The fragrant coffee chiffon cake is a popular dessert that combines the rich aroma of coffee with a soft, melt-in-your-mouth texture. It’s easy to make, using simple ingredients that most people have at home, i.e. instant coffee powder (NOT 3-in-1 coffee). This recipe allows everyone to enjoy delicious coffee chiffon cake right at home.
Compared to other flavors of chiffon cake, coffee chiffon has a unique, subtle coffee aroma and a slightly bitter taste, making it perfect for coffee lovers. The coffee flavor not only enhances the cake but also brings a sense of refreshment and comfort. The light, airy texture of the cake blends perfectly with the rich coffee taste, making it irresistible with every bite.
When making this cake, it’s important to use pure instant coffee powder that is free from sugar and creamer. This type of coffee powder dissolves completely in the batter and distributes evenly throughout the cake, ensuring each bite is full of coffee flavor. Using instant coffee powder also prevents the batter from becoming too runny, which can happen if liquid coffee is used, keeping the batter at the right consistency.
Why do we need to add baking soda to coffee chiffon cake?
Coffee is naturally acidic, and when it’s mixed into the cake batter, it makes the batter slightly acidic too. Acidic batter doesn’t rise well during baking, which can affect the cake’s texture and appearance. To neutralize this acidity, a small amount of baking soda is added to the recipe.
Baking soda is an alkaline substance that reacts with the acid in the coffee, making the batter more neutral. Neutral batter rises better in the oven, resulting in a lighter and softer cake. During baking, baking soda also releases carbon dioxide, which helps the cake rise further, giving it a light and airy texture.
Tips for baking chiffon
When making chiffon cakes, it’s crucial to whip the egg whites properly. The consistency of the whipped egg whites affects the cake’s height and softness. The egg whites should be whipped to stiff peaks, where they hold their shape without collapsing. This helps the cake rise well and gives it a light texture.
When folding the egg yolk batter and whipped egg whites together, use a gentle folding motion to avoid breaking the bubbles. Over-mixing can cause the batter to deflate, affecting the cake’s rise and texture. Pour the batter into the mold and gently tap the bottom to release any trapped air bubbles, ensuring a smooth surface.
In short, this aromatic coffee chiffon cake is not only easy to make but also has a soft texture and rich flavor. By using baking soda to balance the acidity of the coffee and paying attention to the preparation steps, you can easily bake a perfect coffee chiffon cake at home. Whether for afternoon tea or breakfast, it’s a delightful treat that you won’t want to miss.
Don’t forget to explore our other delicious chiffon cake recipes in our collection.
CHINESE VERSION: 咖啡戚风蛋糕
Soft Fragrant Coffee Chiffon Cake | MyKitchen101en
Yields: 12 pcs
Ingredients:
- 6 egg yolks (grade A, room temp.)
- ⅓ tsp fine salt
- 70 g fine sugar
- 140 g milk
- 20 g (3 tbsps) instant coffee powder + 2 tbsps hot water
- 80 g corn oil
- 160 g cake flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
Ingredients for meringue:
- 6 egg whites (grade A, room temp.)
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- 120 g fine sugar
Other ingredient:
- 30 g chocolate chips (for topping)
Directions:
1 Preheat oven to 160°C/320°F.
2 Combine cake flour, baking powder and baking soda, sift through and mix well.
3 Add hot water to instant coffee, mix well. Combine egg yolks, salt and sugar, mix well. Add in milk, thick coffee and corn oil, mix well. Sift in flour mixture, mix until combined.
4 Whisk egg whites over low/medium-low speed until large bubbles are formed. Add in cream of tartar, whisk until tiny bubbles. Add in sugar gradually, whisk until stiff peak (the peaks will point straight up and hold). (Reminder: Egg whites and equipment used to beat egg whites must be grease-free and water-free (including egg yolk). It is advisable to clean the egg shells and equipment with dishwasher detergent, then dry with a clean cloth. Use a clean small bowl to separate the egg yolk and egg white, if the egg yolk cracks, don’t use that egg white.)
5 Add meringue into batter in 4 batches, mix gently using balloon whisk.
6 Fold gently until well mixed with spatula. Tap mixing bowl on countertop for a few times to burst large bubbles.
7 Pour batter into 22-cm loose base tube pan (do not grease), tap tube pan gently again on countertop for a few times. Decorate the top with chocolate chips.
8 Put into preheated oven, bake at 160°C/320°F for 45 minutes, then at 180°C/355°F for another 10-15 minutes, until the top is golden brown. (Reminder: The heat for different oven is different, the suggested time is only for reference, adjust the baking time base on your oven if necessary.)
9 Turn the pan upside down onto a wire rack (at least 6″ from countertop), set aside until fully cooled.
10 Unmould the coffee chiffon cake when it has fully cooled down.
Coffee Chiffon Cake
Rate
Equipment
- 1 22-cm loose base tube pan
Ingredients
Ingredients:
- 6 egg yolks grade A, room temp.
- ⅓ tsp fine salt
- 70 g fine sugar
- 140 g milk
- 20 g 3 tbsps instant coffee powder + 2 tbsps hot water
- 80 g corn oil
- 160 g cake flour
- ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
Ingredients for meringue:
- 6 egg whites grade A, room temp.
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar
- 120 g fine sugar
Other ingredient:
- 30 g chocolate chips for topping
Instructions
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 160°C/320°F.
- Combine cake flour, baking powder and baking soda, sift through and mix well.
- Add hot water to instant coffee, mix well. Combine egg yolks, salt and sugar, mix well. Add in milk, thick coffee and corn oil, mix well. Sift in flour mixture, mix until combined.
- Whisk egg whites over low/medium-low speed until large bubbles are formed. Add in cream of tartar, whisk until tiny bubbles. Add in sugar gradually, whisk until stiff peak (the peaks will point straight up and hold).
- Add meringue into batter in 4 batches, mix gently using balloon whisk. Fold gently until well mixed with spatula. Tap mixing bowl on countertop for a few times to burst large bubbles.
- Pour batter into 22-cm loose base tube pan (do not grease), tap tube pan gently again on countertop for a few times. Decorate the top with chocolate chips.
- Put into preheated oven, bake at 160°C/320°F for 45 minutes, then at 180°C/355°F for another 10-15 minutes, until the top is golden brown.
- Turn the pan upside down onto a wire rack (at least 6″ from countertop), set aside until fully cooled.
- Unmould the coffee chiffon cake when it has fully cooled down.
Video
Notes
Nutrition (per serving)
Rate this recipe
Click to rate
