Light and fluffy matcha chiffon cake perfect when served with whipped cream and fruit or just on it's own!
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 flavor. Chiffon cakes are similar to angel food cakes, however, are a little richer in flavor and darker in color 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 flavored with so many different flavors, whether that be classic vanilla and chocolate or fruity flavors like strawberry and orange.
My personal favorite 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
Ingredients
- Whole milk: Milk makes up the moisture of this cake while also giving it a tender crumb!
- Egg yolks: Egg yolks give the sponge cake more flavor and a tender crumb.
- Vanilla extract: Vanilla extract adds another layer of flavor to the cake while taking away some of the egginess.
- Caster sugar: Also known as superfine sugar, this kind of sugar is good as the granules are smaller, helping it dissolve into the batter.
- Vegetable oil: Oil gives the cake elasticity. Make sure you use a neutral-flavored oil, something like canola oil works great too!
- Cake flour: Cake flour makes up the structure of the cake. You can use all-purpose flour if you don't have any cake flour, however, cake flour gives the sponge a lighter texture.
- Matcha powder: Make sure you use high-quality matcha powder for the best flavor and color. I like to use high-quality culinary grade matcha powder for all my matcha bakes.
- Baking powder: While chiffon cakes largely rely on egg whites to rise, the baking powder helps to give it an extra boost.
- Egg whites: Egg whites are one of the most important ingredients when making chiffon cakes. The whipped egg whites help the cake rise to its tall and fluffy consistency. Make sure you use large eggs as we need all the egg whites to help the cake rise to its full potential.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does this cake last?
This cake will last up to 4 days when stored in the fridge in an airtight container. If stored at room temperature will last up to 2 days when stored in an airtight container.
Can I make this with other tea flavors?
Yes, you can! You can directly replace the matcha powder with other finely ground tea powders like hojicha powder. If you want to replace it with loose-leaf tea I recommend finely grinding it if possible before using it. Otherwise, there will be large tea leaves throughout the cake.
How should I serve chiffon cake?
Chiffon cake is great served just as it is. I like to serve this with some whipped cream and fresh fruits.
In this case, I whipped up some cream with a sprinkling of matcha powder and sugar until stiff peaks and piped it into a slice of cake. Then I sprinkled it with matcha powder and served it with strawberries!
Why did my chiffon cake sink?
There are a couple of reasons why your chiffon cake sank:
- The cake hasn't been baked for long enough
- A non-stick cake tin was used, causing the cake to slide down the walls of the cake tin as it baked
- The cake wasn't cooled upside down, causing the internal structure to sink
Why does my chiffon cake have holes in it?
The holes in a chiffon cake are caused by large air pockets that weren't deflated during the mixing process. Here are a couple of tips to prevent them from forming:
- Pour the cake batter into your cake tin from a higher height, this will pop any large air bubbles as the batter falls into the tin
- Use a skewer or chopstick and swirl it around the cake tin filled with batter. This will break any hidden air bubbles.
- Give the tin a couple of firm taps on our counter before baking. This brings any air bubbles to the surface of the cake and pops them.
Why is my chiffon cake dense?
A dense cake can happen for a couple of reasons:
- The egg whites weren't whipped to stiff peaks
- The cake batter was overmixed
- The cake was underbaked causing it to sink after it came out of the oven
Let's Get Cooking
If you liked this recipe make sure to leave me a comment and rating down below, I would love to know how you went. Also don't forget to tag me on Instagram @catherine.desserts so I can see and share your desserts.
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Print📖 Recipe
Matcha Chiffon Cake
Light and fluffy matcha chiffon cake perfect when served with whipped cream and fruit or just on it's own!
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 45 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 x 8 inch cake 1x
- Category: Cake
- Method: Intermediate
- Cuisine: Asian Fusion
Ingredients
- 120ml Whole milk (½ cup)
- 6 Large egg yolks
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 38g Caster sugar (I) (3 tbsp)
- 80ml Vegetable oil (⅓ cup)
- 135g Cake flour (1 ¼ cup 2 tbsp)
- 15g Matcha powder (2 tbsp)
- 2 tsp Baking powder
- 6 Large egg whites
- 90g Caster sugar (II) (⅓ cup 2 tbsp)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170C/340F and prepare an ungreased 8-inch aluminum chiffon cake pan with a removable base
- In a medium-sized bowl combine the milk, egg yolks, vanilla extract, caster sugar (I) and vegetable oil, and whisk to combine
- Sift in the flour, matcha powder, and baking powder and whisk until just combined
- Add the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a large bowl with a hand mixer, and whisk until foamy
- Add the caster sugar (II) and whisk on medium speed until stiff peaks form
- Add ⅓ 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 in the preheated oven or an inserted skewer emerges clean
- Remove from the oven and cool the cake upside down on a wire rack until completely cool
- 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
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Kamilla Chantika
I baked this yesterday. It was my first time making a chiffon cake. I kinda overbaked it, but it was a hit. It's not too sweet and fluffy. I like to serve it with Strawberry jam on the top. Thanks for the recipe!