Coffee Chiffon Cake with Coffee Buttercream Frosting
Making this soft, moist and ultra fluffy coffee chiffon cake couldn’t be easier! And for a bold dose of coffee flavour, I’ve got the perfect coffee buttercream frosting to turn this cake into an extra special dessert!
Finally, my coffee chiffon cake update is here! I’ve made a few minor recipe enhancements that promises a moist, tender and fluffy coffee chiffon cake loaded with coffee flavour.
But if you’re a true-blue coffee addict like myself and love a cake with a deeper coffee taste, I’ve included an ingredient (or two) in this update that will do just that!
Even better, to bring this coffee chiffon cake over the top, I’ve got the perfect, extra creamy and silky smooth coffee buttercream frosting you won’t be able to resist.
I guarantee you’re going to love this coffee frosting the moment you taste it! It’s so light and fluffy, it literally melts in your mouth! And I love that it’s not too sweet!
Save for Later:Coffee Chiffon Cake with Coffee Buttercream Frosting
Pin this on PinterestSwiss meringue buttercreams are my favourite buttercreams to make for any kind of flavoured frosting including this coffee buttercream.
If you find the standard buttercreams just a bit too sweet for your taste and heavy on the palette, this is where a Swiss meringue buttercream couldn’t be more different!
This coffee buttercream frosting is light and fluffy, ultra smooth and glossy. Don’t let the words ‘Swiss meringue’ scare you! It’s really easy to make, and I’m going to show you how below!
Now, if you’re not too fond of buttercreams, you can also make my easy, mix-and-stir coffee glaze.
And it goes without saying that you can always enjoy coffee chiffon cake plain, or dusted with a bit of confectioner’s sugar. A light touch goes a long way too!
I’m excited to get going, and I promise you that this is one easy and delicious cake dessert to make any time!
Ingredients for coffee chiffon cake
For the cake batter
- egg yolks
- caster sugar
- instant coffee granules dissolved in hot water to make coffee solution
- vanilla extract (or use coffee extract for deeper flavour)
- coffee paste or coffee emulco for deeper flavour (optional)
- milk or water
- oil
- cake flour
- baking powder
- baking soda
For the meringue
- egg whites
- caster sugar
- cream of tartar
For the coffee buttercream
- egg whites
- caster sugar
- unsalted butter, at room temperature
- instant coffee granules dissolved in hot water to make coffee solution
Step-by-step: How to make coffee chiffon cake
Chiffon cakes have two parts to making the batter.
The first part is a thick egg yolk batter made with egg yolks, liquids (water / milk / juices / extracts), sugars, oil, flour and leavening agents such as baking powder or baking soda, or both.
The second part is the meringue, which is a stiffly beaten mixture of egg whites and sugar, and typically stabilised with cream of tartar, lemon juice or vinegar.
Part 1: Make the batter
- Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, combine egg yolks and sugar.
- Step 2: Whisk until the yolks turns thick and fluffy and the sugars have dissolved, about 3 to 5 minutes. You can do this by hand, or use a hand-held electric beater or
stand mixer .
- Step 3: Stir in the coffee solution, coffee or vanilla extract, coffee paste (optional), milk and oil, and mix until well combined.
- Step 4: Add the sifted flour mixture in 2 additions. Stir with a whisk until all the flour is incorporated.
- Step 5: The batter at this point should be thick and smooth, and free of lumps.
Part 2: Make the meringue
- Step 1: In a dry and grease-free mixer bowl, add egg whites and sprinkle cream of tartar over it. Whip on medium speed (speed 4 on my Kitchen Aid) until it starts to turn frothy.
- Step 2: Without stopping the mixer, add the sugar in small portions.
- Step 3: When the meringue is near to stiff peaks, it should look fine, smooth and glossy. The whisk will leave trail lines in the meringue as it turns.
- Step 4: Lift the whisk. When the meringue holds a firm shape and curls just a bit at the tip like a little hook, it is at the ideal stiffness. Just to be sure, gently tip your bowl over to invert it. Should the meringue shift or slide a bit, it’s not stiff enough yet. If it stays fixed to the bowl in an inverted position, it’s stiff.
Final steps: Folding the meringue, filling the pan, baking and cooling
The most important aspect of folding the meringue into the batter is to mix with a light and quick, but gentle hand.
Even a perfectly whipped meringue can’t compensate for an over worked batter, as it will lose its volume and start to deflate. Get this right, and you’re almost guaranteed an airy and fluffy chiffon cake!
