This strawberry chiffon cake is made with incredibly soft and fluffy layers of chiffon sponge cake with whipped cream and fresh strawberries in every bite. It tastes exactly like the cakes from Asian bakeries!
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Strawberry chiffon cake is a delightful dessert that is light, fluffy, and bursting with fresh strawberry flavor. Chiffon cake is known for its soft, airy texture and delicate crumb. It's the base for most cakes you can find in Japanese or Chinese bakeries.
The light and fluffy cake is the perfect blank canvas for fresh fruits of any kind and whipped cream to compliment the light texture. They are my favourite kind of cake and they're perfect for any occasion!
The process of making a strawberry chiffon cake can be a bit tricky if you've never made them before, as it requires a specific technique to achieve its light and fluffy texture. I've included step-by-step instructions and my top tips for making chiffon cakes successfully! It's actually quite easy once you've learned how and you'll be making bakery-worthy cakes in no time.
What is chiffon cake?
Chiffon cake is a light and fluffy cake similar to sponge cake. They’re both leavened mostly by incorporating lots of tiny air bubbles by whipping egg whites into a meringue, which makes the cake rise.
Chiffon cake and sponge cake are both made by folding meringue into an egg yolk mixture but chiffon cake also contains baking powder and oil, which sponge cake does not. As a result, chiffon cake is richer and more moist than sponge cake.
You’ll often find chiffon cakes in most Asian bakeries, usually paired with whipped cream and fresh fruits. It’s a classic combination in most cakes and baked goods to cater to an Asian palate, which prefers lighter desserts that aren’t too sweet.
Why you'll love this recipe
- This strawberry chiffon cake is bakery-worthy! It tastes just like the ones from Asian bakeries.
- The chiffon cake is incredibly soft and fluffy with my top tips on how to make it successfully and prevent them from deflating.
- The combination of fresh strawberries and whipped cream is a classic and can't be beat!
- This cake is light and not too sweet. It's the perfect dessert for everyone!
Tools you'll need
- Electric hand mixer - I use my Kitchenaid hand mixer because it's the most convenient but occasionally I'll also use my stand mixer. This is a must for whipping the meringue. Don't try to whip the egg whites manually with a whisk unless you're trying to get an intense arm workout in.
- Three 6" round cake pans - Make sure your cake pans are light-coloured ones without a non-stick coating. Chiffon cake need to stick to the sides of the pan to "climb" up. If your pan has a non-stick coating, the cake will deflate or fail to rise.
- Offset spatula - An offset spatula makes frosting a cake much easier.
- Bench scraper - A bench scraper is useful for smoothing the frosting on the sides of the cake in one smooth motion.
- Cake turntable - This is optional but it makes frosting cakes easier. If you're buying one, get a sturdy metal turntable that spins smoothly and endlessly, not the rickety plastic white ones.
- Piping bag - You'll need a piping bag if you're decorating your cake with any piped frosting. You can also use the corner of a ziploc bag in a pinch.
- Various piping tips & coupler - Again, you only need these if you want to pipe decorations on your cake. I used star tips in two different sizes for my cake. A piping tip coupler allows you to switch piping tips on the same piping bag.
Ingredients
- Eggs - You'll need 5 eggs in total. Carefully separate out the egg whites and egg yolks into two separate large mixing bowls. Be careful not to get any yolk at all in the egg whites otherwise, they won't whip up into a meringue. See my tips below on separating the yolks and whites.
- Cream of tartar - This is an acidic powder that helps stabilize the egg whites so that they whip up into a stronger meringue faster.
- Granulated sugar - Divide 100g and 20g of the sugar into separate bowls when prepping or add only the noted amounts at their respective steps in the recipe card. 100g will be added to the egg whites while 20g will be added to the egg yolks.
- Milk - Use any dairy or non-dairy milk.
- Oil - Use any flavourless oil like vegetable oil, canola oil, or avocado oil.
- Vanilla extract - This helps cover the eggy taste since chiffon cakes are made almost entirely of eggs. Plus it always adds a lovely flavour and aroma to any baked goods!
- Cake flour - Cake flour has less gluten which will help make this cake soft and airy.
- Baking powder - Most of the lift in chiffon cakes comes from the air bubbles in the meringue but baking powder serves as a backup leavening agent in case the meringue fails.
- Heavy cream or whipping cream - Use a heavy cream with 36%+ fat content for a thicker and richer whipped cream or use whipping cream with 30-36% fat content for a lighter whipped cream. I personally usually use whipping cream because it's easily accessible for me.
- Powdered sugar - This gives the whipped cream sweetness and stabilization so that it doesn't just slide off the cake.
- Strawberries - You'll need strawberries that are diced into small pieces for the filling plus a few more whole or halved strawberries for decorating your cake. Use ripe, fresh strawberries for the best taste.
How to make strawberry chiffon cake
Make the cake and frosting
Prep - Preheat oven to 350℉ and line the bottom of three 6" cake pans with a round of parchment paper. Do not line or grease the sides of the pans. Set aside.
