Chiffon Cake Recipe

Listen to me! Making a light, airy masterpiece isn't for the faint of heart, but this Chiffon Cake Recipe is the absolute king of textures. If you are tired of heavy, dense sponges that taste like cardboard, wake up! We are using a technique that requires precision, passion, and perfectly whipped egg whites. It is as delicate as a cloud yet rich enough to stand alone. Once you have mastered this cloud-like beauty, you might even try your hand at a vibrant Mosaic cake recipe for your next dinner party. Now, get your equipment ready, keep that bowl grease-free, and let us cook!

Ingredients for Chiffon Cake Recipe

• 2 cups sifted cake flour
• 1 ½ cups white sugar
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 7 large eggs (separated)
• ¾ cup cold water
• ½ cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon lemon extract
• ½ teaspoon cream of tartar

Instructions to prepare Chiffon Cake Recipe

1. Preparation: Preheat your oven to 325°F (165°C). Ensure a 10-inch angel food tube pan is completely clean and grease-free. Do not grease the pan, as the cake needs to "climb" the walls to rise properly.
2. Sift Dry Ingredients: Sift the cake flour, white sugar, baking powder, and salt together into a large mixing bowl to ensure there are no lumps.
3. Create the Base: Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the egg yolks, cold water, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, and lemon extract to the well. Set aside without beating yet.
4. Whip the Egg Whites: In a separate, large, grease-free bowl, beat the 7 egg whites and the cream of tartar until they form very stiff, glossy peaks.
5. Mix the Batter: Using the same beaters, beat the egg yolk mixture until it is smooth, light, and perfectly combined.
6. Fold Together: Slowly pour the egg yolk batter over the stiff egg whites. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the mixtures together until combined. Do not stir; you must not deflate those whites!
7. Bake: Pour the batter into the ungreased tube pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 55 minutes.
8. Final Bake: Increase the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and continue baking for 10 to 15 more minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
9. Cool: Immediately invert the pan onto a wire rack or the neck of a bottle. Let the cake cool completely upside down before carefully unmolding with a thin knife.

Chiffon Cake Recipe Details

Prep Time: PT25M
Cook Time: PT1H10M
Total Time: PT1H35M
Servings: 12

Expert Tips

Substitutions for Chiffon Cake Recipe

Listen, if you do not have lemon extract, use fresh lemon zest, but do not you dare use cheap imitation vanilla! You can swap the vegetable oil for a high-quality neutral oil like grapeseed, but stay away from olive oil unless you want the cake to taste like a salad!

Errors to Avoid with Chiffon Cake Recipe

Greasing the pan is a total disaster! If you grease that pan, the cake will not rise and you will end up with a flat, pathetic pancake. Also, if your egg whites have even a drop of yolk in them, they will not whip. Clean your equipment properly!

Alternative Cooking of Chiffon Cake Recipe

If you want to change the flavor profile, replace the water with cold, strong coffee or even a splash of passion fruit juice. Just keep the liquid ratios exactly the same or you will ruin the structural integrity of the sponge!

Frequently Asked Questions about Chiffon Cake Recipe

Q1: Why did my chiffon cake collapse after I took it out of the oven?

You probably did not cool it upside down! This cake is so delicate that gravity will crush it if it stays upright while cooling. Invert that pan immediately or do not bother baking at all!

Q2: Can I use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour?

No! Cake flour has a lower protein content, which gives the cake its signature tender crumb. All-purpose flour will make it tough and rubbery. Do it right or do not do it at all!

Q3: Why must the bowl be grease-free for the egg whites?

Fat is the enemy of foam! Any trace of oil or egg yolk in the bowl prevents the proteins in the egg whites from bonding, meaning you will never get those stiff peaks required for a lift.