- Steps 1 & 2: Fold in ⅓ of the meringue into the batter, very gently using a whisk. This is what it means to ‘lighten the batter“. To incorporate well, fold until the meringue is no longer visible and the batter looks homogeneous.
- Steps 3 & 4: Fold in the next ⅓ of the meringue. This time, you need to use a light but quick and gentle hand so as not to break the air bubbles.
- Steps 5 & 6: Fold in the remaining ⅓ meringue. Again, keep it light and quick so that you don’t lose those air bubbles! Make sure to fold until no streaks of meringue can be seen. The final batter should be light and smooth, without any visible streaks of meringue.
- Step 7: Gently pour the batter into the tube pan from one position, letting the batter spread to fill the pan. Level the surface with an offset spatula. Run a bamboo skewer or chopstick through the batter. Then give the pan a few gentle taps on the counter to minimise air pockets in the batter. Bake on the lowest rack in the preheated oven at 165°C (329°F) for anywhere between 50 to 55 minutes, or until just done.
- Step 8: Immediately invert the pan once it is removed from the oven. Allow it to ‘hang’ until completely cooled. To remove, run an offset spatula gently around the sides of the pan. Invert the cake to free it from the sides of the pan. Then run the spatula around the base to release the funnel.
Step-by-step: How to make coffee buttercream
- In a small heatproof bowl, combine egg whites and sugar and whisk to mix well. Place the bowl over a saucepan or pot filled with 1 -2 inches of simmering water. The base of the bowl should sit above the water level.
- Keep stirring with the whisk until all the sugar dissolves, and no longer feels grainy between your fingers. Or keep stirring until the temperature reaches 71°C (160°F).
- Transfer to a
stand mixer bowl, and whip on medium-high speed until the meringue is stiff and no longer warm to the touch, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Add butter cubes, 2 to 3 pieces at a time. As you add the butter, the mixture will start to curdle and look awful. Your instinct will tell you that something’s going wrong! But don’t panic, keep adding the butter and keep beating! After adding all the butter, keep whipping until the buttercream becomes smooth and fluffy.
- Pour in the coffee solution, and whip for a few seconds until well incorporated.
Important! The butter needs to be cool and just softened at room temperature, but not warm. If the buttercream just isn’t firming up after a few minutes of whipping, the butter could have been too warm.
Pop it into the chiller for 5 minutes, then rewhip with a whisk on medium-high speed until it becomes silky smooth and fluffy.
If not using immediately, the buttercream can be transferred to a bowl. Cover tightly with cling wrap and store, chilled, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
Have it out at room temperature until it is soft enough to be re-whipped. When ready to frost the cake, whip the softened buttercream until it is smooth, light and fluffy again.
Tips on coffee flavouring
- Use a strong coffee solution made with instant coffee or espresso granules. If you wish to intensify the flavour by making a much more concentrated coffee solution, add 2 – 2½ tbsp instant coffee or espresso granules dissolved in 1 tbsp water.
- Add coffee paste or coffee emulco to achieve a more intense coffee flavour. Do note that coffee paste darkens the cake considerably. If you choose not to use coffee paste, you could make a stronger coffee solution with an additional tablespoon of instant coffee or espresso granules.
- Use coffee extract in place of, or in addition to vanilla extract.
- Remember to offset the bitterness of added coffee flavourings with a bit more sugar, if you’re adding more coffee granules or coffee paste than stated in the recipe.
The above are not mutually exclusive, which means that if you’d like to add coffee extract, as well as coffee paste in addition to a concentrated coffee solution, feel free to!
Tips for getting the perfect chiffon texture
1. Use the right pan
Chiffon cakes are best baked in a chiffon tube pan without non-stick coating. Do not grease the pan.
2. Use the appropriate pan size
In order for the cake to rise straight and tall, use the appropriate sized pan. When the pan is filled with batter, it should not be more than ¾ full.
3. Have ingredients at room temperature, including eggs
Cold egg whites do not whip up as well, so it won’t trap as much air as egg whites at room temperature.
4. Whip meringue to ideal stiffness
The ideal stiff peak stage is somewhere between medium and firm stiffness. How do we recognise that? When you lift some meringue with the whisk (flick away excess), it should hold a firm shape from the base towards the tip, and droop over just a bit. Basically, it looks a bit like a small hook at the tip.
Just to be sure, gently tip your bowl over to invert it. Should the meringue shift or slide a bit, it’s not stiff enough yet. If it stays fixed to the bowl in an inverted position, it’s stiff.
5. Sift powdered ingredients together
This will give you a smoother and finer cake crumb and enable the cake to rise evenly and uniformly.
