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Tall, homemade chiffon cake with soft sponge texture and golden edges. A clean slice reveals its airy crumb and powdered top.

Easy Chiffon Cake

This easy chiffon cake is light, fluffy, and perfectly moist with a sponge-soft crumb. Made with just 5 pantry staples, it's the ultimate homemade dessert for any occasion. Learn the foolproof method for getting that iconic height and texture every time.
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Course: baking, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine: American, Japanese-inspired
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Cooling Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes
Servings: 12 slices
Calories: 160kcal
Cost: $4–6

Equipment

  • 1 Tube pan Unlined and ungreased; essential for height
  • 1 Electric mixer Stand or handheld for whipping egg whites
  • 3 Mixing bowls Separate for yolks, whites, and dry ingredients
  • 1 Whisk For combining wet and dry
  • 1 Rubber spatula For gently folding egg whites
  • 1 Sifter Or fine-mesh strainer
  • 1 Cooling rack For resting post-bake
  • 1 Glass bottle or funnel Used to invert the cake for cooling

Ingredients

  • 1 ¼ cups Cake flour Spoon and level for accuracy
  • 1 tablespoon Baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon Salt
  • ¾ cup Granulated sugar Divided
  • 5 large Egg yolks Room temperature
  • ⅓ cup Vegetable oil Neutral (canola or sunflower)
  • ⅔ cup Water Or milk for a richer taste
  • 1 ½ teaspoon Vanilla extract Or almond extract
  • 5 large Egg whites Room temperature
  • ¼ teaspoon Cream of tartar Helps stabilize egg whites
  • ¼ cup Granulated sugar For whipping egg whites

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325°F and place rack in lower third. Do not grease pan.
  • Sift cake flour, ¾ cup sugar, baking powder, and salt into large bowl.
  • Whisk egg yolks, oil, water, and vanilla in another bowl until smooth.
  • Pour wet ingredients into dry and whisk until just combined.
  • Beat egg whites until foamy, add cream of tartar, and whip to soft peaks.
  • Gradually add ¼ cup sugar to whites and beat to firm, glossy peaks.
  • Fold ⅓ of whites into batter, then gently fold in rest in batches.
  • Pour into ungreased tube pan. Tap once or twice to remove bubbles.
  • Bake for 55–60 mins, or until top springs back and toothpick comes out clean.
  • Invert pan and cool upside down for 90 mins before removing.

Notes

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Slice | Calories: 160kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1.5g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 130mg | Potassium: 90mg | Fiber: 0.5g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 90IU | Calcium: 30mg | Iron: 0.9mg