Light and fluffy chiffon cake with a hint of lemon, topped with fluffy whipped cream and candied lemon slices.
What is a chiffon cake?
A chiffon cake is a super light and fluffy cake made with a meringue base. The texture is airy and cloud-like with a subtle sweetness and flavour. Chiffon cakes are similar to angel food cakes, however are a little richer in flavour and darker in colour as they use whole eggs rather than just egg whites.
They are similar to the texture of a genoise. However, the addition of oil helps to create a moister and silkier texture that doesn’t need simple syrups or cream to enhance it.
Chiffon cakes can be flavoured with so many different flavours, whether that be classic vanilla and chocolate or fruity flavours like strawberry and orange.
My personal favourite chiffon cake is a pandan chiffon cake, also known as the national cake of Singapore. The texture is light, and when paired with the fragrance of pandan leaves and coconut milk creates a cake from my dreams.
A chiffon cake is a super light and fluffy cake made with a meringue base. The texture is airy and cloud-like with a subtle sweetness and flavour. Chiffon cakes are similar to angel food cakes, however are a little richer in flavour and darker in colour as they use whole eggs rather than just egg whites.
How to make the perfect chiffon cake
Beat the egg whites to a stiff peaks
As the cake relies on the egg whites to rise, make sure your egg whites reach stiff peaks before folding them into your other ingredients.
Beating egg whites to stiff peaks causes the cake to rise rapidly, which in many other sponges may not be the best option. However, a chiffon cake is baked in a tube tin. The tin allows the sponge cake to grab onto the extra surfaces and rise even higher. This means that the tin is able to hold the cake when it rises to its peak, creating a tall and fluffy cake!
Fold the batter gently
As with all sponge cakes made with a meringue base it is essential to maintain all the air you’ve created when folding the meringue.
The easiest way to do this is folding the batter with a rubber spatula. Don’t mix the batter, but go around the bowl and bring the heavy batter over the top and fold it in.
Folding the meringue in can be difficult if the cake batter is too thick. This is why we lighten the cake batter with one-third of the meringue before folding in the rest. You can mix the first third of meringue in quite vigorously, but afterwards everything must be mixed in with care.
Remove large air bubbles
If you followed all the tips, your cake batter should be light and fluffy with small air bubbles created with your stable meringue.
However despite following all the tips there will still be large air bubbles throughout the batter. These air bubbles will cause pockets in your cake, and has the potential to create an uneven cake surface or cavities in your sponge.
We want to create an even cake crumb without large holes, so we want to get rid of as many large air bubbles as possible without deflating the batter. There are a couple of steps to achieve this.
Pour the batter into your cake tin slowly and from a higher distance
If you pour your cake batter into your tin slowly and from high up, the large air bubbles will pop as the batter falls into the tin.
Run a skewer or thin knife through your cake batter
Once the batter is in your tin use a skewer, chopstick or thin knife and draw a few circles through the batter. This will get rid of any air pockets or large air bubbles that remain
Give the cake a tap on your counter
The last step is giving your cake tin a tap on your counter before placing it in the oven. This should bring any large air bubbles to the surface of your cake and pop them.
Cool the cake upside down
Once your cake has baked to a tall and fluffy chiffon you want to keep it that way. Make sure you cool your cake upside down in order to maintain the tall structure.
As the cake cools warm air will escape from the cake, and if the cake is cooling upright the sponge will begin to sink. If the cake is cooling upside down gravity will help keep the cake at the same structure created during baking.
If you used a non-stick pan at this stage the cake will have fallen out of your cake tin as the sides aren’t able to stick to the surface of the tin. That’s why the cake tin choice is so important!
If you can find an aluminum tin with feet these are the best! The ‘feet’ on the top of the tin are there to help during the cooling process. This way you can cool your cake without crushing the surface. Otherwise turn your cake upside down and rest it on a wire cooling rack or even balance the centre of the tube on a bottle!
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does this last?
This cake lasts up to 3 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. This cake should be stored in the fridge as it is topped with whipped cream.
If you want the cake to last longer you can store the cake and cream separately. When ready to serve top each individual slice with whipped cream. If the cake is stored alone it can last up to 5 days in the fridge.
How should I serve this?
This cake should be stored in the fridge as it is topped with whipped cream. When ready to serve take it out of the fridge and let it sit for 10-15 mins so it comes closer to room temperature before serving.
Make sure you use a serrated knife to cut the cake. Chiffon cakes can be a little difficult to cut through when using a regular knife.
Can I make this with a lemon glaze instead?
Of course! A lemon glaze is a great way to increase the lemon flavour of the cake as well as making it easier to transport around.
To make a simple glaze start with 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar or powdered sugar, and 2 tsp lemon juice. Then increase the sugar or lemon juice to reach the consistency you desire.
It should be thin enough to drizzle, but not too thin that it gets soaked up by the cake.
The measurements will differ in different climates as things like temperature and humidity affect the glaze, so make sure you check the consistency as you mix.
How can I make the lemon flavor more intense?
The lemon flavor in the chiffon cake is quite light and is more reminiscent of a lemon fragrance. Here are a couple of ways to pump up the lemon flavor:
- Make a lemon glaze rather than using whipped cream
- Add more lemon zest to the cake batter
- Use a couple of drops of lemon essence or oil
- Use fresh lemon juice!