6. Do all your mixing, stirring and folding with a whisk
The meringue will incorporate more easily and thoroughly, with minimal loss of volume due to the inherent shape and structure of the whisk. It also helps reduce or eliminate air pockets in the batter.
7. Invert the chiffon pan immediately when done with baking
Once removed from the oven, immediately invert the pan over a bottle neck once it is removed from the oven. Or if you have tube pan with ‘feet’, invert the pan over a cooling rack. Allow it to ‘hang’ in this position until completely cooled.
Hope you’ll love this! Enjoy! – ♥ Celia
More chiffon cake recipes you’ll love:
- Marble Chiffon Cake with Cocoa and Vanilla Swirls
- Matcha Chiffon Cake
- Beautiful Orange Chiffon Cake
- No-Fail Pandan Chiffon Cake
- Black Sesame Chiffon Cake – A Japanese-Inspired Treat
- Vanilla Chiffon Cake + Tips for the Perfect Chiffon Bake!
- Cotton-Soft Chocolate Chiffon Cake
Tried this recipe? I’d love to see! Share your bakes on Instagram and tag @foodelicacy or #foodelicacy.
Coffee Chiffon Cake with Coffee Buttercream Frosting
Ingredients
- 150 g (1 cup + 5 tbsp) cake flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 5 egg yolks
- 75 g (⅓ cup) caster sugar
- 85 g (⅓ cup) oil
- 2 tbsp instant coffee or espresso granules dissolve in 1 tbsp hot water
- 120 ml (½ cup) milk or water
- ½ – 1 tbsp coffee paste optional
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
For the meringue
- 5 egg whites
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- 120 g (½ cup + 1½ tbsp) caster sugar
For the coffee buttercream
- 3 egg whites
- 200 g (1 cup) caster sugar
- 225 g (1 cup) unsalted butter cut into 1-inch cubes, softened
- 3 tbsp instant coffee granules dissolved in 1 tbsp hot water cooled
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 165°C (329°F). Position an oven rack to the lowest in the oven. Ready a 20-cm (8-inch) chiffon tube pan. DO NOT GREASE.
- Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into a bowl.
- In a separate, large mixing bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until thick and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Stir in the coffee solution, vanilla (or coffee) extract, coffee paste (optional), milk and oil, and mix until well combined.
- Add the sifted flour mixture in 2 additions. Stir with a whisk until all the flour is incorporated and no streaks of flour are visible. The mixture should be thick, smooth and free of lumps.
Make the meringue:
- Fit an electric mixer with a whisk attachment. In a dry, grease-free mixer bowl, pour in egg whites and sprinkle cream of tartar over.
- Whisk on medium speed (speed 4 on my Kitchen Aid). When the egg whites become frothy, add sugar bit by bit in a steady stream. Whip until stiff peaks form. This may take 5 to 7 minutes, depending on your mixer and speed.
Folding the meringue into the batter:
- Add ⅓ of meringue (whipped egg whites with sugar) to the egg yolk-coffee mixture. Fold in gently with a whisk until well incorporated.
- Add another ⅓ of the meringue and again, fold in gently. Add the remaining meringue and fold in gently. The final batter should feel light, and have no visible streaks of meringue.
- Pour into the chiffon tube pan from one place, and let the batter spread to fill the pan. Run a bamboo skewer gently through the batter. Smooth and level the surface with an offset spatula. Give the pan a few taps on the counter top to minimize air bubbles.
Baking and cooling:
- Bake on the lowest rack in the oven for 50 to 55 minutes, or until done. DO NOT open the oven door. Only do so about 5 minutes before the end of baking, to test if done. The cake is done when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Note: A bit of cracking on the surface of the cake as it bakes is perfectly alright!
- Immediately invert the pan once it is removed from the oven. Allow it to ‘hang’ until completely cooled.
- To remove, run an offset spatula gently around the sides of the pan. Invert the cake to free it from the sides of the pan. Then run the spatula around the base to release the funnel.
- Allow the cake to cool completely. Cover the sides and top of the cake with buttercream, and smoothen. Pipe rosettes as desired. Dust with sifted cocoa powder (optional).
Make the coffee buttercream:
- In a small heatproof bowl, combine egg whites and sugar and whisk to mix well. Place the bowl over a saucepan or pot filled with 1 -2 inches of simmering water. Make sure the base of the bowl sits above the water level.
- Keep stirring with the whisk until all the sugar dissolves, and no longer feels grainy between your fingers. Or keep stirring until the temperature reaches 71°C (160°F).
