Orange Chiffon Cake

This light and fluffy orange chiffon cake is flavored with fresh orange juice and zest for a fragrant citrus cake!

Jump to:

• What is a chiffon cake?
• Tips for the perfect chiffon cake
• Ingredients
• Frequently Asked Questions
• 📖 Recipe

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.

Citrus-based chiffon cakes are always delicious because the combination of fresh juice and grated zest mixed into the batter results in a super moist and fragrant cake. If you're an orange lover this is the cake for you!!

Tips for the perfect chiffon cake

Use an aluminum cake tin

The right kind of cake pan will make a huge difference when it comes to baking your chiffon cake. The tin you should be using is an aluminum tube pan with a removable bottom.

There are a couple of reasons why these are the only kind of cake tins to use:

• Aluminum cake tins are light in color. This means that the cake won't bake up too dark.
• The tin isn't non-stick, this allows the cake batter to climb up the walls of the tin as it bakes. Ultimately resulting in a taller and fluffier cake!
• The removable base will make it a lot easier to unmould the cake. Even more so as the cake will stick to the sides of the tin, making it almost impossible to unmould it without tearing otherwise.

Beat your eggs to a stable meringue

The meringue is what allows the cake to rise to that tall height. While this recipe does use baking powder the cake primarily relies on the air beat into the egg whites to rise.

If the meringue isn't beaten to a fine stable meringue at stiff peaks the batter won't have the ability to rise, and will instead result in a rubbery dense cake.

You know you've beaten a stable meringue if it is made up of small air bubbles, has a shiny surface, and stands at tall stiff peaks.

Fold gently

Once you've beat your meringue to the perfect consistency you want to make sure that it doesn't completely deflate as you make the cake batter. A deflated meringue means a deflated cake.

Fold the meringue into the batter gently, going around the bowl and folding the batter over the top. Continue until you can't see any streaks of white.

Remove any large air bubbles

Air bubbles in your batter will result in air pockets throughout your baked cake. A sign of a good chiffon cake is an even textured cake crumb, so it's important that you get rid of any large air bubbles

There are a couple of ways to do this:

• Beat your meringue on medium speed, or even lower the speed to low in the last couple of minutes of whisking. Whisking at a high speed increases the number of air bubbles, so the slower the better.
• Pour the batter into your tin from a high height. This will pop any large air bubbles as the batter falls into the tin.
  
• Swirl the batter in the tin with a skewer. This will remove any remaining large bubbles in your batter after it's in your tin.
• Tap the cake tin firmly on your countertop before baking. This will bring large air bubbles to the surface of the batter, popping them before baking.

Cool upside down

Cooling the cake upside down is a super important step as it ensures your cake doesn't sink too much as it cools. The force of gravity will keep the sponge cake from sinking, and once the cake has cooled completely it shouldn't sink anymore.

Ingredients

Orange Chiffon Cake

• Orange juice: Use freshly squeezed orange juice for the best orange flavor. I used about 1 ½ oranges to get the amount of juice I needed.

• Zest of one orange: The majority of the orange flavor actually comes from the orange zest. This is because the peel contains all the orange oils. You can add more or less to adjust the orange flavor, but keep in mind that too much will cause the cake to become bitter.
• 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.

• 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.

Whipped Cream

• Thickened cream: Aka heavy cream, is optional but so good when served with a chiffon cake! Plus it's a stunning way to decorate your otherwise plain chiffon cake.
• Granulated sugar: You can increase or decrease the amount of sugar to your desired level of sweetness.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does this last?

This cake will last up to 4 days when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. If you didn't frost it with whipped cream it can last up to 2 days stored at room temperature in an airtight container.

Can I freeze chiffon cakes?

Yes, you can! Chiffon cakes are perfect for freezing, but if you are make sure you are only freezing the cake. Whipped cream doesn't freeze very well.

To freeze simply cut the cake up into your desired portion size, wrap in cling wrap and freeze. When you are ready to eat let the cake sit at room temperature until defrosted, or place it in the fridge to defrost overnight.

When is a chiffon cake done baking?

There are a couple of signs that indicate that a chiffon cake is fully baked:

• The top of the cake has begun to flatten and level off
• The top springs back when pressed with a finger

Let's Get Baking

If you love orange-flavored desserts or just a deliciously fluffy sponge cake this is the one! Perfect for a birthday, or casual afternoon tea, there isn't an occasion that doesn't call for a good slice of chiffon cake.

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 and hashtag #cattycakes so I can see and share your desserts. Follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, Youtube, and TikTok for more of my baking creations and updates! Until next time... happy caking!

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