Learn how to bake this super soft, fluffy, and moist double chocolate chiffon cake flavored with cocoa powder and studded with semi-sweet chocolate chips. Recipes for 6, 7, 8, and 9 inches chiffon tube pan are included.
I’m not really a chocolate cake person, though I love chocolate chip cookies, especially this soy sauce chocolate chip cookies. I often find chocolate cakes are too rich and dense for my taste. Perhaps I’m the minority here because I seriously don’t know anyone who doesn’t like chocolate. My own son is a chocolate addict! BUT, I will eat this double chocolate chiffon cake! It is so light, fluffy, and just the right amount of sweetness.
My chiffon cake collection is not complete without the addition of this soft and fluffy chocolate chiffon cake. The very first chiffon cake I have ever baked was this Pandan Chiffon Cake and never looked back. I’ve since baked more than a dozen in a short period of time. I’m addicted to baking chiffon cake LOL!
The recipe rundown
Taste: Just the right amount of sweetness and I used semi-sweet chocolate chip morsels, which balance well with the sweetness
Texture: Soft, fluffy, and spongey
Level: Intermediate
Pros: I love chiffon cake because it is light and made with oil and no butter
Cons: whipping the egg white meringue to the right consistency is probably one of the challenges in making chiffon cake
Ingredients
1. Cake flour
I swear by cake flour when it comes to chiffon cake. It makes a difference compared to using all-purpose flour, which is not as soft
2. Baking powder
Baking powder is not mandatory, it’s more of an “insurance” that the cake will rise well
3. Semi-sweet chocolate chips
I recommend semi-sweet chocolate chips or dark chocolate (if you prefer). My kids don’t like the dark chocolate version, but adults who are chocolate aficionados may appreciate it
4. Cocoa powder
I use Dutch cocoa powder
5. Sugar
I use granulated sugar. Caster sugar can be used as well
6. Eggs
I usually use large egg, which is about 55-58 grams with the shell
7. Milk
8. Oil
9. Cream of tartar
If you don’t have the cream of tartar, you can always use lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, or regular vinegar
How to make double chocolate chiffon cake
1. Before you start making the recipe, make sure eggs and milk are at room temperature. Get them out from the fridge 20-30 minutes and let them sit at room temperature before you plan to start working on this.
2. Coat the chocolate chips with some flour. Shake off any excess flour. The purpose of this is so that the chocolate chips float better in the batter
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with sugar, milk, cooking oil, cocoa powder until combined
4. Sift in the dry ingredients to the cake batter. Whisk until the batter is smooth. Set aside
5. Preheat your oven to 330 F (165 C). Place the oven rack 3rd from the top (or middle of the oven)
Place the egg whites in a clean bowl. Beat the egg whites on medium speed until frothy, add cream of tartar or lemon juice/vinegar
6. Whip until it turns whitish. Gradually add the sugar as you beat
7. I beat them on high speed (speed 6 on Kitchen Aid) until you get a stiff peak. Stop once you reach a stiff peak. You will know you get to the stiff peak when you hold your whisk up and your meringue holds its shape. If you turn the bowl upside down, it won’t drip. Do not overbeat the meringue or it will separate and break
8. Gently fold in 1/3 of the meringue into the thick batter. Using a rubber spatula or a balloon whisk, swipe from the side and gently fold over to mix and then continue. Repeat this motion several rounds
9. Continue on with the second 1/3 of the meringue again to mix.
10. Continue to do this until you are done with the meringue and the batter and meringue are nicely mixed
11. Fold the chocolate chips into the batter and using the swipe and fold method again to combine them. Make sure to work gently but quickly so you won’t deflate the meringue too much
12. Pour the batter into an UNGREASED chiffon cake pan. Use a rubber spatula to smooth the surface. Gently drop the cake pan from about 10 cm height on the counter 2-3 times. This helps to pop large bubbles inside the cake batter. You can also use a skewer to run through the cake to pop any large bubbles inside the batter
13. Pop into the oven and let it bake at 330 F for 50 minutes (for 8-inch chiffon cake), see my post above for more details on cooking time for a different size). DO NOT open your oven door at least for the first 30 minutes of baking or you will deflate the cake. Then lower the heat to 300 F (150 C) and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean
14. Once out of the oven, drop the cake pan from about 10 cm height on the counter several times to prevent shrinkage. Then carefully invert the pan upside down. Your chiffon pan may have little stands for you to invert
Baking temperature and time for different chiffon tube pan sizes
The baking temperature below is for conventional oven. If you have a convection oven, lower the temperature by 20 F (15 C).