- Transfer to a stand mixer bowl, and whip on medium-high speed until the meringue is stiff and no longer warm to the touch, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Add butter cubes, 2 to 3 pieces at a time. As you add the butter, the mixture will start to curdle and look awful. Keep adding the the butter and keep beating! After incorporating all the butter, keep whipping until the buttercream becomes smooth and fluffy.
- Reduce the mixer speed to low. Pour in the coffee solution and whip until well mixed. Set aside in a cool, dry place.
- Once the cake is cool, frost as desired.
Notes
Tips for baking chiffon cake
- Use the right pan. Chiffon cakes are best baked in a chiffon tube pan without non-stick coating. Do not grease the pan.
- Use the correct pan size. In order for the cake to rise straight and tall, use the appropriate sized pan. When the pan is filled with batter, it should not be more than 3/4 full.
- Bring cold ingredients to room temperature. Cold egg whites do not whip up as well, so it won’t trap as much air as egg whites at room temperature. When blooming cocoa, remember to allow it cool to room temperature before incorporating it into the rest of the batter.
- Whip meringue to stiff peaks. The ideal stiff peak stage is somewhere between medium and firm stiffness. When you lift the meringue with the whisk (flick away excess), it should hold a firm shape from the base towards the tip, and droop over just a bit like a small hook at the tip.
- Sift powdered ingredients together. This will give you a smoother and finer cake crumb and enable the cake to rise evenly and uniformly.
- Mix, stir and fold with a whisk. The meringue will incorporate more easily and thoroughly, with minimal loss of volume due to the inherent shape and structure of the whisk. It also helps reduce or eliminate air pockets in the batter.
- Invert the chiffon pan immediately once out of the oven. Once removed from the oven, immediately invert the pan over a bottle neck once it is removed from the oven. Or if you have tube pan with ‘feet’, invert the pan over a cooling rack. Allow it to ‘hang’ in this position until completely cooled.
Tips for making buttercream
- The butter needs to be cool and just softened at room temperature, but not warm. If the buttercream just isn’t firming up after a few minutes of whipping, the butter could have been too warm.
- Pop it into the chiller for 5 minutes, then rewhip with a whip on medium-high speed until it becomes silky smooth and fluffy.
- If not using immediately, the buttercream can be transferred to a bowl. Cover tightly with cling wrap and store, chilled, in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- Have it out at room temperature until it is soft enough to be re-whipped. When ready to frost the cake, whip the softened buttercream until it is smooth, light and fluffy again.
I didn’t add coffee paste or coffee emulco. Cake doesn’t have much coffee flav even I used 2 tbsp. Is that a big difference with additional coffee paste? Can anyone share their experience before I made a second time. Thank you.
Hi Emily, thank you for writing in! The coffee paste does help intensify the coffee flavour. Also, the instant coffee used can also be a factor – I use dark roast instant coffee (almost like espresso).
If you’re willing to try, you can also make a simple coffee paste which is what I do sometimes when I don’t have coffee emulco on hand. Warm up 1 tbsp of oil in a small heatproof bowl in a microwave on medium low for 20 seconds, long enough to get the oil warm but not too hot. Then stir in 1 tbsp of instant coffee until completely dissolved. It should have the consistency of a paste (if not, add a bit more instant coffee).
Add this coffee paste AND the coffee solution as per the recipe. See if that makes a difference in the flavour. If the sweetness was just right the first time round, you may need to add a bit more sugar to balance the added bitterness of the coffee paste. I hope this works out to your satisfaction, please share – I’d love to know!
Hi Celia,
I baked this cake yesterday and it was so so fluffy and moist.
My relatives loved it.
I baked it in a 21 inch Chiffon tin and it rosed to the height of the tube funnel.
After cooling the cake, it measured a tall 5 inch height!
I am a little confused why I had so much batter in the tin maybe my eggs were 65g with shell.
I used your recipe scale of x 1 for my 21 inch tin.
(Happy problems, more batter = more cake)
For the recipe scale, x 1/2 what size of tin do I use?
Hi Jacqui, this was so wonderful to read! Thank you so much for trying this recipe and sharing it with me. I’m glad it worked out well and was so enjoyed!
Definitely, the larger eggs would have resulted in a higher quantity of egg whites which will whip to a greater volume. Typically, I use 60 grams eggs (with their shells) so it usually ends up being 16 grams for each yolk and 38-40 grams for each white.
If you half the recipe, it might be a little troublesome to weigh, say 2 1/2 egg yolks or 1/3 tsp of salt, etc. Instead, would you be willing to try a 3-eggs recipe which I’ve worked out here for a 6-inch chiffon pan (15 cm) . Let me know how it works out for you, ya?
