Light as air, wonderfully moist, and delicately rich, this classic chiffon cake is one of the most elegant cakes you can bake from scratch. It combines the lofty softness of angel food cake with the richness and tenderness of a traditional cake, thanks to whipped egg whites and oil working together in the batter. Whether served simply with berries and whipped cream or transformed into an impressive layer cake, this timeless recipe bakes up tall, fluffy, and beautifully soft every time.
What Is Chiffon Cake?
If you’ve never had chiffon cake before, you’re in for a treat. Chiffon cake is an incredibly light, airy sponge cake with a soft, tender crumb and rich flavor. It’s basically a hybrid between angel food cake and traditional butter cake, borrowing the best qualities of each.
Like angel food cake, chiffon cake gets much of its lift from whipped egg whites, which are folded into the batter to create its signature fluffy texture. But unlike angel food cake, today’s chiffon cake also includes baking powder, egg yolks, and milk. The fat (yolks and milk) add richness, tenderness, and flavor, making the cake taste more buttery… even though there’s no butter in the batter!
The other ingredient that sets chiffon cake apart is oil. While sponge cakes typically rely on only eggs, sugar, and flour; chiffon cake also includes oil, which keeps every bite exceptionally moist and soft. And because it’s made with oil rather than butter, chiffon cake remains soft even when refrigerated. The cake stays tender for days and has a delicate, melt-in-your-mouth texture that’s hard to resist.
The result is a cake that’s light enough for spring and summer gatherings, yet rich enough to feel like a special dessert. If you’re looking for a cake that isn’t overly sweet or heavy, chiffon cake is a fabulous choice!
Why You’ll Love Chiffon Cake
- Exceptionally light and fluffy without tasting dry
- Moist, tender texture that tastes fresh for days
- Made with oil instead of butter for an incredibly soft crumb
- Delicate vanilla flavor that pairs beautifully with fruit, whipped cream, citrus, chocolate, and more
- Perfect for birthdays, showers, Easter, spring and summer gatherings, and celebration cakes
Chiffon Cake Ingredients You Need & Why
A handful of pantry staples transform into a cake that’s incredibly tall, impossibly soft, and wonderfully light.
- Cake Flour: Cake flour has a lower protein content than all-purpose flour, producing a finer, softer crumb. In a pinch, you can use this cake flour substitute, but real cake flour produces the best texture.
- Sugar: We’re sweetening the cake with white granulated sugar. You could also use caster sugar or superfine sugar instead.
- Baking Powder: While the whipped egg whites provide the primary lift, baking powder gives the batter extra insurance for a beautifully tall cake.
- Salt: Always important for flavor enhancing and balancing.
- Eggs: You need 6 eggs. Note that eggs are easier to separate when they’re cold (the yolks are less likely to break), but egg whites whip into greater volume when they’re room temperature; so separate the eggs ahead of time, and then let them come to room temp before you begin.
- Cream of Tartar: Cream of tartar stabilizes the whipped egg whites, helping them hold maximum volume while they’re folded into the batter.
- Milk: Some chiffon cake recipes call for water, but I like to use whole milk for an extra touch of richness. The proteins and sugars in milk help soften the crumb and contribute to a finer texture. Fun fact: lactose promotes browning, so a chiffon cake made with milk often develops a slightly deeper golden color than one made with water!
- Canola or Vegetable Oil: Oil coats the flour proteins, limiting gluten development and creating an exceptionally moist, tender cake. Unlike butter, oil remains liquid at cooler temperatures, which helps the cake stay soft even when refrigerated. Use an oil that’s neutral in flavor, so the vanilla can shine. 🙂
- Pure Vanilla: This is the main flavor in today’s cake, so reach for the good stuff! I especially love using vanilla bean paste in this recipe, but you can use pure vanilla extract instead.
Key Steps in This Classic Chiffon Cake Recipe
First, separate your eggs:
Sift together the dry ingredients, including half of the sugar. You need a sieve for this recipe; here is a set that I own and love.
Next, whip the egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. With the mixer running, slowly add the remaining sugar, then beat on high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form. This step creates much of the cake’s signature lift and airy texture:
Set this meringue aside and beat together the remaining wet ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the egg yolk mixture and whisk until combined.
Finally, fold in the meringue. Start with half to lighten the batter, then gently fold in the rest until combined. A few streaks are fine at first—just be careful not to overmix or deflate the whipped egg whites.
Bake in an Ungreased Tube Pan
If you don’t have one, I recommend this tube pan.
And this might surprise you, but don’t grease the pan.
Why? The batter actually needs to cling to the tall sides as it climbs upward during baking, to produce the cake’s impressive height.
If the pan is greased, the cake may slide downward instead of rising tall.
