Chiffon cake uses oil instead of butter, which keeps the crumb moist for days longer than a standard layer cake. This version gets its flavor from fresh orange juice and zest folded into both the batter and the glaze, so the citrus comes through clearly rather than fading into the background. If you have a tube pan and a hand mixer, you have everything you need.
What makes this version work
Two things matter most here. First, the egg whites. Whipping all 8 whites to stiff, glossy peaks — and then folding them in carefully — is what gives this cake its height and open crumb. Rush the fold or deflate the whites and the cake bakes up dense. Second, inverting the pan immediately after baking. Chiffon cake is fragile while hot and will compress under its own weight if you let it cool right-side up. Cooling it upside down over a bottle neck for a full 1 to 2 hours lets the structure set before you unmold it. Both steps are non-negotiable.
Common problems and fixes
- Cake pulls away from the sides but sticks to the center tube: Run your knife around the inner tube as well as the outer edge before unmolding. A thin offset spatula works better than a standard dinner knife here.
- Glaze soaks in instead of setting on top: The cake must be completely cool — not just warm — before glazing. Even slight residual heat will thin the glaze and it will disappear into the crust. Give it the full cooling time.
- Egg whites won’t reach stiff peaks: Any trace of yolk or grease in the bowl will prevent the whites from whipping properly. Wipe the bowl and whisk with a paper towel dampened with a little white vinegar before you start.
- Top cracks deeply during baking: Some cracking is normal and gets covered by the glaze. A large crack that collapses usually means the oven runs hot — use an oven thermometer and trust the skewer test over the timer.
- Cake tastes flat despite using fresh juice: Juice alone is mild once baked. The zest carries most of the orange flavor, so measure it generously — packed into the tablespoon, not loosely spooned.
Shopping notes
- Cream of tartar: Stabilizes the egg whites. If you don’t have it, a small squeeze of fresh lemon juice (about ½ teaspoon) works as a substitute — it won’t behave identically but it gets the job done.
- Canola oil: Any neutral vegetable oil works here — sunflower, grapeseed, or plain vegetable oil all produce the same moist crumb. Skip the olive oil; the flavor is too strong.
- Oranges: You need about 2 large navel oranges for both the juice and the zest. Clementines or cara caras work fine if that’s what’s on hand — the flavor will be slightly sweeter. Bottled orange juice is a reasonable swap for the juice in the batter, but you still need fresh zest, so you’ll need at least one real orange regardless.
- Buttermilk ice cream: Skip the garnish — not worth the extra dish unless you already own an ice cream maker. A plain scoop of vanilla from the store does the same job.
Keeping and reheating
Once glazed, the cake keeps well at room temperature under a cake dome or loosely tented with foil for up to 3 days — the oil in the batter keeps it from drying out quickly. For longer storage, wrap individual slices tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw slices at room temperature for about an hour; don’t microwave them or the glaze turns sticky and the crumb goes gummy. If you want to freeze the whole unglazed cake, wrap it well, freeze it, and make a fresh batch of glaze on the day you serve it.
Orange Chiffon Cake with Citrus Glaze
Equipment
- 10-inch tube pan with removable bottom
- Hand mixer or stand mixer with whisk attachment
- Large mixing bowls (3-4)
- Fine-mesh sieve for sifting flour
- Flexible silicone spatula
- Wire cooling rack
- Ice cream maker (for buttermilk ice cream)
Ingredients
Orange Chiffon Cake Ingredients
- ½ cup canola oil
- ½ cup water
- 6 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 7 medium eggs separated (reserve yolks and whites)
- 1 medium additional small egg white 8 whites total for whipping
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter melted
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups confectioner's (powdered) sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons orange zest from about 2 large oranges
Buttermilk Ice Cream Ingredients
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- 3 cups buttermilk
- ½ cup granulated sugar
Instructions
Buttermilk Ice Cream Instructions
- In a large bowl, add all the buttermilk ice cream ingredients.
- Mix it well and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Then pour this mixture into an ice cream maker and process it according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
- Transfer the churned ice cream to a 1½-quart (1.4L) lidded container. Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface to prevent ice crystals from forming, then close the lid.