For the batter: 90 g cake flour; 6 g baking powder; ⅛ tsp baking soda; ¼ tsp salt; 3 egg yolks; 45 g caster sugar; 50 g oil; 14 g instant coffee or espresso powder dissolved in 2 teaspoons hot water; 72 g milk or water; ½ – ⅔ tsp coffee paste or coffee emulco (optional); 1 tsp vanilla extract. For the meringue: 3 egg whites; ⅓ tsp cream of tartar; 72 g caster sugar.
Hi Cecilia,
I totally forgot to get back to you when I did it in a 7 inch tube pan with just the 3 eggs recipe you sent over.
Delightful and yummy as always.
Do you know if I were to substitute Cake flour for Rice flour, would it still be possible. Your thoughts please.
Thanks in advance.
Jacqui
Hi Celia,
I realised in your 3 eggs recipe the baking soda is missing. I baked it last week with the recipe you suggested, the cake didn’t turn out that fluffy as when I did the 5 eggs version. But everybody enjoyed it nonetheless.
Just wondering if it’s essential.
Your thoughts please.
Hi Jacqui, I double-checked and the baking soda was included in the recipe adjusted for the 3-eggs chiffon cake (right after the baking powder).
1/8 teaspoon has roughly the same leavening power as 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder (baking soda is 4 times the strength of baking powder).
But it would have made the difference as you’ve noticed – not as airy or fluffy because of the reduced leavening in the absence of baking soda. I personally would add the baking soda given the slight acidity of the coffee solution in this recipe. I’m glad to hear that it didn’t break the cake for you! Hope this helps!
This is the best cake recipe that I always go to. Tried recipe from other bakers but nothing compare to this.
Thank you so much for the 5-star review, Leslie! I’m so thrilled you love this cake!
Hi Celia may I ask if you have the recipe for a 6 inch tube pan? Thank you!!
Hi Lyn, you can try this 3-eggs recipe to fit a 6-inch tube pan. Let me know how it works out for you, ya?
For the batter: 90 g cake flour; 6 g baking powder; ⅛ tsp baking soda; ¼ tsp salt; 3 egg yolks; 45 g caster sugar; 50 g oil; 14 g instant coffee or espresso powder dissolved in 2 teaspoons hot water; 72 g milk or water; ½ – ⅔ tsp coffee paste or coffee emulco (optional); 1 tsp vanilla extract. For the meringue: 3 egg whites; ⅓ tsp cream of tartar; 72 g caster sugar.
For the coffee buttercream: 2 egg whites; 130 g caster sugar; 150 g unsalted butter; 2 tbsp instant coffee or espresso powder dissolved in 2 teaspoons hot water (cooled).
ps. Lyn, if you end up with just a bit too much batter, fill the tube pan up to 3/4 full, no more. Any remaining batter can be baked in paper liners in a muffin pan.
Thank you so much for taking the time to research on the recipe!! I will try and let you know the result!!
Hi Celia I tried the recipe this morning!! It turned out good😊. Though I think it might be slightly under baked. Cause when I tried to u mold the cake, some parts of the bottom is stuck to the pan. Because my oven is a convection kind, hence I lowered temp to 160(convection is whole numbers only) and baked for 55 mins. Should I have gone up to 170 instead? Please advice as I have already marked your Matcha chiffon and pandan chiffon cake to bake next round 😂😂thank you!!
Hi Lynzee, chiffon cakes will definitely stick to the sides and base of an ungreased tube pan. We want the cake to stick in this way so that it can be inverted without worrying that the cake will fall out. If that happens, by the way, that would in most cases be a problem with the cake-making process rather than the pan itself. Is your tube pan one with a loose, removable funnel? If so, once the sides are loose and the cake is out of the pan, then you can simply run a knife around the base to release the funnel. Also, I’m glad that you mentioned baking in a convection oven because commonly, you do need to lower the baking temperature by about 20 degrees (Celsius). So I’d suggest baking at 145 – 150 deg C. Let me know if that works out better (‘cos I have a feeling that the bottom of the cake sticking to the pan could have resulted from baking at too high a temperature for a convection oven.)
Hi I followed the buttercream recipe but after I added the butter my cream melted? And I’ve been whipping it and it won’t become thick again it’s just liquid. Did I do something wrong? Can you help please?
Hi Maleah, you should expect that the cream will curdle and look awful when you first start adding the butter. However, it sounds like the butter could have been a little too warm and had started to release oils. The best way to recover is to chill the entire mixture until the buttercream firms up again. Then beat the mixture with a paddle attachment on MEDIUM speed, keep at it until it starts to get light and fluffy. It will take a bit of time, so do not be overly concerned, but it should work.
