Chiffon cake is characterized by its moist, light, and fluffy texture created by using oil in place of butter and by beating the egg whites separately from the yolks. The recipe is credited to Harry Baker who is said to have invented it in 1927; however, he kept the recipe a secret for 20 years until he sold it to General Mills in 1947. General Mills marketed chiffon cake as the first really new cake in 100 years and through marketing materials and a 1948 Betty Crocker pamphlet spread its recipe far and wide.
Recipe Servings: 10
Prep Time
15 minutes
+ 45 minutes resting
+ 45 minutes resting
Cook Time
50 minutes
Total Time
1 hour 50 minutes
Vegetarian
Vegan
Gluten Free
Dairy Free
Kosher
Halal
Ingredients
Cake:
- 3 or 4 lemons
- 2¼ cups cake flour
- 1½ cups sugar
- 1 Tbsp baking powder
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- ½ cup canola oil
- 6 eggs, separated
- ¼ cup water
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
Glaze:
- 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted (plus more if needed)
- 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice (plus more if needed)
- 1 Tbsp heavy cream
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 325°F.
- Grate the zest from the lemons and set aside. Juice the lemons and strain the juice into a liquid measuring cup (you’ll need at least ½ cup).
- Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt onto a sheet of parchment paper.
- Combine the oil, egg yolks, lemon zest, and lemon juice in a bowl. Add the water and whisk until well mixed. Gently fold in the flour mixture until the batter is smooth.
- Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar in a bowl using an electric mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.
- Fold half of the egg whites into the batter until almost fully incorporated. Add the remaining egg whites and gently fold in just until combined. The batter should be smooth but foamy.
- Pour the batter evenly into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan (with a removable bottom).
- Bake the cake for 45–50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
- Remove the cake from the oven and invert the pan onto a wire rack. Leave the pan on the cake for about 45 minutes or until completely cooled.
- Rotate and tap the pan against the countertop. Use the center tube to pull the cake out of the pan. Invert the cake and gently remove the bottom and tube.
- Whisk together the powdered sugar, lemon juice, and heavy cream until the sugar dissolves and the glaze is smooth. If it’s too thick, add a few more drops of lemon juice. If it’s too thin, add a little more powdered sugar.
- Pour the glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drizzle down the sides. Let it dry before cutting and serving.
Cake:
Glaze:
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