- Freeze it until wholly set for at least 4 hours and 30 minutes, and the buttermilk ice cream will be ready.
Orange Chiffon Cake Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F / 160°C (140°C fan-forced).
- Line the bottom of an ungreased 10-inch (25cm) tube pan with parchment paper and set aside. Do not grease the sides — the batter needs to cling to the pan to rise properly.
- In a small bowl, combine ½ cup (120ml) water and 6 tablespoons (90ml) fresh orange juice. Stir to combine and set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk together the 7 egg yolks, ½ cup (120ml) canola oil, 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract, ¾ of the orange juice mixture (about 160ml), and half the orange zest until well combined. Reserve the remaining orange juice mixture and zest for the glaze.
- Again in another big bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, granulated sugar, and salt.
- Whisk in the reserved egg yolk mixture until the batter is smooth, and keep it aside.
- In a clean, grease-free bowl, whip all 8 egg whites and ½ teaspoon cream of tartar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form — about 3-5 minutes. Do not overbeat or the whites will become dry and grainy.
- Stir about one-third of the whipped egg whites into the batter to lighten it. This sacrificial fold makes the next step easier.
- Using a flexible silicone spatula, gently fold in the remaining egg whites in two additions, cutting through the centre and sweeping around the bowl. Fold just until no white streaks remain — do not over-mix or you will deflate the batter.
- Now into a prepared pan, pour in the batter.
- Bake on the centre rack for 55-65 minutes, until the top is deeply golden brown, the cake springs back when lightly pressed, and a long skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
- Immediately invert the pan over the neck of a bottle or a funnel to cool completely upside down — this prevents the cake from collapsing under its own weight. Allow at least 1-2 hours for full cooling.
- Remove it when it is cooled.
- Now run a knife between the pan and the outer edges of the cooled cake all the way around and invert the cake to remove it from the pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together 1½ cups (180g) confectioner's sugar, the remaining orange juice mixture, 1 tablespoon (14g) melted butter, and the remaining orange zest until smooth and pourable. If the glaze is too thick, add orange juice ½ teaspoon at a time.
- Press plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the glaze to prevent a skin from forming, and set aside until the cake is fully cooled.
- Now on a serving plate, place the cake and glaze it.
- Let it sit for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
Notes
- Storage: Keep glazed cake covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or refrigerate for up to 5 days. Unglazed cake freezes well wrapped tightly in plastic wrap and foil for up to 3 months — thaw overnight in the fridge and glaze before serving.
- Make-ahead: Bake the cake a day ahead and store unglazed. Prepare the glaze and apply it 30 minutes before serving for the freshest look.
- Substitutions: Swap canola oil for any neutral oil (vegetable, grapefruit seed, or light olive oil). For a deeper citrus flavour, replace half the orange juice with tangerine or blood orange juice.
- Pro tip: Ensure egg whites are at room temperature before whipping — they reach stiff peaks faster and hold more air, giving you maximum rise.
- Do not grease the tube pan — chiffon cake needs to cling to the pan walls as it rises and cools inverted, or it will collapse.
Nutrition
Frequently asked questions
Can I bake this in a regular bundt pan instead of a tube pan?
A standard bundt pan will work in a pinch, but results are less reliable. The open center tube of a chiffon pan allows heat to reach the middle of the batter evenly; a decorative bundt with a narrow center post can leave the interior underbaked while the outside over-browns. If you use a bundt, check the cake at 55 minutes and tent with foil if the top is darkening too fast.
My cake sank in the middle after I unmolded it — what went wrong?
It almost always means the cake wasn’t fully baked through before you took it out of the oven. The skewer test is the most reliable check — it should come out completely clean with no wet batter, not just a few moist crumbs. Also confirm you cooled it fully inverted before unmolding; removing it while even slightly warm can cause the center to drop.
Can I make this without separating eggs — just use whole eggs?
No — the separated whites are what makes chiffon cake different from a standard sponge. The whole point is whipping the whites separately to build air into the batter, which creates the light, tall crumb. Using whole eggs without whipping would give you a much denser cake closer to a pound cake in texture.
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