How to make chocolate chiffon cake
Of all the chocolate cake recipes I’ve created, this one is the lightest in texture and chocolate flavor. It’s super airy, light, and has a deep and delicious chocolate flavor from cocoa powder. It’s the perfect chocolate cake for those who want a lighter cake style or to complement a rich and heavy meal.
This recipe will show you how I make the chiffon cake layers in the cake you see above. If you want to see how I put this cake together, you can watch the video further down in this post. If you're interested in the chocolate mousse cake filling, check out this post here.
Also, note that this is my lightest chocolate cake recipe I've developed. If you’re curious, the order of my chocolate cakes from most to least dense and chocolatey are: Chocolate Indulgence, Chocolate, and then this one, Chocolate Chiffon.
My chiffon cakes are what I call a “hybrid” chiffon cake because I’ve combined the airy texture of chiffon with the stability of a classic butter layer cake. I built the recipe like this so we wouldn’t be restricted to a specific type of pan when baking chiffon cakes. (Traditionally, these cakes are baked in chiffon cake pans. They look like a giant metal donut with a big hole in the middle to facilitate even heat transfer when baking.)
My hybrid chiffon recipes play well with all shapes of pans in the Cakeculator now; we will have no problem making any cake we like: layer cakes, cupcakes, and even mini cakes!
What ingredients do you need for chocolate chiffon cake?
Water is the main liquid ingredient for this cake. Most of my chocolate cakes use water instead of milk (or buttermilk or another dairy) because it provides moisture to the cake and rehydrates the cocoa starches without interfering with the chocolate flavor. (King Arthur Baking explains why water is better for chocolate cakes in this article.)
Oil is the only fat used in this cake recipe, which is typical of chiffons. We need liquid fat to achieve a light and airy texture for chiffons. (liquid fats = oils, solid fats = shortening, butter, coconut oil) I use canola, but any other flavorless kind should work.
Egg yolks are separated from their whites and mixed into the liquid ingredients for my chiffons. The yolks are essential to many of my recipes because they provide emulsifiers or molecules that hold fat and water-based ingredients together.
Cake flour is a finely milled and lower protein content type of flour. I always use unbleached because I prefer the taste, but you can also use bleached.
Dutch-processed cocoa powder is the chocolate flavor and color source for this cake. Dutch-processed also is called European-style, but it’s an alkalized form of unsweetened cocoa powder that produces desserts with a mellow (rather than astringent) chocolate flavor and deep brown or red color.
White granulated sugar is divided into two portions in this recipe. The larger amount is sifted into the dry ingredients and provides a sweet taste and moisture for the cake.
Baking powder is the primary leavening agent for chiffons. The acid-base reactions produce carbon dioxide gas in the hot oven. The gas expands the air bubbles we made when whipping up the meringue to create a super light and airy texture for the baked cake.
Salt is a flavor enhancer.
Egg whites are whipped to form stiff peaks. The meringue gives the final cake a fluffy texture but also provides the cake structure.
Cream of tartar is an acidic powder added to the egg whites before whipping. The acidity slightly detaches the egg white proteins from one another, so you get a fluffier result after whipping.
Sugar is added to the meringue to help hold the air bubbles in place when whipping the egg whites.
Step by step:
How to make chocolate chiffon cake layers
Step 1. Preheat the oven to 350 °F/177 °C.
Make sure to have a rack that's positioned in the middle of your oven.
Step 2. Prepare pans.
Line the bottoms of two 8” (not non-stick) cake pans with a circle of parchment paper. Do not paper, flour, or grease the sides of the pans.
Step 3. Mix liquid ingredients.
Pour water, oil (3a), and egg yolks (3b) into a cup and mix with a fork until solid yellow (3c).
Step 4. Mix the dry ingredients; add liquids.
Sift cake flour, Dutch-processed cocoa powder, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a bowl. Whisk until everything is evenly distributed (4a).
Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture. Slowly pour the egg mixture into the center well, and continue to whisk until all the flour has been mixed in (4b).
Step 5. Make the meringue.
Add cream of tartar and egg whites to a bowl and mix until frothy (5a). Slowly pour a couple teaspoons of sugar, mixing after every addition (5b). Continue mixing the whites until you reach stiff peaks (5c). The meringue should be glossy and hold a firm peak at the end of the whisk (5d).
Step 6. Fold meringue into the batter.
Mix in a small amount of meringue using a whisk (6a). Then switch to the spatula and fold the meringue into the batter in three parts (6b). Use a scooping motion to gently pull the batter over the meringue (6c). Repeat until all the meringue has been added and no streaks remain (6d).
Step 7. Pour batter into pans.
Distribute the batter evenly between the pans and gently tap the pans to remove any large air pockets.
Step 8. Bake for 30-35 minutes.
My chiffon cakes can be cooled either right side up or upside down, though upside down creates an ever so slightly taller cake. Once the cakes are cool to the touch, run a knife around each layer and flip the cakes out.
Peel off the parchment paper bottoms and use immediately or wrap in plastic and save until you're ready to assemble your cake.
What frosting goes well with this chocolate chiffon cake?
Whipped cream frostings are a dream with this cake. You can flavor whipped cream frostings, stabilize them (I did a whole video on that), and even color them if you like.
Since this is a hybrid cake, you could go for one Swiss meringue buttercream, which is lightly textured and less sweet.
The chocolate chiffon cake recipe I used to make the cake layers are below.
Video
Here's a video on how I use this chiffon cake to make a chocolate mousse cake.
Read this before you begin
Measure by weight, if possible.
Measuring by weight is the best way for you to replicate my recipes. I develop recipes using ingredients (even liquids) measured in grams, which is why you see them listed first in the recipe cards. For measurements under 5 grams, I will typically only list the volumetric measurements (teaspoons, etc.), as most home scales are not precise for such small weights.
In most cases, I have converted grams to volumetric measurements (aka US customary units) for bakers who prefer this method. However, the measurements are not as precise and may have awkward proportions. The recipes should still work, but for the ultimate precision, try to use weight.
This is the OXO scale I use daily. I also purchased this budget version of a good scale, which I keep at my Mom’s house for baking. If you’re interested in other tools I use for my baking, I’ve compiled a list here.
Use room temperature ingredients.
All my ingredients should be used at room temperature, or 65-75 °F/18-24 °C. I will always indicate if you need something outside this range. If no details are given, room temperature is the default.
Pay attention to the ingredient descriptions.
I try not to be brand-specific, but I will always note an interesting result from a type of ingredient, be it negative or positive.
A specific note regarding salt: I use Diamond Crystal Kosher salt for everything on this site except for frostings. In frostings, you want the salt to dissolve more easily, and kosher salt tends to leave granules behind. If you substitute table salt (more finely granulated) for recipes that list kosher salt, you must use half the volume indicated in my recipes.
Substitutions are hard.
That’s not to say they’re impossible, though. For instance, in many cases, substituting reduced fat for whole milk (and thus reducing fat by less than 2%) will probably be fine. Using applesauce for oil or even Greek yogurt when sour cream is listed will definitely alter the fat content and adversely affect the crumb texture and density of the cake.
I experiment for hours to get these recipes to work for us. First, try to make them as written or use one of my tested substitutions, which I often dedicate a section to. Then, if necessary, you can make modifications afterward. Even then I would be pretty cautious, as substitutions are one of the hardest things to investigate in recipe development.
Read all the recipe instructions before beginning.
I’m in the “Pre-read the Chapter before Class Lecture” club... and I invite you to join! Baking new recipes can be intimidating, so let’s set you up for success. I want you to think about timeframes. Most fillings and frostings can be made ahead of time, and give you an extra day for mental space. Also, as you become a more proficient baker, you can anticipate and recognize steps. (“Oh, this has a meringue step, so I’ll need an extra clean bowl…” etc.) Ensure you go down the ingredient list and have everything at the right temperature.
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Chocolate Chiffon Cake
- 2/3 cups (160g) water, room temperature
- 6 tablespoons (74g) oil, flavorless such as canola or veg
- 4 large (80g) egg yolks
- 1 1/3 cups (160g) cake flour
- 1/2 cup (44g) cocoa powder, Dutch-processed*
- 2/3 cup (132g) white granulated sugar (for flour)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal)
- 4 large (120g) egg whites
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 8 tablespoons (100g) white granulated sugar (for meringue)
- 2/3 cups (160g) water, room temperature
- 6 tablespoons (74g) oil, flavorless such as canola or veg
- 4 large (80g) egg yolks
- 1 1/3 cups (160g) cake flour
- 1/2 cup (44g) cocoa powder, Dutch-processed*
- 2/3 cup (132g) white granulated sugar (for flour)
- 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt (I use Diamond Crystal)
- 4 large (120g) egg whites
- 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 8 tablespoons (100g) white granulated sugar (for meringue)
- Move your oven rack to the middle position. Preheat the oven to 350 °F/177 °C.
- Line the bottoms of two 8” (not non-stick) cake pans with a circle of parchment paper. Don’t add anything (oil, flour, or paper) to the sides of the pan. The cake must stick to the sides as it rises to create height and ensure it doesn’t deflate.
- Mix together room temperature water, oil, and egg yolks in a measuring cup with a fork. Mix until you see no separation of the oil and water - the egg yolk helps emulsify these liquids and will look homogenous in color. Set that aside for now.
- In a mixing bowl, sift in the cake flour, Dutch-processed cocoa powder, white granulated sugar (labeled “for flour”), and baking powder. Add the kosher salt to the bowl and whisk for about 30 seconds. Make a small well in the middle of the flour mixture and slowly pour in the water mixture from the previous step while whisking simultaneously. You’ll see the liquid slowly pulling in the flour mixture from the outer ring as you whisk to prevent lumps. Once you’ve poured in all the water, keep whisking and stop just when all the flour has been incorporated. Set this bowl aside for now. 5. To another clean mixing bowl, add the egg whites and cream of tartar. Pour the white granulated sugar (labeled “for meringue”) into a small bowl so it’s easy to add to the egg whites while mixing.
With a hand or stand mixer and the whisk attachment, beat on medium-high speed until it’s thick and foamy. It will look like men’s shaving cream (you know the kind they make at a fancy barber shop with a whisk?) Pour in about a couple of teaspoons of sugar, continue to whisk, and then pour another couple. No need to be precise on the amount of sugar, but wait about 5-10 seconds between additions to allow the sugar to dissolve a little before adding more. - Once all the sugar has been added, continue to whisk until you reach stiff and glossy peaks. When you pull up some meringue with the whisk attachment, you should see a point when you hold it upside down, and it shouldn’t be runny or drooping off the whisk.
- Take a spatula-sized small scoop of meringue and stir it into the batter using the whisk - this lightens the batter.
Now take 1/3 of your freshly whipped meringue and fold it into the cake batter. Use swooping motions to scoop the batter from the sides and pile it towards the center. Make sure you scrape the bottom of the bowl once in a while. (My video shows this technique much better than I can describe it.) Once the batter has just a few streaks of meringue left, add the second third and continue to fold. Finish with the final third of the meringue. The batter should not have any lines of meringue, be light chocolate brown, and be much more lightweight in texture. - Evenly distribute the batter into the prepared pans.
- Bake for about 30-35 mins. This is how you know a chiffon cake is done and won’t collapse too much when you remove it from the oven: during the last 5 mins of baking, watch the tops of your cake. They will rise very high, then shrink down to almost the level of the pan. This is a sign your cake is done. You can double-check with a skewer (no crumbs should come out) or the internal temp of the cake (around 205-210 °F/96-99 °C).
- Move the pans to a wire rack and let them sit for about 3-5 minutes. Take the wire rack, place it over the cake pan, and flip it over. (It may be a little taller than the pan if your pan is only 2 inches tall. It’s ok; just put the wire rack on top.) And don’t worry, it won’t fall out. Because we didn’t treat the sides of the pan with any fat or paper, the cake will stay inside the pan until you use a knife to loosen the cake from the pan.
- Loosen the edges of the cakes using an offset spatula or butter knife, and flip the cakes out onto a cooling rack so you can peel off the parchment bottom. Make sure they are completely cool before assembling and/or frosting.
Recipe Card - Adriana's Notes
*Dutch-processed or European-style cocoa is a type of unsweetened cocoa powder that is more mellow in flavor than natural cocoas. They range from deep browns to bright reds and are less acidic. My favorite brands are Droste (buy from Amazon, here) and Ghirardelli.
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