Chiffon Cake Layers

Oct 13, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Cakes cupcakes Vanilla: Extract Medium

Two bare, level rounds of chiffon cake layers stacked on a cooling rack with one slice cut to show the crumb

Feather-light chiffon made with oil and whipped egg whites: as airy as sponge, as moist as butter cake. The base for fruit, cream and tropical fillings.

Prep 25 min

Cook 35 min

Cooling 1 hr

Total 2 hr

Yield 12 slices

Diet —

Ingredients

Adjust yield

slices

1 ¾ cups (200.0 g)cake flour
1.0 cup (200.0 g)granulated sugar, divided
2.0 tsp (8.0 g)baking powder
½ tsp (3.0 g)fine sea salt
5.0 (250.0 g)large eggs, separated
½ cup (120.0 ml)vegetable oil
½ cup (120.0 ml)water
1.0 tbsp (15.0 ml)pure vanilla extract
½ tsp (2.0 g)cream of tartar

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Instructions

Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Butter two 8-inch round pans, line the bottoms with parchment and butter the paper; dust with flour and tap out the excess.
Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C) and line the pan bottoms with parchment but do not grease the sides. Whisk the flour, 3/4 cup of the sugar, the baking powder and salt. Whisk in the yolks, oil, water and vanilla until smooth.
Whip the whites with the cream of tartar to soft peaks, add the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and whip to firm, glossy peaks. Fold a quarter into the batter, then fold in the rest.
Divide between the pans and bake 30 to 35 minutes until the tops spring back. Cool upside down on a rack in the pans, then run a knife around the edges to release.
Cool in the pans 15 minutes, run a knife around the edges, turn out onto a rack, peel off the parchment and cool completely before filling.

Tips

Ungreased sides let the batter climb; cooling upside down keeps it from sinking.
Separate the eggs cold, then let the whites warm up before whipping.

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Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make chiffon cake layers?

Plan on 25 minutes of prep and 35 minutes of cooking, plus 1 hour to rest. The recipe makes two 8-inch layers (12 slices).

How should I store chiffon cake layers?

Wrap cooled layers tightly and keep at room temperature up to 2 days or freeze up to 2 months; frost them cold from the freezer for the cleanest crumb.

Can I make chiffon cake layers ahead?

Bake the layers a day ahead, wrap and chill; cold layers are easier to fill, stack and frost.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

Yes. This recipe uses 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract (15 ml). Each teaspoon of pure vanilla extract can be swapped for 1 teaspoon of vanilla bean paste, the seeds of half a vanilla bean, or 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla powder. Paste and seeds add the classic dark specks.

Feather-light chiffon made with oil and whipped egg whites: as airy as sponge, as moist as butter cake. The base for fruit, cream and tropical fillings.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 12 servings this recipe makes.

242 Calories / serving

13.7g Fat

26.5g Carbs

3.3g Protein

22.7g Sugar

Whole recipe (12 servings): ~2904 cal · 164g fat · 318g carbs · 40g protein · 272g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.