Have you ever tried a chiffon cake before? This light and airy cake is slightly heavier than its sister, the angel food cake, thanks to the fact that it incorporates plenty of fat by way of oil and egg yolks (unheard of to the pristine, fat-free angel food cake). Its sponge is slightly heavier and more tender and richer, (it leans towards pound cake in the richness department), but still deliriously soft, springy, and melt-in your mouth. You’ll dirty a few dishes on your way to this cake, but I guarantee that it’s 100% worth it. All good things come with a cost and a few extra bowls to wash is a small price to pay for chiffon cake. With its light texture and subtle sweetness, it’s the perfect freshly flavored cake for summer. I put a citrus spin on my chiffon cake because I felt the bright flavor was the perfect summer-y compliment to such a fresh and light cake, but I’ve included alternatives if you’re not a fan of orange flavor (you should really give it a try, though!).
What You Need to Make Chiffon Cake
Cake flour. Cake flour is lighter and finer than all-purpose flour, which typically lends itself to a light crumb. Here is no exception, and since this recipe is otherwise weighed down by the fats included in our ingredient list, I wanted to give the crumb the best chance of rising tall and staying delicate and light. Because of this, I prefer and recommend cake flour only for the best-textured cake.Sugar. Using granulated sugar only helps to keeps the cake light (the molasses in brown sugar would weigh it down, plus the flavors would clash with the citrus). The sugar is divided, and some will be reserved to be beaten into the egg whites to help give them stability and structure (which in turn will give the finished cake a tall, light structure). Baking powder. This leavener is important in combatting the heavier ingredients (like the oil) and giving us a light texture.Eggs. You must divide the egg yolks and egg whites, but we’ll be using both of them. The egg yolks are beaten into the batter, but the egg whites are beaten separately to stiff peaks and then gently folded into the cake batter to help make it light and delicate. If you’ve made my tres leches cake before, you’ll probably recognize this technique and will appreciate the stunning results it yields!Oil. If we spend so much time combatting the fat-containing ingredients in this recipe, maybe you’re wondering why we even include them in the first place. The answer is flavor and texture! The oil helps to coat every molecule of the cake, making it tender and melt-in-your-mouth. Any neutral oil (canola oil or vegetable oil) will work. I don’t recommend olive oil which has its own stronger, distinct flavor, and I also don’t recommend using butter, which contains water and will actually make your cake less moist. Orange juice (or other liquid!). I love using orange juice because it imparts a light, citrus flavor into the cake (nothing overwhelming, its very subtle but still present). If you’d rather not have the citrus infusion, water will work instead. Flavoring. Vanilla extract is a must. For a bright additional flavor, add a drop of almond extract as well!Cream of tartar. The role of cream of tartar is to help stabilize the egg whites, ensuring they reach stable stiff peaks and that the cake doesn’t collapse on itself. Cream of tartar is a white powder that can usually be found in the spice section of your grocery store.
If you’d like the same glaze that I used in the photos, you’ll also need butter, powdered sugar, and more orange juice (or milk). It’s based off my donut glaze and is rich and buttery, which I think is a nice contrast to the airy cake. Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How To Make Chiffon Cake
SAM’S TIP: Make sure that when you divide your egg whites and yolks, the whites are placed in a completely clean, dry, and grease-free bowl. For best results use a glass or metal bowl, a plastic/rubber one is not recommended. Also make sure that not even a tiny bit of yolk is mixed in with the egg whites. If these steps aren’t followed properly, the egg whites may never reach stiff peaks, no matter how much you whip them.
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Enjoy! Let’s bake together! Make sure to check out the how-to VIDEO in the recipe card!
