Chocolate Chiffon Cake

This chocolate chiffon cake is a show-stopper—perfect for entertaining or celebrating a special occasion. It’s an approachable recipe for any level home baker, but there are a few tips you’ll want to pay close attention to. Before you get started, it’s helpful to learn how to make meringue and check out our tip section.

What is chiffon cake?

Chiffon cake belongs to the foam cake family, which means its defining feature is its ultra fluffy, cloud-like texture. It can be served with a simple dusting of confectioners’ sugar and a bevy of berries, as an orange cream chiffon cake or with chocolate, like this recipe.

Ingredients for Chocolate Chiffon Cake

• Eggs: While eggs bring moisture and structure to any baked good, they’re especially important in this recipe. The egg whites will be whipped into a meringue, which is one of the main reasons this cake becomes so fluffy.
• Baking cocoa: Unlike Dutch processed cocoa, baking cocoa retains its acidity and strong flavor. This is excellent for baking because it can stand up to the other ingredients instead of blend into the background.
• Cake flour: This type of flour is ground extra fine, which makes for a super light, tender crumb. Make sure to sift your cake flour before you use it to avoid any clumps.
• Sugar: Either granulated or caster sugar works well here. Regardless, it’s good practice to sift your sugar too.
• Baking soda: A dose of baking soda helps this chocolate chiffon cake reach its height potential. You may want to test your baking soda first to make sure it’s in good working order.
• Canola oil: Without a little oil, this cake risks becoming too dry and falling apart. If you’d like, substitute another neutral oil like grapeseed, avocado or corn oil.
• Vanilla extract: While adding vanilla to a chocolate cake may seem odd, it actually serves to enhance and deepen the flavors.
• Cream of tartar: Used in the meringue, cream of tartar helps stabilize the egg whites so they don’t lose their volume too quickly.

Icing:

• Butter: The butter in this icing helps it become silky and glossy, similar to a chocolate ganache.
• Confectioners’ sugar: This kind of sugar is super fine just like powdered sugar, but it also has cornstarch in it to prevent it from clumping.
• Unsweetened chocolate: We recommend choosing a quality chocolate. It will help you achieve not just the best flavor but the best texture as well.
• Chopped nuts (optional): If you want to add nuts, chop up some almonds, hazelnuts or pistachios.

Directions

Step 1: Mix the cocoa and water

First, let the eggs stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. In the meantime, place the cocoa and water in a bowl and combine until smooth. Cool for 20 minutes.

Step 2: Combine the wet and dry ingredients

In a large, clean bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking soda and salt. Then in a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks, oil and vanilla together. Add this to the dry ingredients, along with the water and cocoa mixture. Beat until well blended.

Editor’s Tip: For best results, remember to sift your dry ingredients.

Step 3: Whip up the meringue

Using a clean stand mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gradually fold the meringue into the batter.

Editor’s Tip: Use a utensil with a flat surface, like a spoon or spatula, to fold the meringue into the batter.

Step 4: Bake the cake

Gently spoon the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan. Using a knife, briefly cut through the batter to remove any large air pockets. Place on the lowest rack and bake at 325°F for one hour or until the top springs back when lightly touched.

Step 5: Cool and remove the cake

Immediately invert the pan and allow it to completely cool. Run a knife around the sides of the pan as well as the center tube. Invert the cake onto a serving plate.

Step 6: Make the icing

First, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Then remove it from the heat and stir in the confectioners’ sugar, chocolate, vanilla extract and water. Continue stirring until the texture becomes smooth. Drizzle the icing over the cake and top with chopped nuts, if desired.

Editor’s Tip: If your icing is runny, allow it to set for a few minutes.

Ellie Crowley for Taste of Home

Chocolate Chiffon Cake Variations

• Add a shot of coffee: When added to chocolate recipes, coffee helps enhance and give the chocolate chiffon cake an overall greater depth of flavor. To try this technique, add instant coffee to the dry ingredients or blend a shot of strong brewed coffee to the wet ingredients.
• Use another style icing: While this ganache-like icing is delicious, you may also enjoy this cake with chocolate buttercream frosting. It has a fluffier texture that’s ideal for decorating, if that’s your thing.

How to Store Chocolate Chiffon Cake

To store this recipe, either place the leftovers in an airtight container or in a cake carrier. If your kitchen is between 60° to 70°, feel free to store it on the countertop for up to three days. If your kitchen is 75° or above, it’s best to store the cake in the fridge, where it can last for four days.

Can I freeze chocolate chiffon cake?

To freeze, it’s best to simply freeze the cake and only ice it when you’re ready to eat. To do this, allow the cake to cool to room temperature, wrap it in foil and place it in an airtight container. Keep it in the freezer for up to three months.

Chocolate Chiffon Cake Tips

Ellie Crowley for Taste of Home

What are the common failures in baking chiffon cake?

When it comes to the foam cake family, which includes chiffon, genoise and sponge cake recipes, there are several keys to getting it right. First, avoid overbeating the meringue and only fold it into the batter until the two are just combined. Also, leave the pan ungreased because the added friction actually helps the cake climb and become fluffy.

What is the purpose of cooling a tube cake upside down?

This cocoa chiffon cake gets cooled upside down, but why? If the cake is cooled right side up, the delicate center will collapse in on itself, taking your cake from fluffy to frumpy. Cooling it upside down allows gravity to pull things in the right direction.

How do you keep chiffon cake from sticking to the pan?

As mentioned, you actually want a little sticking to happen because this allows the cake to rise properly. To remove the cake from the tin, it’s best to use a flat cake knife or other similar utensil and run it between the sides of the pan and the cake. It may take some extra work, but your patience will be rewarded!