Additionally, the center tube helps heat circulate evenly through the thick layer of batter. Without it, the outside would finish baking long before the center.
Cool the Cake Upside Down
Once baked, immediately invert the pan. Cooling upside down prevents the delicate structure from collapsing while it finishes setting.
Serving Suggestions
Classic chiffon cake is delicious all on its own, with a simple dusting of confectioners’ sugar, but I especially love serving it with whipped cream and fresh berries.
I’ve included a cream cheese whipped cream topping in the recipe below that’s a bit sturdier and more stable than classic whipped cream. It’s very similar to my recipe for not-so-sweet whipped frosting.
The cream cheese whipped cream is light yet pipeable, and pairs perfectly with delicate chiffon cake. Today’s cake would also taste wonderful with:
- Classic homemade whipped cream
- Lemon curd
- Vanilla mascarpone cream from this fruit tart
- Chocolate ganache
- Strawberry sauce, blueberry sauce, raspberry sauce, or raspberry cake filling
It’s also an excellent base for layered celebration cakes because it’s sturdy enough to stack while remaining incredibly light. You can bake the cake in 3 round cake pans or slice the cooled tube cake horizontally and fill and assemble the cake that way.
Can I Make a Chiffon Cake Without a Tube Pan?
Yes! If you don’t have a 10-inch tube pan, you can bake this batter as a layer cake in three 8-inch round baking pans. (Pictured below!)
- Line the bottoms of the pans with parchment paper rounds, but don’t grease the pans. Divide the batter evenly among the pans.
- Bake time will be about 20–23 minutes, and you’ll still cool the cakes upside down (so they don’t collapse).
- Full details can be found in the recipe Notes below.
Do not use a Bundt pan for chiffon cake. You’ll have a very hard time getting it out in one piece. You need a tube pan, which has a flat bottom and straight sides.
Chiffon Cake Success Tips
- Use room-temperature egg whites for maximum volume. Separate the eggs while they’re cold, then let them come to room temperature before using.
- An ungreased aluminum tube pan works best.
- Weigh your ingredients whenever possible for the most accurate results.
- Bake at a lower temperature than most cakes: 325°F (163°C) is the sweet spot for chiffon cake because it allows the delicate foam structure to expand, set, and bake evenly without collapsing.
- Don’t open the oven during the first 30 minutes of baking.
- Cool completely (upside down!) before removing from the pan to preserve the cake’s lofty texture.
- Use a serrated knife to slice the cake—it will glide right through!
In short, take your time whipping the egg whites, fold them in gently, and don’t skip cooling the cake upside down. Master those simple techniques and you’ll have a dependable classic that always earns a few surprised “You made this?!” reactions.
Both cakes rely heavily on whipped eggs for structure, but chiffon cake also contains oil and baking powder. The oil makes chiffon cake much moister and softer than most sponge cakes.
Angel food cake uses only egg whites and contains no fat. Chiffon cake uses both egg whites and egg yolks plus oil, giving it a richer flavor and softer crumb. My version uses whole milk as well.
Common reasons include: over or under-whipped egg whites, folding too aggressively, greasing the pan, under-baking, and/or not cooling the cake upside down.
No, do not use a Bundt pan for chiffon cake. You’ll have a very hard time getting it out in one piece. You need a tube pan, which has a flat bottom and straight sides. If you don’t have one, I recommend this tube pan. Or see recipe Notes for how to bake this as a layer cake.
Classic Chiffon Cake
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 4 hours (includes cooling)
- Yield: serves 10-12
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Description
Learn how to make classic chiffon cake from scratch. This light, fluffy, moist vanilla cake is easy to make and stays soft for days. This recipe relies on a few key techniques for success, so I recommend reading through the instructions before you begin. See the recipe Notes for details on baking the cake as a layer cake in three 8-inch round pans.
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 and 2/3 cups (200g) cake flour*
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, divided
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 6 large eggs, separated, at room temperature*
- 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 2/3 cup (160g/ml) whole milk, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup (113g/120ml) canola oil or vegetable oil*
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
Cream Cheese Whipped Cream (Optional)
- 3 ounces (85g) full-fat block cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 cup (240g/ml) heavy cream, cold
- 3 Tablespoons (23g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
- fresh berries, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F (163°C).
- In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, 1/2 cup (100g) of the sugar, the baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on medium-high speed until light and foamy, about 2 minutes. With the mixer still running, slowly pour in the remaining 1/2 cup (100g) of sugar. Increase to high speed and whip until stiff, glossy peaks form, about 5 minutes. Set aside. (If you used a stand mixer bowl, transfer the meringue to another bowl and reuse the mixer bowl in the next step.)
- In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with the whisk, beat the egg yolks, milk, oil, and vanilla on medium-high speed until pale and frothy, about 2 minutes.