Hi my name is Leslie GM. This is the best cake recipe I have ever tried even without the icing the cake is delicious. I have tried different recipe of mocha cake but I didn’t like it.. This is now my go to recipe. I even send a copy of your recipe to my sister in the Philippines and told her to try this.
Hi Leslie, thank you so much! I’m thrilled to hear that the recipe worked out so well for you. The icing will really bring it over the top, if you decide to try it! Appreciate the support by sharing this with your family and friends!😘
Please give ingredients in US measurements. Tried conversion charts but they are all different. Confusing. Thank you
Hi Sandra, I’ve worked out the US measurements as best I can, my apologies. It’s taking time to work through the recipes on the site for amounts in both metric and US systems is all. Hope it works out fine, I’d love to know! Happy baking and have a great weekend ahead!
Hi Celia, i just followed your recipe and bake in a 8inch chiffon pan. However, the cake batter is almost full instead of 3/4 of the chiffon pan, do you mind to share if you have any 4-eggs recipe instead of 5-eggs?
Thank you.
Hi Hooi Chin, here’s a 4-eggs recipe you can try. For the batter: 120 g cake flour; 1½ tsp baking powder; ⅛ tsp baking soda; ¼ tsp salt; 4 egg yolks; 60 g sugar; 68 g oil; 1 tbsp + 2 tsp instant coffee dissolved in 2½ tsp hot water; 95 ml milk or water; 2½ tsp coffee paste (optional); 1 tsp vanilla extract. For the meringue: 4 egg whites; ½ tsp cream of tartar; 95 g sugar.
This cake is great! I made this today and found that it was super fluffy and soft. I used 3 tbsp espresso powder only (no paste or extract since I didn’t have it) and it resulted in a cake that wasn’t sweet but still delicious. I also used a 10 inch tube pan and I only needed to bake it for 30 min (although I’ve noticed my oven tends to bake chiffon cakes faster than what recipes usually state). My only issue is it appears something has sunk to the bottom during the baking process so when I cut the cake, there’s a chunk near the edge that’s denser and a little darker than the rest. I’m sure I properly combined everything so I’m not sure what’s going on. In any case, it’s not so dense that it ruins the cake so I’m not super concerned. Will make the recipe again!
Hi Kathy, thank you so much for sharing! I’m thrilled this turned out great for you. The thing about chiffon cakes are that they’re a little tricky to diagnose. Dense chunks are commonly a sign of uneven mixing of the flour and meringue batters, but could also be a result of slight under-baking. If you’re willing, I’ve adjusted this to an 8-eggs recipe to fit your 10-inch chiffon pan. Bake at the same temperature, but for longer, I reckon 50 – 55 minutes, depending on your oven. Do share if you try, would love to hear how it turns out!
Hi Celia,
Do you have the amount of measurement for a 23cm chiffon pan? Thank you
Hi Elizabeth, I’ve adjusted the recipe for 8-eggs – should fit a 10-inch (23-cm) chiffon pan. For the batter:240 g cake flour; 1 tbsp baking powder; 1/4 + 1/8 tsp baking soda; 3/4 tsp salt; 8 egg yolks; 120 g sugar; 136 g oil; 3 tbsp instant coffee or instant espresso dissolved in 25 ml (1 tbsp + 2 tsp) hot water; 190 ml milk or water; 1 – 1.5 tbsp coffee paste; 2-1/2 tsp vanilla extract. For the meringue: 8 egg whites; 1 tsp cream of tartar; 190 g sugar. I hope this works out well for your pan, would love to hear how it goes! Happy baking!
I am yet to try this amazing recipe! The problem is that I don’t get cake flour in my region if the world. Will good old APF suffice? TIA!
Hello Maheed! Thank you for writing in. I’m afraid using all-purpose or plain flour just isn’t going to give you the tender texture that chiffon cakes are known for. But you CAN make cake flour from scratch with plain flour and corn starch. This link will show up a helpful article on how to make your own cake flour. Hope you try it out, and I’m eager to know if it works out for you. Have a great week ahead!
Hi, I’ve made several chiffon cakes before but none have come close to this level of moisture and fluffiness.
Thank you for the great recipe!
Hi Lena, thank you so much for leaving your comments here and for the 5-star rating!