For 6-inch chiffon cake: 330 F (165 C) for 35-40 minutes, then lower temperature to 300 F (150 C) for 5-10 minutes
For 7-inch chiffon cake: 330 F (165 C) for 40-45 minutes, then lower temperature to 300 F (150 C) for 5-10 minutes
For 8-inch chiffon cake: 330 F (165 C) for 45-50 minutes, then lower temperature to 300 F (150 C) for 10-15 minutes
For 9-inch chiffon cake: 330 F (165 C) for 50-55 minutes, then lower temperature to 300 F (150 C) for 10-15 minutes
Did you make this soft fluffy double chocolate chiffon cake recipe?
I love it when you guys snap a photo and tag to show me what you’ve made 🙂 Simply tag me @WhatToCookToday #WhatToCookToday on Instagram and I’ll be sure to stop by and take a peek for real!
Soft and Fluffy Double Chocolate Chiffon Cake
Ingredients
FOR 15 cm (6 inches):
Cake batter:
- 2 large egg yolks about 18 grams each
- 30 gr sugar
- 60 ml milk
- 40 ml cooking oil
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 8 gr cocoa powder
Dry ingredients:
- 75 gr cake flour
- ¼ tsp baking powder optional
- ⅛ tsp salt
Meringue:
- 2 egg whites about 30 grams each
- 50 gr granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar or use equal amount of vinegar or lemon juice
To add in:
- 35 gr mini semi-sweet chocolate you can use dark or milk chocolate too
- 4 gr all-purpose flour
FOR 18 cm (7 inches):
Cake batter:
- 3 large egg yolks about 18 grams each
- 45 gr granulated sugar
- 90 ml milk
- 60 ml cooking oil
- 15 gr cocoa powder
Dry ingredients:
- 115 gr cake flour
- ½ tsp baking powder optional
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
Meringue:
- 3 egg whites about 30 grams each
- 75 gr granulated sugar
- ¼ tsp cream of tartar or use equal amount of vinegar or lemon juice
To add in:
- 50 gr mini semi-sweet chocolate you can use dark or milk chocolate too
- 6 gr all-purpose flour
FOR 20 cm (8 inches):
For cake batter:
- 5 large egg yolks about 18 grams each
- 75 gr granulated sugar
- 150 ml milk
- 100 ml cooking oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 20 gr cocoa powder
Dry ingredients:
- 190 gr cake flour
- 1 tsp baking powder optional
- ¼ tsp salt
Meringue:
- 5 egg whites about 30 grams each
- 125 gr granulated sugar
- ½ tsp cream of tartar or use equal amount of vinegar or lemon juice
To add in:
- 80 gr mini semi-sweet chocolate you can use dark or milk chocolate too
- 10 gr all-purpose flour
FOR 23 cm (9 inches):
For cake batter:
- 6 large egg yolks about 18 grams each
- 90 gr granulated sugar
- 180 ml milk
- 120 ml cooking oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 25 gr cocoa powder
Dry ingredients:
- 230 gr cake flour
- 1 tsp baking powder optional
- ½ tsp salt
Meringue:
- 6 egg whites about 30 grams each
- 150 gr granulated sugar
- 1 tsp cream of tartar or use equal amount of vinegar or lemon juice
To add in:
- 100 gr mini semi-sweet chocolate you can use dark or milk chocolate too
- 12 gr all-purpose flour
Instructions
- Make sure your chiffon cake pan does not have a non-stick coating or your cake will not rise. The cake needs to cling to the side of the pan to rise tall
- Before you start making the recipe, make sure eggs and milk are at room temperature. Get them out from the fridge 20-30 minutes and let them sit at room temperature before you plan to start working on this
- Coat the chocolate chips with some all-purpose flour. This will help the chocolate to float in the batter. Strain off any excess flour. Set aside
Prepare cake batter:
- Separate the egg yolks from the white. The meringue whips better at room temperature
- In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks with sugar, milk, cooking oil, vanilla extract, cocoa powder. Sift in the dry ingredients to the cake batter. Whisk until the batter is smooth. Set aside
Whipping the meringue:
- Preheat your oven to 330 F (165 C) for conventional oven. 310 F (150 C) for convection oven. Place the oven rack 3rd from the top (or middle of the oven)
- Place the egg whites in a clean bowl. You will have trouble whipping your meringue if there's a trace of grease in your utensils or bowls. Beat the egg whites on medium speed until frothy, add cream of tartar or lemon juice/vinegar and whip until it turns whitish. Gradually add the sugar as you beat. I beat them on high speed (speed 6 on Kitchen Aid) until you get a stiff peak. Stop once you reach a stiff peak. You will know you get to the stiff peak when you hold your whisk up and your meringue holds its shape. If you turn the bowl upside down, it won't drip. Do not overbeat the meringue or it will separate and break
Fold meringue into the cake batter:
- Gently fold in 1/3 of the meringue into the thick batter. Using a rubber spatula or a balloon whisk, swipe from the side and gently fold over to mix and then continue. Repeat this motion several rounds. Continue on with the second 1/3 of the meringue again to mix. Continue to do this until you are done with the meringue and the batter and meringue are nicely mixed
Fold in the coated chocolate chips:
