Dessert

Matcha Chiffon Cake

Name: Matcha Chiffon Cake
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 44 min
Total time: 1 h 29 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 1/4 cup milk; 3 large egg yolks; 3 tablespoons neutral oil; 1/3 cup granulated sugar; 2/3 cups cake flour; 1 teaspoon baking powder; 1 teaspoon matcha powder; 3 large egg whites; 1/3 cup granulated sugar; 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar

Jamie L. February 10, 2026

Servings: 8 Total Time: 1 hr 29 mins Difficulty: Advanced

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Bake this light and fluffy matcha chiffon cake with an elegant swirl pattern!

Chiffon cakes are airy and soft sponge cakes that are lower in fat content than most cakes. It’s springiness and cloud-like texture comes from the meringue-based batter, which incorporates air bubbles into the batter. Contrary to common belief, chiffon cakes originated in the U.S. and not France or East Asia. However, East Asian countries like Japan and Taiwan have adapted the chiffon cake into their own versions, and I personally enjoy them more. The main reason? Simply put – it’s less sweet and more fluffy. As an Asian, it is true that we love desserts that are not too sweet.

Asian-style chiffon cakes may seem a little intimidating at first. Meringue can be tricky, but after a few tries, you’ll get the hang of it quickly. This double-colored chiffon cake utilizes a matcha and original-flavored batter. With just a spatula and simple technique, I created a delicate leaf-swirl pattern that adds an elegant finish to this cake.

To bake chiffon cake successfully, you should understand the science behind it. It’s structure is built heavily from air, so you want to achieve stiff-peaked meringue and deflate it as little as possible. Heat expands meringue so any changes in temperature during baking can cause the cake to fall or rise improperly. Lastly, the cake batter needs to cling on to a surface to rise, otherwise it may deflate. These are some tips to keep in mind while baking chiffon cake:

Understand what stiff peaks are: The meringue consistency dictates the structure of the cake. You want to achieve stiff peaks. Stiff peaks are achieved when the meringue looks glossy and the bowl can be turned upside. The meringue should not move at all.

Stabilize the meringue: Adding a small amount of cream of tartar or lemon juice (⅛–¼ teaspoon) helps the egg whites maintain their structure and prevents deflating.

Preheat the oven before making the meringue: This ensures the meringue doesn’t have to sit out while waiting for the oven to heat, which can cause it to lose volume. Also, make sure the oven is preheated completely before placing the cake in.

Deflate the meringue as little as possible: When folding the meringue in with the other ingredients, use a spatula and gently fold all the ingredients in. Do not overfold. I recommend ~30 gentle folds.

Do not grease the pan or use parchment paper: The batter needs friction to cling to the sides of the pan in order to rise properly. Greasing the pan can cause the cake to collapse. Use a high-quality, durable baking pan instead.

Avoid opening the oven while baking: Frequent temperature changes can cause the cake to deflate.

Remove the cake from the oven promptly once baked: It is important to remove the cake from the oven immediately and invert it white it cools.

With these tips, making chiffon cake becomes much simpler. It does take a bit of practice, but the results are well worth the effort.

Do I need special equipment to make this cake?

I highly recommend using the following tools to make the baking process easier:

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