Vanilla Chiffon Cake

Chiffon cakes are light and spongy and one of my favorite kinds of cakes to make. This vanilla chiffon cake is a new favorite and I’m sharing all of my tips for making it.

I went home for Labor Day Weekend to visit my parents and my grandmother who is visiting from Taiwan. My mom requested that I make a chiffon cake because I had made a Pandan Chiffon Cake the last time I visited and they really enjoyed it.

I decided to make a vanilla chiffon cake because my grandma is a little picky and I didn’t think she’d enjoy the pandan version.

What is a Chiffon Cake?

Chiffon cake is a light and spongy cake that’s similar to angel food cake. It gets its light texture from egg whites that are beaten with cream of tartar and sugar until they are stiff and shiny. The egg whites are folded into the rest of the batter and the cake bakes up with a fluffy and light texture.

It’s one of my favorite cakes to make and once you get the hang of it you can customize chiffon cakes with different flavors. In addition to the pandan version and this vanilla chiffon cake, I’ve made other versions, too:

• Ube Chiffon Cake
• Avocado Chiffon Cake
• Lychee Chiffon Cake
• Matcha Chiffon Cake

Tips for Making Chiffon Cake

You’ll notice the recipe is broken into three parts, A, B & C. Each part needs to be completed in the order listed so that the cake will come out with the right texture.

Dry Ingredients (A)

First, you’ll want to combine the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar in a bowl. Mixing them together first will make it easier to incorporate them into the wet ingredients.

Wet Ingredients (B)

This cake uses vegetable or canola oil for the fat. It gives the cake so much moisture and richness. Add the oil along with egg yolks, milk, and vanilla to the dry ingredients. The batter will be very thick.

Beat the Egg Whites (C)

Beating the egg whites is one of the most important steps because the cake gets most of its lift and height from the air that is incorporated into the whites as you beat them. An electric mixer will be your best friend for this part because you will need to beat the eggs with the cream of tartar and sugar until they are stiff and shiny, almost like a meringue.

Once the egg whites are ready, you will want to fold them into the batter. This is another critical step because it’s important to do this gently so you don’t deflate your egg whites. So, fold them into the batter in three batches and only fold until no egg white streaks remain.

Baking the Chiffon Cake

It’s best to use an ungreased tube pan to bake a chiffon cake because it makes it easier for the cake to rise. Bake the cake for approximately one hour.

Once the cake is baked, turn the cake pan over (keeping the cake in the pan) and cool the cake in the pan this way. Cool completely before serving.

This vanilla chiffon cake was a huge hit with my family and even grandma! She loved the light vanilla flavor and soft fluffy texture of the cake.

Vanilla Chiffon Cake

Servings: 1 (10-inch) bundt cake

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour hour

Total Time: 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Asian

This cake is soft and spongy with a perfect balance of sweetness.

5 from 1 vote

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Ingredients

(A)

• 1 3/4 cup all-purpose flour sifted
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sugar

(B)

• 1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
• 6 egg yolks
• 3/4 cup milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract

(C)

• 6 egg whites
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 3/4 cup sugar

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 350'F (175'C).
• Combine (A) in a bowl. Stir well to blend. Add (B). Beat with an electric mixer until smooth. (The batter will be very, very thick.) To help deal with the thickness, I kept my handmixer near the top of the batter so that the batter did not get stuck in the mixer. I also did a lot of hand stirring.
• Beat (C) (egg whites and cream of tartar) in a separate bowl until moist peaks form. Gradually add 3/4 cup sugar, beating until stiff and shiny peaks are formed. 
• Fold 1/3 of the egg whites into the egg yolks mixture, fold to mix and then add the rest of the egg whites. Fold gently but thoroughly until no white streaks remain. Pour batter into ungreased 10" tube pan.
• Bake for 60 mins or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Invert cake and cool completely in pan. When cool, loosen the edges and shake pan to remove cake.

Notes

Recipe adapted from Little Corner of Mine

The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a professional nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.

Did you make this recipe?I'd love to see it! Mention @KirbieCravings and tag #kirbiecravings!