Whip egg whites until frothy - In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat egg whites and cream of tartar together until it resembles cappuccino foam.
Beat into stiff peaks - Sprinkle in 100g of granulated sugar one tablespoonful at a time, mixing well in between each addition. After all the sugar has been added, continue beating until it becomes stiff peaks. The meringue should stand up on its own and won't budge when you flip the bowl upside down. Set aside.
Mix egg yolk mixture - In another large mixing bowl, use the same electric mixer or whisk to mix the egg yolks and the other 20g of granulated sugar together until combined. Add the milk, oil, and vanilla extract and mix again until combined.
Add the flour mixture - In a small bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder. Sift this mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Fold together with a spatula, smushing down any big lumps, until combined.
Fold meringue into egg yolk mixture - Add ⅓ of the egg white meringue to the egg yolk mixture. Gently fold together with a spatula until mostly combined. Add the rest of the meringue and fold until no streaks remain and the batter is fluffy and airy.
Fill cake pans - Divide the batter into your lined cake pans until about ⅔ full, about 185-200g of batter in each pan.
Bake - Bake for 23-25 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned and the cakes have some resistance when lightly pressed.
Cool cakes - Let the cakes cool on a wire rack upside down for about 30 minutes. Run an offset spatula around the edges and release the cakes onto the wire rack to finish cooling completely before assembling the cake.
Make whipped cream - In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to whip heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until it becomes soft peaks.
Assemble the cake
Add whipped cream and strawberries - On a cake turntable, lay down the first cake layer. Spread a thin layer of whipped cream on top. Arrange the diced strawberries in an even layer on top of the whipped cream, leaving the outer ¼" of the cake layer empty.
Repeat - Spread another thin layer of whipped cream on top of the strawberries, filling in any holes. Place another cake layer on top and repeat.
Crumb coat - Cover the cake with a very thin layer of crumb coating. Use a bench scraper to scrape off the excess.
Frost cake - Cover the cake in a final layer of whipped cream. To avoid overworking the cream, add a big dollop of whipped cream on top of the cake and use an offset spatula to push it all over the edges, and let the cream flow down the sides of the cake. Smooth it evenly with a spatula and then with a bench scraper.
Chill - Chill the cake and remaining whipped cream in the fridge for about 1 hour.
Prep remaining whipped cream - Transfer the cake to a cake stand or serving plate, if needed. Beat the remaining whipped cream again to medium-stiff peaks if it has separated. Transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip coupler and a piping tip of your choice.
Decorate cake - Pipe your decorations onto the cake and decorate with extra strawberries. Chill your strawberry chiffon cake in the fridge for at least 1 hour to set before cutting into it.
Storage
This strawberry chiffon cake can be stored in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap and stored in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
Freezing
Leftover cake slices can be stored in an airtight container or wrapped well in plastic wrap and/or aluminum foil and frozen for up to 1 month. Thaw in the fridge overnight before serving.
Tips & tricks
Separating egg whites and egg yolks
I recommend setting up two large mixing bowls and one small bowl.
Crack one egg into the small bowl. Scoop up the egg yolk and pass it back and forth between your hands until the egg whites slip between your fingers back into the bowl.
Place the yolk into one of the large bowls and pour the egg whites into the other large bowl. Repeat again with one egg at a time.
This way, if the yolk of one egg breaks, you won't have to discard the entire batch of egg whites.
Preventing chiffon cake from deflating
Keep in mind that a small amount of deflating and shrinkage in chiffon cakes is very normal. Don't expect it to stay at the height it rises to in the oven.
Before baking - Make sure your meringue is whipped to stiff peaks. Fold the batter together well but use gentle movements to prevent deflating too much air from the meringue. Use cake pans that don't have a non-stick coating and do not grease the pan.
During baking - Don't open the oven door in the middle of baking as the change in temperature will cause the cakes to deflate. Don't underbake the cakes as they won't have enough structure to keep their height. Slightly overbaking is better than underbaking.
After baking - After taking the cakes out of the oven, immediately flip them upside down on a wire rack with airflow underneath. Allow them to cool inverted for at least 30 minutes.
Frosting a cake with whipped cream
Whipped cream can become grainy if it's overwhipped or overworked too much. To prevent this, whip it up to soft peaks to start. It should still be quite fluid but the cake will absorb some of the moisture from it and help it stick.
Add a few big dollops on top of the cake and use an offset spatula to push the cream over the edges and let it slide down the sides of the cake. Try to spread the cream around by passing the spatula over it just a few times. Pass a bench scraper over it in one or two continuous movements to smooth it out.
Whipped cream doesn't set as firmly as buttercream does so try to chill your cake for at least 1 hour before cutting into it to prevent the layers from slipping around.
Frequently asked questions
Sponge cake and chiffon cake are both made by whipping egg whites into a meringue and then folding it into egg yolks. However, chiffon cake contains oil and sometimes baking powder, making it richer and slightly denser than sponge cake.
