Pumpkin Chiffon Cake (Light and Fluffy Every Time)
This post may contain affiliate links.Pumpkin Chiffon Cake is light and fluffy with a gentle pumpkin flavor. It’s soft and airy, making it a nice treat for fall or any time you want something simple and tasty. If you’re looking for an easy dessert to try, check out the recipe and give it a go for your Thanksgiving dessert!
A Quick Look at the Recipe
🏷️ Recipe Name: Pumpkin Chiffon Cake
⏱️ Ready In: ~ 1 hours 5 minutes
🍽️ Serves: 12 slices
🔥 Calories: 78 kcal per slice (estimate)
🧾 Main Ingredients: Eggs, pumpkin puree, coconut oil, milk, cake flour, sugar.
🥗 Dietary Info: Vegetarian friendly
🧠 Difficulty: Simple with step-by-step guide.
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If you love cakes that are light as a cloud, this Pumpkin Chiffon Cake is a wonderful dessert to add to your fall baking list. Made with real pumpkin puree, it has a soft, airy crumb and a delicate pumpkin flavor that isn’t overly sweet.
Chiffon cakes are known for their fluffy texture, and the addition of pumpkin gives this version a beautiful golden color and extra moisture without making it heavy. It’s perfect for Thanksgiving, holiday gatherings, or whenever you’re craving a simple homemade cake.
If you enjoy light and fluffy cakes, you might also like this Pandan Chiffon Cake or Cream Cheese Chiffon Cake. For richer buttery cakes, try Royal Thai Butter Cake, Almond Butter Cake or Marble Cake or Dutch Butter Cake.
Why You Will Love This Recipe
Recipe Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
Pumpkin puree – Peel and cut the pumpkin into pieces to steam. Puree with a food processor, you may sieve it to get a smooth texture. Store-bought pumpkin puree is also a good choice.
Milk – Choose full cream milk for a better flavor and texture. If you want non-dairy milk, you can substitute with almond milk, oat milk, or soy milk.
Coconut oil – Any vegetable oil will do. I prefer using coconut oil.
Be sure to check out the full recipe and ingredient list below
How to Make Pumpkin Chiffon Cake
STEP 1. Prepare your chiffon pan. Do not grease it. Line the pan with a parchment paper only at the bottom. Line the outer part with aluminum foil. Have another bigger pan ready for water bath.
STEP 2. Put egg yolks, coconut oil, pumpkin puree, milk, cake flour into a bowl (Image 1). Whisk altogether until well incorporated (Image 2). Set aside.
STEP 3. Beat egg white with sugar. While beating with slow speed, put in the sugar in three parts. Egg white will gradually rise up. Put in salt and ¼ tsp cream of tartar or 1 teaspoon of lemon juice (Images 3, 4).
STEP 4. Turn up the speed to medium. Keep beating until soft peak (Image 5). Take 1/3 of the meringue, add to the egg yolk mixture. Use a whisk to mix the batter evenly (Images 6). Continue adding the meringue to the mixture until finished (Image 7). Gently fold the meringue and the batter until no trace of meringue is seen in the batter.
STEP 5. Put the pan with aluminum foil wrapped on the outside on a bigger pan (Image 8). Put the pan with the batter in the center. The bigger pan is for the hot water.
STEP 6. Pour the batter into the pan (Image 9). Bake 150°C in water bath method for 65 minutes with the bottom heat. Put in the middle rack. Use upper heat to bake the top part for 5 minutes afterwards.
STEP 7. Take out from the oven and let it cool completely (Image 10). Slide out the cake from the pan when it has cooled down. Enjoy!
Pro Tips
- Use food processor the puree the steamed pumpkin. Sieve it to get a smooth texture.
- Make sure you do not grease the chiffon baking pan. Only line with parchment paper on the bottom. Line the outer part of the pan with aluminium foil so water does not seep in.
- Using water bath technique will make the cake moist and easy to take off from the pan. Just wait until it is cool enough, you can use a thin knife to slit the sides of the cake.
Serving Suggestions
Enjoy a slice of Pumpkin Chiffon Cake with a cup of Earl Grey milk tea, jasmine tea, or coffee for a simple afternoon treat. If you prefer something refreshing, lychee tea or pineapple mint juice also pair nicely with its light and airy texture.
It also makes a beautiful addition to Thanksgiving dessert spreads alongside pumpkin pie, cheesecake, and other holiday treats.
Pumpkin Chiffon Cake FAQs
Yes. Canned pumpkin puree works very well in this recipe and provides consistent results. Just make sure you use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling, which contains added sugar and spices.
A chiffon cake may collapse if the egg whites are overbeaten, underbeaten, or folded too aggressively into the batter. Opening the oven door too early or removing the cake from the pan before it has cooled completely can also cause it to sink.
Yes. Pumpkin chiffon cake can be baked a day in advance and stored in an airtight container at room temperature. The flavor often develops even more after resting overnight.
Yes. A tube pan helps chiffon cakes rise evenly and maintain their tall, airy structure. Avoid using a non-stick tube pan unless the recipe specifically calls for one, as the batter needs to cling to the sides while baking.
Yes. Once completely cooled, wrap individual slices or the whole cake tightly in plastic wrap and place them in a freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 2 months and thaw at room temperature before serving.
Both cakes are light and airy, but chiffon cakes contain oil, which gives them a softer, moister texture. Sponge cakes typically rely on whipped eggs for structure and tend to be slightly drier and springier.
Storage
Keep this fluffy pumpkin chiffon cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. This cake is best consumed immediately.
Pumpkin Chiffon Cake
Equipment
- 1 baking pan 6.4 inch baking pan
Ingredients
Egg Yolk Mixture
- 3 egg yolk
- 40 gr coconut oil
- 40 gr pumpkin puree
- 30 gr milk
- 55 gr cake flour
Egg white mixture
- 3 egg whites
- 40 gr sugar
- 1 tsp cream of tartar / 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Prepare your chiffon pan. Do not grease it. Line the pan with a parchment paper only at the bottom. Line the outer part with aluminum foil. Have another bigger pan ready for water bath.
- Put egg yolks, coconut oil, pumpkin puree, milk, cake flour into a bowl. Whisk altogether until well incorporated. Set aside.
- Beat egg white with sugar. While beating with slow speed, put in the sugar in three parts. Egg white will gradually rise up. Put in salt and ¼ tsp cream of tartar or 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Turn up the speed to medium. Keep beating until soft peak.
- Take 1/3 of the meringue, add to the egg yolk mixture. Use a whisk to mix the batter evenly. Continue adding the meringue to the mixture until finished. Gently fold the meringue and the batter until no trace of meringue is seen in the batter.
- Pour the batter into the pan. Use another pan as a tray to pour in hot water. Put the pan with the batter in the center.
- Bake 150°C in water bath method for 65 minutes with the bottom heat. Put in the middle rack. Use upper heat to bake the top part for 5 minutes afterwards.
- Take out from the oven and let it cool completely (Image 10). Slide out the cake from the pan when it has cooled down. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Use food processor the puree the steamed pumpkin. Sieve it to get a smooth texture.
- Make sure you do not grease the chiffon baking pan. Only line with parchment paper on the bottom. Line the outer part of the pan with aluminium foil so water does not seep in.
- Using water bath technique will make the cake moist and easy to take off from the pan. Just wait until it is cool enough, you can use a thin knife to slit the sides of the cake.
This is the perfect cake to make in the Fall when you have so many pumpkins around. It is super easy and quick to prepare and the result is a soft and moist cake!