- Sift the flour mixture into the egg yolk mixture, and whisk to combine. Add half of the meringue to the batter and use a spatula to gently fold it all together to incorporate. Then fold in the remaining meringue. Work slowly and gently so you don’t deflate the egg whites. The batter should be light and fluffy. Pour the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan and smooth the top.
- Bake for 45–55 minutes or until the top of the cake springs back when lightly pressed. Insert a toothpick near the center; if it comes out clean, the cake is done. (Our test cakes always took exactly 50 minutes.)
- Immediately invert the cake pan onto a cooling rack and leave the cake upside down until completely cool. Run a thin knife around the edges to help loosen the sides. Gently tap the pan, upside down, on a serving stand or plate to release the cake.
- Make the cream cheese whipped cream, if using: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners’ sugar and vanilla, and beat until completely smooth (absolutely no lumps!). Add a few Tablespoons of the cold heavy cream, and beat until the mixture loosens and smooths out. With the mixer running on low speed, slowly stream in the remaining heavy cream. Increase to medium-high speed and whip until medium peaks form, about 3 minutes. Spread or pipe on the cake. In the pictured cake, I used Ateco 808 large round piping tip. Garnish with fresh berries, if desired. Slice and serve.
- Store leftover cake covered at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If topped with the Cream Cheese Whipped Cream, store the cake covered in the refrigerator.
Notes
- Make-Ahead & Freezing Instructions: The baked and cooled cake can be covered tightly and stored at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. If serving with whipped cream and fresh berries, garnish the cake on the day you plan to serve it. The cake freezes well for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then bring to room temperature before serving. If using the Cream Cheese Whipped Cream topping, you can prepare it up to 1 day in advance and refrigerate it until ready to use.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): Egg Separator | Glass Mixing Bowls | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Fine Mesh Sieve | 10-inch Tube Pan | Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable) | Ateco 808 Round Piping Tip
- Cake Flour: Cake flour is ideal for chiffon cake because its lower protein content creates the softest, most delicate crumb. In a pinch, you can use this cake flour substitute, but real cake flour produces the best texture.
- Eggs: Eggs separate more easily when cold, but egg whites whip to greater volume when at room temperature. I recommend separating the eggs while they’re cold, then covering and letting them sit at room temperature for about 30–60 minutes before beginning the recipe.
- Best Oil to Use: Use an oil that’s neutral in flavor, so the vanilla can shine, such as canola oil or vegetable oil. I also love using avocado oil in this cake. I have not tested it with other oils. Do not substitute with butter.
- Milk: Whole milk is ideal because its fat content contributes richness and a soft, tender crumb. In a pinch, 2% or 1% milk will work, though the cake won’t be quite as rich. I do not recommend nonfat milk. I have not tested this cake with nondairy milk. Some chiffon cake recipes use water instead of milk, but I prefer milk for its flavor and texture benefits.
- Do Not Use a Bundt Cake Pan: Do not use a Bundt pan for chiffon cake. You’ll have a very hard time getting it out in one piece. You need a tube pan, which has a flat bottom and straight sides. Or try this as a layer cake (see next note).
- Layer Cake Instructions: Line three 8-inch round pans with parchment paper rounds; do not grease the pans. Bake time is around 20–23 minutes. The cakes are done when the top springs back when lightly pressed and a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Invert the cake pans onto cooling racks and cool the cakes in the pans upside down for 45 minutes, or until completely cool. Run a knife around the edges to help loosen the sides, remove the cakes from the pans and peel off the parchment rounds, and place right side up on the cooling racks. If using the Cream Cheese Whipped Cream Topping to fill and frost the cake, double the topping recipe. This yields enough for a filling between the layers and a light coating on the top. Refrigerate the assembled cake until ready to serve.
As I developed this recipe, I relied on many of the chiffon cake techniques and baking principles I’ve learned from King Arthur Baking over the years.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Once again, a delicious recipe! I have made quite a few angel food cakes in my life, but never a chiffon cake. I wish it had a bit more lift to it, but I’m chalking that up to baker error from over mixing. The crumb is still light and delicious!
If you’re looking for a light summer cake to serve your fresh berries with, then this is your recipe! First time making and the recipe was so easy to follow!
I liked how it used both parts of the egg. A great cake for summer! The icing is light and just sweet enough
This is a good recipe. I can attest to that because the first time I made it I was tired and distracted, and thus made more than one error in the order of operations. Despite that, the first cake still rose and tasted great, though it was denser than it should have been. Second one where I got the steps right was much better. But something that can still come out tasting great after I fumbled so many steps means it’s a solid recipe and more or less foolproof
This recipe did not turn out for me. I’m a long time baker and I’ve made a lot of recipes from this website and usually they are all fantastic!
