Lemon Chiffon Cake Recipe

By
Yvonne Ruperti
A photo of Yvonne Ruperti, a contributing writer at Serious Eats.
Yvonne Ruperti is a food writer, recipe developer, former bakery owner, and cookbook author. She is also an adjust professor of baking at the Culinary Institute of America in Singapore.
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Updated April 23, 2019
. Yvonne Ruperti

Tangy lemon juice and fresh grated zest flavor this light and airy cake.

Recipe Details

Lemon Chiffon Cake Recipe

Active 15 mins
Total 3 hrs 15 mins
Serves 10 to 12 servings
Makes 1 tube cake
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Ingredients

  • 8 large eggs, separated

  • 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

  • 1 2/3 cup (11 2/3 ounces) granulated sugar, divided

  • 2 cups (10 ounces) cake flour

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder

  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda

  • 1/2 cup canola oil

  • 3 tablespoons zest and 5 tablespoons juice from about 3 lemons

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

  • Confectioners' sugar for dusting

Directions

  1. Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and preheat oven to 325°F. Using mixer fitted with whip attachment, beat whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until frothy. Increases speed to medium-high and beat until beginning to form soft peak. Slowly add 1/3 cup sugar and continue to whip to stiff but not dry peak, about 3 minutes. Transfer meringue to a large bowl.

  2. Using same unwashed mixer fitted with whip attachment, combine remaining 1 1/3 cups sugar, flour, baking powder, salt, and baking soda on low speed, about 30 seconds.

  3. Add yolks, oil, 1/3 cup water, lemon juice, zest, and vanilla. Increase speed to medium and beat until thoroughly combined, about 1 minute.

  4. Remove bowl from mixer, making sure to scrape all the zest from the beaters. Gently fold in egg white meringue in three stages until just combined. Pour into ungreased 10-inch tube pan and bake until golden, just set, and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, about 1 hour.

  5. Transfer pan to cool on wire rack until completely cool, about 2 hours. Run knife along inside edges of pan and invert cake onto serving plate.

Notes

Resist the urge to turn the pan upside down after removing from the oven. This cake is heftier than an angel food cake, and may fall out of the pan.

Special Equipment

10-inch angel food cake pan, mixer

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
326Calories
12gFat
48gCarbs
6gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 10 to 12
Amount per serving
Calories326
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 12g16%
Saturated Fat 2g9%
Cholesterol 124mg41%
Sodium 244mg11%
Total Carbohydrate 48g17%
Dietary Fiber 0g2%
Total Sugars 29g
Protein 6g
Vitamin C 2mg12%
Calcium 68mg5%
Iron 2mg13%
Potassium 99mg2%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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