Here’s a classic, light, airy Chiffon Cake recipe — tall, fluffy, and beautifully soft. This is the traditional method that uses whipped egg whites for lift and oil for moisture.
🍰✨ Classic Chiffon Cake
Ingredients (for a 10-inch tube pan)
Dry Ingredients
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2 cups cake flour
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1 ½ cups granulated sugar (divided)
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1 tbsp baking powder
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½ tsp salt
Wet Ingredients
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7 large egg yolks
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½ cup vegetable oil
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¾ cup water (or orange juice for citrus chiffon)
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1 tbsp vanilla extract
(or 1–2 tsp lemon/orange zest for flavored chiffon)
Meringue
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9 large egg whites
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½ tsp cream of tartar
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Remaining sugar from above (about ½ cup)
Instructions
1. Prep
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Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C).
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Do NOT grease your tube pan — chiffon cakes need to cling to the sides to rise.
2. Mix dry ingredients
In a large bowl, whisk together:
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Cake flour
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1 cup of the sugar
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Baking powder
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Salt
3. Mix wet ingredients
In another bowl, whisk:
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Egg yolks
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Oil
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Water/orange juice
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Vanilla
Pour wet into dry and whisk just until smooth.
4. Make the meringue
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In a clean, grease-free bowl, beat the egg whites with cream of tartar until soft peaks form.
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Gradually add the remaining ½ cup sugar, beating until stiff, glossy peaks form.
5. Fold meringue into batter
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Gently fold ⅓ of the meringue into the batter to lighten it.
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Fold in the remaining meringue carefully — do not deflate.
6. Bake
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Pour batter into an ungreased tube or angel food pan.
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Bake 50–60 minutes, until the top springs back when touched.
7. Cool upside-down
This is crucial:
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Immediately invert the pan onto a bottle or cooling rack.
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Cool completely before removing (about 1–2 hours).
This keeps the cake tall and prevents collapse.
8. Serve
Dust with powdered sugar or serve with whipped cream, berries, or a citrus glaze.
⭐ Tips for Perfect Chiffon Cake
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Use cake flour for the softest crumb.
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Don’t grease the pan — it prevents rising.
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Fold whites very gently to keep volume.
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Invert immediately — prevents sinking.
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Use room-temperature eggs for best meringue.
Variations
I can give you recipes for:
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Lemon chiffon cake
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Orange chiffon
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Chocolate chiffon
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Coconut chiffon
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Mini chiffon cupcakes
Want one of these versions?
