Lemon Chiffon Cake
4.3
(26)
Lighter-than-air lemon chiffon cake gets its lofty stature from whipped egg whites, cream of tartar, and a bit of baking magic. Lemon zest and juice provide tangy lemon flavor, though lime or grapefruit zest and juice work, too, if you’d like to veer off course.
The key to any chiffon cake recipe is the fold: Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form—an electric mixer on low speed will give you the most control, or use a stand mixer with the whisk attachment—then combine them with the egg yolk mixture. Use a light hand and work quickly in batches to fold one into the other before the egg white meringue deflates. This is one of the times when you actually really do need to use the cake pan the recipe calls for. The straight sides of an ungreased tube pan help the tender crumb reach its loftiest potential; swap in a nonstick Bundt pan, and you’ll be left with nothing but dense, flat disappointment.
It’s similarly crucial to set the cake upside down to cool as soon as you take it out of the oven so it maintains its shape as it comes to room temperature. If your pan has “feet,” you just need to flip it; if not, place an empty bottle in the hole of the pan and invert, then let the bottle hold the pan aloft. When cool, run a sharp knife along the sides of the pan to loosen the cake, then transfer the lemon chiffon cake to a plate and dust with a generous amount of powdered sugar, or garnish the top of the cake with whipped cream or lemon curd and a pile of berries.
Recipe information
Total Time
1 hour 35 minutes (plus cooling)
Yield
Serves 12
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Place rack in lower third of oven; preheat oven to 325°F. Sift 2 cups (223 g) sifted cake flour, 1½ cups (300 g) granulated sugar, 1 Tbsp. baking powder, and ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. plus ⅛ tsp. Morton kosher salt into a large bowl; set aside.
Step 2
Whisk ½ cup vegetable oil, 8 large egg yolks, room temperature, 2½ Tbsp. finely grated lemon zest, ½ cup fresh lemon juice, and 2 Tbsp. water in a medium bowl to combine; set aside.
Step 3
In another large bowl, beat 8 large egg whites, room temperature, with ½ tsp. cream of tartar with an electric mixer on medium speed until stiff but not dry; set aside.
Step 4
Add yolk mixture to flour mixture and beat on low speed (no need to clean mixer) just to combine and no streaks of dry ingredients remain. Fold one quarter of beaten egg whites into batter to lighten. Gently fold in remaining whites. Pour cake batter into an ungreased 10"-diameter tube pan. Tap pan on counter or run an offset spatula through batter to release air pockets.
Step 5
Bake cake until springy to touch, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Immediately invert cake in pan over neck of bottle and let cool completely (about 2 hours). Run knife around pan sides to loosen cake. Transfer cake to plate and dust with powdered sugar. Serve slices with dollops of whipped cream and raspberries (if using).
Editor’s note: This lemon chiffon cake was printed in the July 1991 issue of ‘Bon Appétit’ and first appeared on Epicurious in 2004. Head this way for more of our favorite Mother’s Day cake recipes →
Recipe notes
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