Hi Celia, can i use a 10 inch chiffon pan instead of 8 inch on this same recipe please? I only hv 10 inch pan. Your advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Hi JT, you can use a 10-inch chiffon tube pan but the cake will be short. If I may suggest, I’ve adjusted the recipe for 8-eggs. For the batter:240 g cake flour; 1 tbsp baking powder; 1/4 + 1/8 tsp baking soda; 3/4 tsp salt; 8 egg yolks; 120 g sugar; 136 g oil; 3 tbsp instant coffee or instant espresso dissolved in 25 ml (1 tbsp + 2 tsp) hot water; 190 ml milk or water; 1 – 1.5 tbsp coffee paste; 2-1/2 tsp vanilla extract. For the meringue: 8 egg whites; 1 tsp cream of tartar; 190 g sugar. I hope this works out well for your pan, would love to hear how it goes! Happy baking!
Hi Celia, thank you for your prompt reply~ will let you know how it turns out once i tried it thank you! 🙂
Hi Celia, do you have the measurements and baking time for a 7 inch chiffon pan? Thank you 🙂
Hi Sylvia, you’ll need a 3-eggs recipe for a 7-inch chiffon pan. Here are the adjusted amounts. For the batter: 90 g cake flour; 1¼ tsp baking powder; pinch of salt; 3 egg yolks; 45 g caster sugar; 50 g oil; 1 tbsp + 1 tsp instant coffee granules dissolved in 2 tsp hot water; 70 ml milk or water; 2 tsp coffee paste/emulco; 1 tsp vanilla extract. For the meringue: 3 egg whites; ¼ tsp cream of tartar; 75 g caster sugar. Baking time should be about 45 – 50 mins at the same temperature, as it will vary a bit from oven to oven. It’s safer to err on slightly over-baking than under-baking. Would love to know if this works out for you!
Hello! I have tried this chiffon recipe twice and love how moist the cake turned out even after reducing the sugar by 20%. I was wondering it it’s possible to bake this cake using a round tin instead of a tube pan? Just so it’s easier to frost and slice. Thank you!
Hi Sherlyn, that’s awesome to hear! So happy this recipe worked out so well for you. You could, in principle, bake in a round pan provided it’s not non-stick. The cake will rise but unlike the chiffon pan, it doesn’t have anything in the centre to cling to, to hold it’s structure once out of the oven. So it will deflate and end up more like a sponge cake, but still tender and delicious. The best way is to divide and bake the batter into 2 pans, for a layer cake. Hope this helps!
Hi Celia,
Could you provide me with the old recipe (that used 3.5 eggs) for this coffee chiffon cake as I am making a two layer cake. Thank you
Hi Christine, I’m sorry but I’ve updated the recipe. I actually feel this one works out even better, in my humble opinion. It’s actually very close to the previous one, just an up-size using 5 eggs instead of 3½ eggs for readers’ convenience, and some minor tweaks. The amounts should be as follows: For the batter:105 g cake flour; 1½ tsp baking powder; ⅛ tsp baking soda; ¼ tsp salt; 3½ egg yolks; 55 g sugar; 60 g oil; 1 – 1½ tbsp instant coffee granules dissolved in 2 tsps hot water; 85 ml milk or water; ½ – 1 tbsp coffee emulco (optional); 1 tsp vanilla extract. For the meringue: 3½ egg whites; ¼ tsp cream of tartar; 85 g sugar. Hope it works out just as well for you, Christine. I’d love to know!
Hi, if i have a 23cm tube pan, may i know what is the ingredients ratio please? Thanks.
Hi Celia,
Wow, amazing recipe, thanks! I’m new to chiffon cakes – and baking in general! – so I have a few questions if you don’t mind when it comes to baking these in round tin pans.
1. When baking in round tin pans… I assume I can put them both in the oven at the same time? I’m asking because I did this last week and one chiffon cake was fine, but the other fell out off the pan! (same batter, same type of pan too).
2. Also, when baking in round tins, should I change to the convection function of the oven (instead of using just high and low heat sources)?
Thanks and hope to hear from you!
Hi Rosie, thank you for writing in! Happy to help when I can. (1) You can bake both pans in the oven, and it’s best to have both on the same rack for even and consistent baking. If the oven has uneven hot spots, it could cause issues, so you could try switching the cake pan positions half way through the baking time, to ensure both cakes bake more evenly.(2) Convection baking is not usually recommended for cakes, so top and bottom heating should be fine. Hope this helps!
Thanks so much Celia – will definitely try out your suggestions and advice!!
Hi Celia,
Made this cake and it was absolutely delicious! I have seen your other chocolate chiffon cake on your website but that uses a tube pan which I do not own and it also uses more eggs, so how would you convert this coffee chiffon cake recipe to a chocolate one? Thanks!
