only making chiffon cakes with the baking powder. Sorry, I wish I know the difference.
Hello! Thanks for your recipes! Love all of them 🙂
Could you please share how to adjust chiffon recipe for a 4” (10cm) chiffon pan?
Thank you!
Hi FS! The measurement I have is until 6″ (15 cm)… sorry I don’t have one for 4″. 🙁
https://www.justonecookbook.com/perfect-chiffon-cake/
**follow up question to one of my
I do not yet have a removable bottom pan, but the only size available is a 6.5″. If that is the case, what recipe should I use? the one for the 7″ or the 6″? Thank you so much!!!
HI!!! I have 5 questions… (so many.. I’m sorry.. ><
1) may I use parchment paper at the bottom of the pan? (I understand that this might affect the inverted method of cooling, buuuut if I do not have parchment paper, the chiffon sticks to the point when I remove it from the pan, it becomes a mess
2) I have not tried the inverted style of cooling the chiffon, so does that mean if I do this I could avoid having a dense bottom?
3) Eggs at our are usually refrigerated, should I wait for the egg yolk to be at room temperature before using? (and keep the egg white in the fridge?
4) How high should be the batter inside the tube pan? 3/4 filled? or should it be more ore less?
5) Is the 3-4 hours waiting time before removing it from the pan really necessary?
Would greatly appreciate your feedback! Thank you in advance!
Hi Sophie!
1) No, we do not use parchment paper for chiffon cake. The batter needs to cling to the aluminum chiffon cake pan (no greasing!). You mentioned “sticking”. It is sticking, which is why you need to use a knife to cut off to detach. 🙂
2) When you take out the chiffon cake, it’s still hot, and inside is trying to settle. Therefore you cool down upside down as it sets completely, making sure it stays tall and not collapsed.
3) My eggs come out from the fridge.
4) Yes that’s about right.
5) Yes, while it’s hot/warm, the sponge is still fragile. Make sure to let cool COMPLETELY.
6 – your additional question) Oh… I highly recommend getting a chiffon cake pan with the removable bottom. Make sure it’s aluminum chiffon cake pan. I’d say 7″ and don’t use all the batter.
Hope that helps!
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ANSWERING ALL OF MY QUESTIONS!!! ^_^
You are heaven sent! ^_^ will try to purhase a pan with removable bottom asap. (but will continue using my tube pan until then.. T-T huhuhuh)
Hi Sophie! No problem at all. It’s a lot easier when you have a good working pan – save your ingredients and troubles. 🙂