Chiffon cake

A tall, light, moist cake made with vegetable oil instead of butter and lifted by stiffly beaten egg whites folded into the batter.

Chiffon cake: A tall, airy chiffon cake baked in a tube shape with one slice cut out
  • Cakes, cookies, pastries and baked goods
  • United States

Chiffon cake combines a batter of flour, sugar, egg yolks, oil, liquid and baking powder with a meringue of whipped whites. Because oil stays liquid when cold, chiffon cake stays soft even when chilled. It was created in California in the 1920s and became famous in American home baking around the middle of the century.

It is baked in an ungreased tube pan so the batter can cling to the sides and climb. The cake is cooled upside down so it doesn't sink. Chiffon cakes are very popular in Asia, including pandan and matcha flavors.

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Sources

Written by VanillaGoods in our own words from these sources. Last reviewed October 15, 2026.

  1. Chiffon cake (Q1373466), Wikidata