I followed recipe but I realized the tube pan I used was a non-stick one and I believe it caused the cake not to rise. Mine was pretty flat and dense. I served it for the 4th and my family wasn’t real impressed. It had an eggy taste to it. I love this site and will definitely make other Sally recipes but I don’t plan to remake this one.
Amazing cake loved making it so delicious and easy to make and presentation of colors thank you. Tom
Very good, but a little too sweet for my liking (I’ve been eating less sweet desserts lately). I made unsweetened whipped cream and added a splash of almond extract (inspired by another Sally’s recipe) and that cut the sweetness nicely and the berries complimented it well. I baked two layers in a loaf pan and it came out fine.
This is a DELISH recipe! Light and fresh, it perfectly pairs with fresh strawberries and blueberries imho. Double the cream cheese whipped frosting if you’d like to cover the sides of the cake as well. Directions are SUPERB! This was my very first cake I’ve ever baked!
Can you please clarify in step 5 if you sift the flour mixture a 2nd time when adding it to the egg mixture? Seems like it should only sift once in step 2.
Thanks!
Hi Sue! Yes, you sift the flour mixture a second time. Hope you love the cake!
Didn’t end up sifting a 2nd time and still came out great! Thanks, Trina!
Sally always has the most amazing recipes! This one is fabulous!
This cake is amazing! My family is still talking about it. So light and delicate. I used avocado oil…
Excellent, light cake! Easy to follow instructions.
Made the chiffon cake with a mixed berry sauce on top for my birthday. All our guests loved it. Such a delicious cake!
I dropped this face down on the floor as I was trying to flip the pan upside down to cool. I thought all was lost, but the crumb was perfect despite this catastrophic event! (I just cut off the part that touched the floor, duh.)
I served it with a quick raspberry “jam” instead of fresh fruit. So good! Light, airy and a bit fruity from the jam.
I see myself making it many more times.
This was such a fun recipe to try! I didn’t need the full size cake, so I halved the cake ingredients and it was the perfect amount for 2, 6-inch layers. I kept the frosting ingredient measurements the same and there was enough to fill between the layers, frost the top and do a barely-there coating on the sides. I topped it with fresh blueberries and peaches and it came out beautifully! It was light and airy and had just a subtle sweetness to it that was lovely.
The cake was delicious with blueberry sauce, but I didn’t really like the whipped cream.
I made this cake on a whim for a baking challenge and it was amazing. The instructions were easy to follow with lots of pictures. I made two layers with some random square pans and they turned out perfectly. Everyone was going back for seconds!
Incredible! The crumb of this cake is plush and not dry at all, unlike other chiffon cakes I’ve tried. It melts in your mouth and has so much vanilla flavor. Highly recommend 🙂
Easy to follow recipe, I just need to practice my folding skills
This cake was delicious! I made it for my birthday and it came out very good! I did modify it a little by using gluten free flour and it came out a little dense, but otherwise it was very good! Next time I will make a little bit extra frosting since the cake is so tall.
First time making or eating a chiffon cake. The recipe was easy and my cake was so light and fluffy. I made the whipped cream cheese frosting, lemon curd and blueberry sauce to go with it. So delicious!
We made this as a group of ladies and we all loved it! Super soft and airy! We loved the frosting as well! Glad we made it!!!
Could I add cocoa powder to make it a chocolate chiffon?
Hi Alanna! We don’t have a chocolate version of this cake yet, but it’s definitely on our list to develop.
The cake came out soft and fluffy… My grandson loved it before I even put the topping on it….. I will definitely make this again
What a great recipe! I have never made a chiffon cake before and the instructions were clear and consice. Cake turned out wonderful! Topped it with the cream cheese whipping cream icing and lots for fresh sesasonal fruit. The cake was light and fluffy and yet rich in flavour. Served it for my book club and everyoe loved it.
Very light and fluffy, and not a very sweet cake which makes for a wonderful base for berries and cream. A Perfect summer combination even though mine did not turn out perfect. This was my first time making a chiffon. My batter seemed a little runny, and half the cake did not release from the pan. I’m sure it’s something on my end, so I will try it again.
This was my first competition baking with Sally. What a fun idea! The cake was light, airy, and so good. I can’t wait for the next competition!
I don’t have whole milk but do have 1% and half n half. Can I mix the two and use instead?
Hi Gloria, we haven’t tried it ourselves, but that should work. A ratio of about 3/4 cup 1% milk + 1/4 cup half-and-half makes a good replacement for 1 cup of whole milk. Let us know how it turns out!
Easy to make and delicious!
This cake was so light and fluffy!! Just how I wanted it to be. It was so elegant for my mom’s birthday. I will definitely be making it again.