What is the best pan for a chiffon cake?
When making a chiffon cake you want to use a tube pan or angel food cake pan, this tube in the center of the cake tin helps to support the cake batter as it bakes, helping it rise to its full potential.
Make sure that the tin doesn’t have a non-stick coating. The non-stick coating will cause the cake batter to slide down the tin rather than rise higher!
There is no need to line the tin with parchment paper or grease it with butter, all you need is the plain aluminum tin!
Can I change the flavor of this?
Yes! If you feel like changing this cake up feel free to use different kinds of citrus fruits for an easy substitution. For fruits like lime, you can substitute it directly into the recipe.
If using something like orange or grapefruit you can replace the water in the recipe with fruit juice. This will make the cake even more flavourful.
Do I have to make the candied lemons, are there other ways to decorate this cake?
It’s all up to you. This cake is a great canvas for any kind of topping, whether that be a cream cheese frosting, buttercream, lemon curd, jam, or even fresh fruits.
Something like fresh lemon slices or even fresh berries work perfectly.
Let’s Get Cooking
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Lemon Chiffon Cake Recipe
Light and fluffy chiffon cake with a hint of lemon, topped with fluffy whipped cream and candied lemon slices.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 60 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 1 x 8-inch cake 1x
- Category: Cake
- Method: Intermediate
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Lemon Chiffon Cake
- 60ml Water (1/4 cup)
- 60ml Lemon juice (1/4 cup)
- Zest of one lemon
- 6 Large egg yolks
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 38g Caster sugar (I) (3 tbsp)
- 80ml Vegetable oil (1/3 cup)
- 150g Cake flour (1 1/2 cup)
- 2 tsp Baking powder
- 6 Large egg whites
- 90g Caster sugar (II) (1/3 cup 2 tbsp)
Whipped Cream
- 240ml Thickened cream (1 cup)
- 25g White sugar (2 tbsp)
Candied Lemon Slices
- 200g White sugar (1 cup)
- 240ml Water (1 cup)
- 1 Lemon, thinly sliced
Instructions
Lemon Chiffon Cake
- Preheat the oven to 160C/320F and prepare an ungreased 8-inch aluminum chiffon cake tin with a removable base
- In a medium-sized bowl combine the water, lemon juice, lemon zest, egg yolks, vanilla extract, caster sugar (I) and vegetable oil, whisk to combine
- Sift in the flour and baking powder and whisk until just combined
- Add the egg whites to a large bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, and whisk until foamy
- Add the caster sugar (II) and whisk on medium speed until stiff peaks
- Add 1/3 of the meringue to the egg yolks and whisk until just combined
- Transfer the lightened egg yolk mixture to the remaining egg whites and gently fold until just combined
- Gently transfer the batter to the prepared cake tin and give the tin a few taps to remove any large air bubbles
- Bake for 45 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 140C/285F and bake for 15 minutes or until an inserted skewer emerges clean
- Remove from the oven and invert the cake onto a wire rack to cool completely
- Once completely cooled run a thin knife around the sides and base of the cake to unmould
- Slice and serve alone or with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh fruit
Candied Lemon Slices
- Combine the sugar and water in a small saucepan, bring to the boil
- Add the lemon slices and cook on low heat for 15 mins, or until the slices are translucent
- Remove the slices from the heat and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper
- Allow the lemon slices to dry for at least 1 hour
Whipped Cream
- Combine the cream and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat on medium speed until stiff peaks
- Transfer the cream to a piping bag fitted with a large round tip
Assembly
- Unmould the cooled cake
- Top with cake with dollops of whipped cream and top with candied lemon slices
- Enjoy!
Can se substitute sugar with stevia? If it’s possible, how much stevia should we add? Thanks
Hi Sandra, unfortunately not. Stevia won’t be able to give the egg white enough structure to hold the cake up and produce that fluffy texture!
Hi, just wondering where do you get your aluminium tube cake tin from? Thanks
I got mine off eBay! Just search for an 8 inch aluminum tube tin ????
I tried this recipe but it turned out overbaked & the batter was not the right consistency.
I’ve made lots of chiffons before & normally I’d beat the egg yolks with sugar until creamed before adding anything else. I think that’s what made it clumpy.
Hi Catherine, thank you for this recipe! It was a success first time making it. I added a pinch of cream of tartar to the meringue. Super fluffy, light and delicious!
tks for sharing. i tried the recipe with both ordinary oranges and organic oranges. my husband said the one with organic oranges is more fragrant and taste nicer. i also reduce the sugar.
i’m new to catherine’s page and was so pleased. this recipe is a lot of work, but it actually turned out exactly how i hoped!! my husband doesn’t like super sweet cakes, so this one was absolutely perfect. it isn’t overly sweet, it has a very light and airy texture, and the quantity is smaller than a lot of other recipes. total bake time for one heart shaped aluminum pan was exactly 30 min, so i would check by poking it before doing the second bake. it is similar to a japanese style cake in both technique and texture. if you haven’t made one before, be sure to mix thoroughly so you don’t get eggy bits!