Orange Chiffon Cake Recipe

Southern Living Orange Chiffon Cake on a cake plate, with slices out to serve and cups of coffee alongside — Photo:
Antonis Achilleos; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Active Time:

20 mins

Total Time:

3 hrs

Servings:

This delicate orange chiffon cake gains subtle citrus notes from the orange juice and zest incorporated into the batter. Light, fluffy, and full of air, this foam cake climbs high in the pan, resulting in a lovely thick, tall sponge.

What Is the Difference Between Angel Food Cake and Chiffon Cake?

Chiffon cake differs from other foam cakes, such as angel food cake, in that it contains fat (in this case, egg yolks and canola oil). The fat imparts a richness to the cake, while the whipped egg whites keep the sponge as light as air.

Tips for the Best Orange Chiffon Cake

If you've never baked a chiffon cake before, we have a few notes to help you succeed:

Avoid greasing the sides of the pan or using a non-stick pan, which will prevent your cake from climbing up the sides and rising.
Be sure not to overbeat the egg whites, and be very gentle when folding the beaten egg whites into the batter. Overmixing will deflate the cake batter, resulting in a flat cake. Stiff peaks and gentle folding make for a light, tender crumb.
Don't use all-purpose flour in place of cake flour. Cake flour results in a more tender crumb. If you use AP flour instead, the chiffon cake will be dense and tough.
Be sure to spoon your flour into measuring cups instead of scooping. You could pack too much flour into the measuring cup if you use it to scoop flour out of a bag. Better yet, use a food scale and weigh out precisely 9 1/4 ounces of flour.

We consider this Orange Chiffon Cake to be the perfect spring and summer dessert. This stunning cake requires no icing at all—a simple dusting of powdered sugar allows this centerpiece-worthy dessert to shine in all its orange-perfumed glory. Next, give the chocolate version a whirl.

Ingredients

Vegetable shortening
2 1/2 cups (about 9 1/4 ounces) sifted bleached cake flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. table salt
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar, divided
1/2 cup canola oil
1 Tbsp. grated orange zest plus ½ cup fresh juice (from 2 oranges)
1/4 cup water
5 large eggs, separated, at room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Thin orange slices, cut into wedges

Directions

Get ready:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease bottom only (avoid greasing sides) of a 16-cup metal tube pan or angel food cake pan with shortening; set aside.

Antonis Achilleos; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
Start batter:

Stir together cake flour, baking powder, salt, and 1 cup of the granulated sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer.

Antonis Achilleos; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Make a well in center of flour mixture; add oil, orange zest and juice, ¼ cup water, egg yolks, and vanilla.

Antonis Achilleos; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Fit stand mixer with a paddle attachment, and beat on medium speed until completely smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Antonis Achilleos; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
Whip egg whites and fold the batter together:

Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in a medium bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 1 minute.

Antonis Achilleos; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Increase speed to medium-high, and gradually add remaining ½ cup granulated sugar, beating until stiff peaks form, about 1 more minute.

Antonis Achilleos; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Fold one-third of egg white mixture into batter; gently fold remaining egg white mixture into batter until completely combined.

Antonis Achilleos; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Antonis Achilleos; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Spoon batter into prepared pan, and smooth top with a small offset spatula.

Antonis Achilleos; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
Bake chiffon cake:

Bake in preheated oven until top springs back when lightly pressed and a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean, about 40 to 45 minutes. (Do not over-bake. Cake will be a very pale golden color.) Invert pan onto a bottle or wire rack to cool completely, about 2 hours. Invert cake again onto countertop, and run a sharp knife around edge of pan to loosen sides, and remove cake from pan.

Antonis Achilleos; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely
Place cake on serving platter, and sift powdered sugar evenly over top. Shingle or arrange orange slices on 1 side of cake, and serve.

Antonis Achilleos; Food Stylist: Chelsea Zimmer; Prop Stylist: Christine Keely

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between a sponge cake and chiffon cake?

Chiffon cake is a hybrid between a true sponge cake (like angel food cake) and a butter cake. It uses baking powder and egg whites for lift and rise, but it also uses egg yolks and oil for fat and moisture, unlike a sponge cake.

Learn More: What's The Difference Between Chiffon Cake And Sponge Cake?
What does a chiffon cake taste like?

Chiffon cakes are delicate and light with a spongy texture. They are also only delicately sweetened. Most don't have a strong sweet flavor, which makes them a great dessert option after a heavy dinner, with coffee, or when you're not wanting a lot of sugar in your final course.
Why is there a hole in chiffon cake?

Because a chiffon cake uses egg whites for some of its rising power, the cake needs the walls of a tube pan to climb as it bakes. The hole in the center of the tube pan also helps ensure the cake is evenly baked.
Does a chiffon cake need a special cake pan?

No, you can use a tube pan, the same type you would for an angel food cake. Just make sure it's a 16-cup pan. Smaller pans may not be able to hold all of this cake.