Chiffon Cake (Oil Meringue Airy American Tube Cake)

Quick answer

Total time: 75 min
Level: Medium
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients: 8

About this dish

Chiffon cake sits between the density of a butter cake and the airy fragility of an angel food cake, and the difference comes down to one substitution: vegetable oil instead of butter.

Oil stays liquid at room temperature, which means the crumb never firms up as it cools. The result is a cake that remains just as tender straight from the refrigerator as it is warm from the oven. The batter is built in two stages. A smooth base of egg yolks, oil, flour, and liquid comes together first, then a stiff meringue of whipped egg whites is folded in carefully to preserve as much trapped air as possible. That air is what makes the finished cake so light. After baking, the pan is immediately inverted and left to cool upside down; if the cake rests right-side up while still hot, its own weight will compress the tender crumb before it sets. Once fully cooled, the cake springs back cleanly when pressed, with a texture that is simultaneously light and moist. The neutral flavor of the base makes chiffon a versatile foundation: vanilla, matcha, yuzu, lemon, and black sesame are all common variations. It is typically served with whipped cream and fresh fruit, though a simple dusting of powdered sugar is enough when the cake itself is made well.

Ingredients (8 servings)

Ingredient	Amount	Unit
eggs	5	piece
sugar	180	g
vegetable oil	80	ml
milk	80	ml
cake flour	150	g
baking powder	2	ts
vanilla extract	1	ts
salt	0.3	ts

Instructions

Read the steps as a cooking flow: prep, heat, seasoning, doneness control, and finish.

6 steps

1

Step

Preheat the oven to 170°C and separate the 5 eggs into yolks and whites.

Put the whites in a clean, grease-free bowl and keep them cool so the meringue whips up stable and even.
2

Season

Add 90g sugar, 80ml vegetable oil, 80ml milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract to the yolks.

Whisk until the mixture looks glossy and smooth, with no oily streaks separating on the surface.
3

Finish

Sift in 150g cake flour and 2 teaspoons baking powder over the yolk mixture.

Fold or whisk gently only until the dry patches disappear, because overmixing makes the finished crumb tighter.
4

Season

Add 0.3 teaspoon salt to the whites and whip on high speed until foamy.

Add the remaining 90g sugar in three additions, beating until the meringue is glossy, firm, and does not slide when the bowl is tilted.
5

Step

Fold the meringue into the yolk batter in three additions.

Use the first portion to loosen the batter, then lift from the bottom with broad strokes so the second and third portions keep their trapped air.
6

Heat

Pour the batter into an ungreased chiffon pan and tap once to release large bubbles.

Bake at 170°C for about 50 minutes, until golden and a skewer comes out clean, then invert immediately and cool completely before unmolding.

Practical Cooking Checks

The cues that matter most while cooking.

Key technique: Vegetable oil keeps Chiffon Cake soft at any temperature without hardening like butter.
Finish cue: Bake at 170°C for about 50 minutes, until golden and a skewer comes out clean, then invert immediately and cool completely before unmolding.
Substitution: Chiffon cake sits between the density of a butter cake and the airy fragility of an angel food cake, and the difference comes down to one substitution: vegetable oil instead of butter.
Storage and reheating: The result is a cake that remains just as tender straight from the refrigerator as it is warm from the oven.