Hi Christine, I’m so sorry I missed your question! For some reason, this got blocked by the site’s email filter. Thank you so much for trying out this recipe! I’ve actually made an improvement on the chocolate chiffon cake recipe so I would suggest trying it. You can still bake in regular cake pans so long as pans are non-stick, so that the sides of the cake can rise. But as there isn’t a funnel in the centre like in a tube pan to help bake through the centre, you will need to bake for longer to ensure that the cake is cooked all the way through to the centre. However, if you wish to make the adjustments to the coffee chiffon cake recipe, this is how I would do it.
For the batter: 80 g sifted cake flour; 1/4 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tbsp baking powder; 1/4 tsp baking soda; 1/2 tsp salt; 20 g cocoa powder, 95 ml milk or water; 1/2 tsp instant coffee granules; 1/2 to 1 tbsp chocolate emulco; 1/4 cup oil; 3 1/2 egg yolks; 50 g caster sugar; 1 tsp vanilla extract. For the meringue: 3 1/2 egg whites; 1/4 tsp cream of tartar; 80 g sugar. Follow the process listed in the chocolate chiffon cake recipe post.
Bake at 165 deg C in two (2) 7-inch round cake pans, equally divided. Don’t grease the sides, only lightly on the base. If baking in 2 pans, bake for 30 mins on the lowest rack in the oven, and invert once immediately out of the oven until cooled. Hope this works out, Christine!
Hi there! Could I put chocolate chips in the batter considering the fact that it’s a light spongy cake? If so, how much can I put for 2 9-inch pans?
Hi Chloe, oooh.. I love chocolate chips in anything! To be honest, I haven’t tried this. Regular chocolate chips might sink towards the bottom of the cake, so mini choc chips would be a better option. How much is up to you, but again, I wouldn’t go overboard in case it gets too heavy to stay suspended in the batter.
Hi cecilla
Thank you for your recipe, will certainly try it . Can you please provide the right amount of ingredients for a 9 inch layer cake please?
Hi Angela! Sorry I took a while to respond?. Thanks so much for wanting to try this recipe! I think it will make everything so much easier if you try doubling the recipe amount for a 9-inch layer cake. Be sure not to exceed 2/3rd of your cake pan when filling with batter, and if you have extra batter left over, you could fill muffin cups and make mini coffee chiffon cakes out of them.? Do share how it turns out for you, ya? I’d love to hear! Happy baking!
Hi Celia. Just made the Blacksesame Chiffon cake yesterday. Absolutely perfect! Thank you for sharing the recepie. Wanted to make this coffee chiffon but i can’t get coffee emulco here (Australia) . What is the best substitute? ???
Hi Ling, that’s so awesome to hear! Glad you loved it! I think you could use a strong or concentrated coffee solution made by dissolving 2 tbsp of strong instant coffee or espresso powder in 1 tbsp of water, in place of coffee emulco (in addition to the cold coffee solution called for in the recipe). It won’t be an exact substitute as emulco is more of a thick concentrated paste with flavouring, emulsifiers etc., added to enhance taste, aroma, texture and moistness, but a super strong coffee solution will be an all natural substitute!?
Thank you for the quick reply. Shall try out soon.
Use coffe liqueur.
Great suggestion, Anna! ?
Thank you so much for this recipe! I just made it as a birthday cake for my dad and the entire family loved it. It tastes like the ones you buy at a Korean bakery. I layered the cakes with a filling that I made from ground pecans, brown sugar and butter; and then frosted the whole thing with a light coffee whipped cream. It came out beautifully and tastes absolutely delicious! I’m totally bookmarking this page!
Hi Becky, oh my gosh, what you did sounds so amazingly yummm! Love your twist on the filling! I’m so glad it turned out well and was a big hit with your family! Thank you so much for sharing!????? Have a wonderful weekend!
Hi do you have the recipe for the coffee buttercream that I could make I might be making this for a gathering tomorrow…I would appreciate it if you do
Hi Alison, sorry I didn’t get to reading your request sooner! Oh my gosh, I wish I had a coffee buttercream recipe on hand, I didn’t save the one I used for the coffee cake. If it helps (and I really hope it does, and in time too for your gathering tomorrow), there are tons of coffee buttercream recipes at this website, http://www.allrecipes.com. This is one of my go-to sites for multiple sources of recipes in one place. I know it’s not what you might expect, but I really, really, really hope you’ll find one that works out for you. Just a tip, I usually reduce the sugar amounts on Western buttercream recipes, which are a little sweet. Good luck, and hope you’ll make an awesome coffee frosted cake! Cheers, Celia