Chiffon cake is a light, airy, and fluffy cake made with vegetable oil, eggs, and whipped egg whites. Here’s a simple recipe for making a delicious chiffon cake:
Ingredients:
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 7 large eggs (separate the egg yolks from whites)
- 1/2 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup water
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
Instructions:
- Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 325°F (163°C). Do not grease the pan, as chiffon cakes need to cling to the sides of the pan to rise properly.
- Mix Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- Prepare the Egg Yolks: In another bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, vegetable oil, water, and vanilla extract until smooth and well combined.
- Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the wet mixture to the dry ingredients. Mix gently until the batter is smooth.
- Whip Egg Whites: In a separate clean bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the egg whites with cream of tartar on medium speed until stiff peaks form. Be careful not to overwhip.
- Fold in the Egg Whites: Gently fold the whipped egg whites into the batter in three additions. Use a spatula to gently mix the batter without deflating the egg whites.
- Bake: Pour the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan (chiffon or angel food cake pan). Smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Cool the Cake: After baking, remove the pan from the oven and immediately invert the pan onto a cooling rack. Let the cake cool completely upside down to maintain its airy texture.
- Remove from Pan: Once the cake is fully cooled, carefully run a knife around the edges to release the cake from the pan. Gently remove the cake and transfer it to a serving platter.
- Serve: Slice and enjoy! You can serve it as-is or dust it with powdered sugar, frost it with whipped cream, or add fruit for an extra touch.
Enjoy your light and fluffy chiffon cake!
The story of chiffon cake is an interesting one, especially considering its mysterious origins and its rise to fame in the culinary world.
Origins and Discovery
Chiffon cake was invented by a man named Harry Baker, a Los Angeles insurance salesman, in the late 1920s. Harry Baker was passionate about baking and spent a lot of time experimenting with cake recipes. He wanted to create a cake that was both light and moist—something different from the traditional spongy cakes that were common at the time.
Baker came up with the idea to use vegetable oil instead of butter, which was a radical change in cake-making at the time. The vegetable oil created a more tender and moist texture. He also innovated by using egg whites, whipped to stiff peaks, which made the cake lighter and fluffier. The cake’s texture was somewhere between an angel food cake and a pound cake, leading to its light, airy quality.
The Cake’s Rise to Fame
For several years, Harry Baker kept the recipe a secret and only baked the chiffon cake for friends and family. In the early 1940s, he decided to share his secret with the public. In 1948, he sold the recipe to the Betty Crocker company, which was the major force behind making it widely known.
Once Betty Crocker released the recipe, the chiffon cake became a huge hit, quickly gaining popularity across the United States. It was praised for its moist texture, lightness, and versatility. By the 1950s, the chiffon cake had become a staple in American baking, and people started experimenting with various flavors, fillings, and toppings.
Why “Chiffon”?
The word “chiffon” means “a delicate, lightweight fabric,” which aptly describes the cake’s texture. The cake’s airiness and lightness were likened to the soft, smooth texture of chiffon fabric, making it a fitting name.
Legacy
Today, chiffon cakes are enjoyed worldwide and have evolved into a popular dessert in many countries, especially in places like Japan, where the fluffy texture is beloved. While the original version of the cake was flavored with vanilla, modern variations include orange, lemon, chocolate, and matcha chiffon cakes, among many others.
The chiffon cake is now a symbol of innovation and culinary creativity, originating from a man who was not a professional baker but simply someone who loved to experiment in the kitchen.