- Fold the chocolate chips into the batter and using the swipe and fold method again to combine them. Make sure to work gently but quickly so you won't deflate the meringue too much
Bake the cake:
- Pour the batter into an UNGREASED chiffon cake pan. Use a rubber spatula to smooth the surface. Gently drop the cake pan from about 10 cm height on the counter 2-3 times. This helps to pop large bubbles inside the cake batter. You can also use a skewer to run through the cake to pop any large bubbles inside the batter
- Pop into the oven and let it bake for 50 minutes (for 8-inch chiffon cake), see my post above for more details on cooking time for a different size). DO NOT open your oven door at least for the first 30 minutes of baking or you will deflate the cake. Then lower the heat to 300 F (150 C) and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until the toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- Don't be alarm if your cake has some cracks on top. What you are looking at will become the bottom of your cake
Invert to cool down immediately:
- Once out of the oven, drop the cake pan from about 10 cm height on the counter several times to prevent shrinkage. Then carefully invert the pan upside down. Your chiffon pan may have little stands for you to invert
- Please don't be tempted to remove the cake from the pan if it's still warm. It takes about one to two hours to cool down completely
- Once it's cool down completely, use a spatula knife to run through the edge and the outer center of the tube to help release the cake. Gently push the base to lift the cake out. Use the knife again to run through the base of the pan and then carefully release the cake. The cake actually tastes the best the next day onwards if you have the patience to wait 🙂 The flavor develops further and the cake is so much more moister
Storage:
- The cake can be kept in an air-tight container at room temperature for 3 days then store in the fridge for no more than a week. The longer you keep in the fridge, the drier it gets
13 comments
While the resulting cake was moist, delicious, and not too sweet, I had considerable problems and used too much time converting amounts to cups. I personally found the instructions quite awkward to follow as well, complicated by the different sizes of cakes. Without my lengthy experience in baking, including chiffon cakes, and referring to far simpler recipes for chiffon cakes, I don’t think I would have been able to turn out a satisfactory cake. I have had to rewrite the recipe with straightforward instructions for my own future use. Next time I will beat the egg yolk mixture until smooth instead of whisking it. But I will definitely bake this cake again, and dust it lightly with icing sugar again. Thank you.
Hello Marvellina,
Just tried out your recipe, perfect as always but for me, the cake rises well and all is good except the top portion is sticky and wet. May i check what had I done incorrectly? Thanks in advance.
Hi Mag, When you said the top portion was sticky and wet, was that the bottom before you invert the cake? That simply means that it may need to a bit longer baking time.
Hi Mar, the crack side… the inverted portion is very nice. 🙂
I see. I would definitely try to bake a bit longer.
Btw Marvellina, the vanilla extract, we add in when sieving in the dry ingredients ya?
I must have mistakenly put it under dry ingredients lol! It should go in when you whisk the yolks, oil, milk, etc. I’ve updated the recipe 🙂 Thank you for letting me know.
Hi ci, please add cheese chiffon to your chiffon cake collections in the future 😍
Hi Ann, I will for sure 🙂 Are you looking for cream cheese-type cheese chiffon or any in particular?
Hi Marvellina, no worries … between, can I use this same recipe for Hojicha Chiffon Cake? Thanks in advance.
Hi Mag, I won’t use this recipe for Hojicha as it’s not as simple as swapping out the cocoa powder with the tea. I plan to post earl grey chiffon cake that I just made soon and you can use that one for Hojicha chiffon cake.
When I did this recipe, I flipped it over and ten minutes later, the top of the cake will sink down. Is there a reason for this happening ? 🙂
Why does the pan have to be non stick or greased? Just wondering because wouldn’t it be much easier to take out?
Thanks!!
Hi Cindy, does your pan has non-stick coating or did you grease it? the top will sink down if you grease the pan or your pan has non-stick coating. The cake needs to cling to the pan to rise well. And also when you flipped it over if it has non-stick coating, the top will naturally collapse down on its own weight because it can’t cling to the base of the pan when you flipped it over to cool down. That is why it’s useful to use a chiffon tube pan with a removable base so it’s easier to remove. I have baked chiffon cake with a non-removable base and the pan also has a non-stick coating and I could never get a nice high cake. I highly recommend baking chiffon cake in a tube pan with a removable base and WITHOUT non-stick coating.