Lemon Chiffon Cake Recipe (with Blackberry Glaze) - Greedy Eats (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret of chiffon cake? ›

The differences between chiffon cakes and the others are angel food cakes include only egg whites and sponge cakes have both egg whites and egg yolks, but the chiffon method calls for egg whites, egg yolks, and oil, so these cakes richer and moister than the other two.

Chiffon cake is a type of sponge cake that is characterized by its light and soft texture. Unlike traditional sponge cakes, which are made with or without butter, chiffon cakes are always made with oil. This gives them a tender, moist crumb and makes them lighter and more delicate than other types of cake.

The chiffon cake mixing method is kind of a combination of the muffin method (where you just mix wet ingredients into dry) and an egg foaming method where we fold in whipped egg whites into the batter. The whipped egg whites is where the aeration, or creation of tiny air bubbles, occurs for this cake batter.

Tips from our Bakers. Separate the eggs carefully; even a small amount of yolk in the whites will prevent them from beating up properly. The eggs separate most easily when cold, but allow them to come to room temperature before mixing, for best volume in the egg whites.

Chiffon cake has a richer flavor and, while still airy, a crumbier texture than angel food cake. Angel food cake is the foamiest foam cake around, with little flavor beyond a general sweetness. The fat in chiffon cake gives it more depth, and it is more likely to pack a punch with its flavors.

I have a friend on another cooking board who bakes chiffon cakes in regular, round cake pans all the time. I would be a little leery of a bundt pan, as you mustn't grease the pan for chiffon (it needs traction to rise properly), but a round springform pan should be fine.

A classic chiffon cake is baked in a tube pan. These are like bundt tins but have flat sides and a flat base – something I will discuss later. The pan provides several elements which are essential for a successful chiffon cake. The most important thing is to not line the tin, either with butter or parchment paper.

However, a chiffon cake recipe includes oil and egg yolks (fats), and baking powder to counteract and help the cake rise. Q: Can I use melted butter instead of vegetable oil? A: No, to get a light, airy, soft texture, it has to be vegetable oil or canola oil.

While you can bake a chiffon cake in a regular cake pan, a tube pan helps yield a chiffon cake with the lightest texture. The tube in the middle is so the cake can climb up to make for a tall and fluffy cake.

Do you grease the pan for a chiffon cake? ›

Do not grease or line the pans in any way! The cake needs traction to both rise and cool, so we don't want to do anything that would help it slip free, which would cause it to lose volume as it bakes and when it cools.

Inverting the pan and cooling it down is important because it prevents the chiffon cake from shrinking, deflating, or sinking. Cooling it down helps the cake set and keep its height, which is how you get a light and fluffy chiffon cake.

Though shape and size don't readily affect the cake (both tube pans and round cake pans work well) the pan material definitely makes a difference. In particular, you shouldn't use a non-stick pan for chiffon cake. Why? The batter needs walls that it can cling to as it climbs up, making for a tall and fluffy cake.

Overbaking: The oven temperature may have been too hot, or the cake may have been baked too long. Overbaking the cake causes it to lose moisture, resulting in a dry, rubbery cake.

There are a couple of reasons why your cake might be dense: The meringue wasn't whipped to stiff peaks (see 'beat your meringue to stiff peaks' in the tips above) The cake was underbaked: If the cake is underbaked the batter won't have the time to stabilise and will sink to create a dense texture.

“Vinegar is a secret ingredient that can make your cakes light and fluffy.” One of the great things about using vinegar in cakes is that it's versatile. You can incorporate it into various cake recipes, from classic chocolate cakes to fruity variations.