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a slice of fluffy chiffon cake on a white plate dusted with powdered sugar
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5 from 383 votes

Light and Fluffy Chiffon Cake

Learn how to make a light & fluffy vanilla chiffon cake with this simple, easy to follow recipe! Full of expert tips & tricks to get the perfect chiffon cake that's soft, airy, light, and won't shrink or deflate.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Baked Goods, Dessert
Cuisine: American, Japanese
Servings: 12
Calories: 233kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

  • 1 ½ cups cake flour - (200g)
  • 1 ⅓ cup sugar - (260g); divided
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder - (5g)
  • ½ teaspoon salt - (3g)
  • ½ teaspoon cream of tartar - (1g)

Wet Ingredients

  • 6 large egg yolks - (100g)
  • 6 large egg whites - (200g)
  • ⅓ cup vegetable oil - (80g)
  • ¼ cup water - (60g)
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste - substitute with vanilla extract

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 355 degrees F.
    Add the egg yolks, vegetable oil, water, vanilla, salt, and half of the sugar to a large mixing bowl. Whisk well to combine. (The remaining half of the sugar will be used for the egg whites.)
    egg yolks being mixed with a metal whisk in a metal bowl
  • Sift the cake flour and baking powder, into the egg yolk mixture in three batches. Fold after each time until well combined. Avoid over mixing.
    cake flour being sifted into a metal bowl with egg yolks
  • Add the egg whites and cream of tarter to a large mixing bowl. Beat on medium high speed while adding the remaining half of the sugar. Add the sugar in three batches until you've reached firm peaks. See Note 1.
    whipped egg white meringue showing a peak on a whisk
  • Add half the beaten egg whites to the egg yolk mixture. Fold gently to combine then add the remaining half. Fold gently again to avoid deflating the batter. The batter should be light, airy, and fluffy.
    light and fluffy chiffon cake batter in a metal bowl with a spatula
  • Spray the inside of your ungreased, aluminum chiffon cake pan with water including the inner tube. This helps prevent the cake from sticking too much to the pan once baked.
    Pour the batter into the pan and fill up to 75% full otherwise you may risk overflow.
    light, fluffy chiffon cake batter being poured into a chiffon pan
  • Bake at 355 degrees F for 25 to 35 minutes. Your baking time will depend on how shallow or deep your pan is. See Note 2.
    Check after 25 minutes for doneness. It's ready when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the top is a golden brown color. If your pan is tall and deep, you may have to bake it longer.
    chiffon cake baking in a chiffon cake pan in the oven
  • Remove from the oven and immediately flip the chiffon pan upside down to invert it. Cool it down as soon as possible to prevent it from sinking and deflating.
    Drape a cold, damp towel over it to cool it down as quickly as possible. Rinse the towel under cold water and wring it dry. Drape it over the pan again and repeat this process until the pan is no longer hot. See Note 3.
    chiffon cake pan turned upside down and covered with a damp towel to cool it down
  • Once the cake has cooled, flip over the pan and carefully run a knife along the sides of the pan to help remove it. Then run a knife along the bottom of the pan to remove it from the base.
    golden brown vanilla chiffon cake on a wire rack
  • Invert the cake again so the flat side is facing up and dust on powdered sugar. Slice and serve.
    slice of light, fluffy chiffon cake on a white plate with powdered sugar

Notes

  1. For firm peaks: Lift the whisk attachment and hold it upside down. The peaks should stand firm but the tips should still droop down. Stop before the egg whites look grainy as that's a sign of an over beaten meringue. 
  2. I used a 9.25 inch x 9.25 inch x 4 inch chiffon pan for this recipe so baking times are based on that pan size. As all ovens vary, adjust your baking time accordingly.
  3. Inverting the pan and cooling it down is important because it prevents the chiffon cake from shrinking, deflating, or sinking. If you don't invert the pan, the cake will shrink and collapse on itself. Cooling it down helps the cake set and keep its height, which is how you get a light and fluffy chiffon cake.
Chiffon Cake Pan:
  • I recommend using a tubed aluminum chiffon cake pan with a removable base.
  • Avoid using a pan with a non-stick coating as the cake batter will not rise as much due to the coating.
Make ahead and storage:
You can make this 2 days ahead and keep it in the fridge for humidity control wrapped in an airtight container. 
Freeze:
Chiffon cake freezes well for up 2 months. Wait for it to completely cool and wrap it with parchment paper or plastic wrap then place it inside an airtight container or large freezer bag. Thaw completely at room temperature before serving. 

Nutrition

Calories: 233kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 92mg | Sodium: 130mg | Potassium: 106mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 123IU | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg