Back in 2007, when this website was in its infancy, I published a recipe for layered strawberry chiffon shortcake. I had never made a chiffon cake before, but I took one to a friend’s rooftop birthday barbecue. I correctly assumed that no one would complain about a towering, feathery cake filled with whipped cream and fresh strawberries, no matter how amateurishly made.
At the time, I understood how delicious chiffon cake was, but I wasn’t a big fan. The chiffon cake seemed a little hard and thin. Plus, they’re noisy. It will be sifted. Use soft flour instead of all-purpose flour. Use caster sugar instead of regular granulated sugar. Uneven number of egg whites and yolks. Cream of tartar. You will need at least 3 bowls just for the cake layers. Oh, and chiffon cakes tend to sink in the center as they cool. Hmm, where should I register? ?
Nineteen years later, when this cake reappeared in the “refreshing” queue, it turns out that Deb in 2026 wants to create a real-life chiffon cake recipe that eliminates as much of that formality as possible. Along the way, I was still late to the game, but I fell in love with the chiffon cake. (I told my friends I was in the chiffon cake era now, and they were so kind to wait until I turned around and rolled my eyes.) But now I get it, I really get it. Not only is it light as air and wonderful as a summer dessert, but the layers keep amazingly well and are just as good on day 6 as the day they were baked.
At my birthday party on Friday night, I blew out the candles on an extra-large version of this and walked my mom to the car. When we came back, there was only one piece left on the table and the plate was untouched. I panicked. “Where’s the rest? Are you cutting it yet? Did you get any? Did you eat it?” Apparently, during the few minutes I was outside, the cake was “devoured straight from the platter” the moment the plate was placed, and was eaten without patience or a plate. A friend described it as “a weightless, melt-in-your-mouth dessert.” Another friend told me to make twice as much next time as she couldn’t make a third of it. I think we know what we have to do.
Here are some of the updates for 2026.
Use all-purpose flour instead of cake flour: I found that leaving out 2 tablespoons of flour made this cake soft and dreamy without having to buy any special flour or require any side mixing. Granulated sugar instead of caster sugar: It works here, I promise. An even number of egg yolks and egg whites: I think this will make you as happy as I am. No cream of tartar. Do you know about tartar cream? This is a natural acid (potassium bitartrate) that strengthens the protein bonds in whipped egg whites, helping to prevent them from collapsing. Do you know what else acids are? Lemon juice also goes well with the flavor of this cake. Plus, we were already using peels, but we love using ingredients from nose to tail. Don’t sift: You don’t have to sift. Fewer bowls: All you need is an electric mixer for the egg whites. Make the cake layers slimmer: The original cake was interesting, but too expensive, so I took a photo without the final layer. Better whipped cream: Adding a small amount of heavy cream or sour cream to whipped cream will stabilize it. Reduce the amount of baking powder: After retesting a few times, I realized I had inadvertently used much less baking powder than specified. I left it on the low side because adding more didn’t make the cake any better. Tip to prevent shrinkage: I learned from King Arthur that as soon as you remove the chiffon cake layers from the oven, you should drop them on the counter a few times. This will release some of the trapped steam and cause less shrinkage on the sides as the cake cools. Tips to reduce center soaking: Chiffon cakes tend to have a soaking center, so don’t worry if your cake gets soaked. As with tube chiffon and angel food cake, when I cooled it upside down, mine soaked less, sometimes not at all.
Completed strawberry chiffon shortcake
Cake Layer 5 large eggs (separated) Finely grate the zest of half a lemon, divided by 1 1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated sugar 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon (80 grams) vegetable oil 1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons (150 ml) vegetable oil 1 teaspoon (5 ml) cold or room temperature water 1 teaspoon (5 ml) vanilla extract 1 3/4 cups (230 grams) all-purpose flour 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice 2 1/3 cups (550 ml) assembly 1/4 cup (30 grams) heavy cream or whipping cream 1 tablespoon (15 ml) powdered sugar 3 tablespoons (45 grams) vanilla extract Sour cream or heavy cream 3 tablespoons (45 grams) 2 pounds (905 grams) fresh strawberries, trimmed and thinly sliced
Heat oven: to 325°F (165°C).
Make the cake layers. Lightly coat the bottoms of two 9-inch round cake pans with nonstick spray and line each pan with a snug circle of parchment paper. (The oil is just there to hold the parchment paper in place.) Do not spray the sides of the cake pan. Lightly coat two cooling racks with nonstick spray as well. Use it later.
In one large bowl, combine egg yolks, lemon zest, and 1 cup granulated sugar. It will seem stiff and dry at first, but as you continue to whisk (1 minute), the dough will loosen and become pale yellow and thick, like frosting. Whisk in oil, water, and vanilla extract. Sprinkle half of the flour over the dough, then salt and baking powder, then the other half of the flour. Whisk and mix until smooth. This dough will be very thick by now.
In a second large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the egg whites until thick enough to form stiff peaks. Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and mix until combined. Continue whisking the egg whites until very thick and forming stiff peaks. When you pull the (off) beater away, the tip of the pile will fall down slightly. Add lemon juice and mix.
Add 1/4 of the egg whites to the egg yolk mixture and whisk to combine. This is just used to loosen the dough. Divide the remaining egg whites into two batches and mix carefully to avoid deflation.
Divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean.
As soon as you remove each layer from the oven, drop them a few inches onto the counter several times. (Yes, this will help prevent shrinkage.) Cool completely in the pan, inverting the cake layers onto the cooling rack you just sprayed. (This will prevent the center from collapsing.)
Assemble the cake: Using an electric mixer, beat the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form. Add the sour cream or crème fraîche and mix until the mixture is thick enough to hold its shape, but not creamy and grainy.
Once the cake layers have completely cooled, carefully invert the pan. The top of the cake will stick to the rack, but not as much as it would have if you hadn’t sprayed it. Run a knife around each layer of cake to separate it from the sides of the pan and place on a rack. Using a long serrated knife, carefully cut each layer of cake into two thin layers.
Place the first cake layer on a plate or cake stand. Spread about a heaping cup of whipped cream on top and arrange about a quarter of the sliced strawberries on top. Repeat this process three times. A little bit of whipped cream will remain. You can also decorate the top of the cake by transferring to a piping bag fitted with a star tip.
To serve: Arrange cake into wedges. It wobbles and doesn’t stay upright, but that’s half the fun.
This cake will last a long time! You can also make the cake layers 5-6 days before you need them and store them wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature. (I was shocked that mine didn’t go stale at all.) The freezer works longer. The finished cake can be stored in the refrigerator for 5-6 days (in theory, no other cake can last this long).