You can use any light-tasting oil that won't impart any added flavour to the cake such as vegetable oil, canola oil, avocado oil, or grapeseed oil. Do not use melted butter in place of oil!
If your chiffon cake cracked, your oven was likely too hot. The surface of the cake cooked before the inside so the batter on the inside pushed up and outwards as it baked. You can prevent this by using an oven thermometer to check your oven or baking your cake with a roasting pan of about 1" of boiling water on the bottom rack of the oven to add moisture.
Fold the batter until you no longer see streaks of the yellow egg yolk batter or white streaks from the meringue. Be sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl as that's where the heavier batter tends to accumulate.
You can make the chiffon cake layers ahead of time and store them wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature or in the fridge for 1-2 days. Make the whipped cream and assemble the cake on the day you're serving it or the day before.
To make a 3-layer 8" or 9" cake, double the recipe by multiplying every ingredient by 2. If you're making an 8" cake, you may have some leftover batter. Use it to make cupcakes or a mini cake.
More chiffon cake recipes to try
Recipe
Strawberry Chiffon Cake
Equipment
- 3 6" round cake pans, without non-stick coating
- 1 cake turntable, optional
- various piping tips & coupler
Ingredients
Chiffon Cake
- 5 large egg whites
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 120 g granulated sugar, divided into 100g and 20g
- 5 large egg yolks
- 60 g milk
- 50 g oil
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 100 g cake flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Whipped Cream
- 400 g heavy cream or whipping cream, cold
- 40 g powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Filling & Topping
- 6 large strawberries, diced, plus more whole or halved strawberries for decoration
Instructions
Chiffon Cake
- Preheat oven to 350℉ and line the bottom of three 6" cake pans with a round of parchment paper. Do not line or grease the sides of the pans. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric hand mixer to beat egg whites and cream of tartar together until it resembles cappuccino foam.
- Sprinkle in 100g of granulated sugar one tablespoonful at a time, mixing well in between each addition. After all the sugar has been added, continue beating until it becomes stiff peaks. The meringue should stand up on its own and won't budge when you flip the bowl upside down. Set aside.
- In another large mixing bowl, use the same electric mixer or whisk to mix the egg yolks and the other 20g of granulated sugar together until combined. Add the milk, oil, vanilla extract and mix again until combined.
- In a small bowl, stir together the flour and baking powder. Sift this mixture into the egg yolk mixture.
- Fold together with a spatula, smushing down any big lumps, until combined.
- Add ⅓ of the egg white meringue to the egg yolk mixture. Gently fold together with a spatula until mostly combined. Add the rest of the meringue and fold until no streaks remain and the batter is fluffy and airy.
- Divide the batter into your lined cake pans until about ⅔ full, about 185-200g of batter in each pan.
- Bake for 23-25 minutes or until the tops are lightly browned and the cakes have some resistance when lightly pressed.
- Let the cakes cool on a wire rack upside down for about 30 minutes. Run an offset spatula around the edges and release the cakes onto the wire rack to finish cooling completely before assembling the cake.
Whipped Cream
- In a large mixing bowl, use an electric mixer to whip heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until it becomes soft peaks.
Assemble the cake
- On a cake turntable, lay down the first cake layer. Spread a thin layer of whipped cream on top. Arrange the diced strawberries in an even layer on top of the whipped cream, leaving the outer ¼" of the cake layer empty.
- Spread another thin layer of whipped cream on top of the strawberries, filling in any holes. Place another cake layer on top and repeat.
- Cover the cake with a very thin layer of crumb coating. Use a bench scraper to scrape off the excess.
- Cover the cake in a final layer of whipped cream. To avoid overworking the cream, add a big dollop of whipped cream on top of the cake and use an offset spatula to push it all over the edges and let the cream flow down the sides of the cake. Smooth it evenly with a spatula and then with a bench scraper.
- Chill the cake and remaining whipped cream in the fridge for about 1 hour.
- Transfer the cake to a cake stand or serving plate, if needed. Beat the remaining whipped cream again to medium-stiff peaks if it has separated. Transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip coupler and a piping tip of your choice.
- Pipe your decorations onto the cake and decorate with extra strawberries. Chill the cake in the fridge for at least 1 hour to set before cutting into it.
Mark
Hi Gail, you mention using a crumb coat. Do you have a favorite crumb coat recipe? I looked but didn't find one on the site.
Gail Ng
The crumb coat is just applying a thin layer of the same frosting you'll be using for the final frosting layer. In this case, it's just a thin layer of whipped cream!
Yuwa
I've been trying out all sorts of different chiffon/sponge cake recipes recently and this one is definitely a winner! You don't get that eggy taste in this recipe. It came out soft and delicious!
Jason
Followed the recipe as is except used 2 x 8" pans and worked like a charm on the first go. Really nice soft cake texture combined perfectly with the whipped cream.
Lauren
HOLY SH&*, excuse my language but this looks SO BEAUTIFUL.
Karen
OMG! This looks so yummy, cannot wait to try to make this for my birthday!