i was thinking of making a chiffon cake but most recipes ask for a tube pan which i don't have, so do i have to use one? can i just bake it using a normal round or square pan?

My motto is "well you can always try!"

In general, chiffon and angel food cakes are baked in a tub pan because they need the circulation to bake properly. Also, you cool them hanging upside down (I hang the tub upside down over a bottle of wine).

I have had decent success baking angel food as cupcakes, no liners, and balancing the pans upside down on cans to cool.

The upside-down cooling method is necessary to prevent them from falling. They need to be in a draft-free area and well elevated off the counter (which is why a wine bottle works perfectly).

I really love angel food and chiffon cakes - it's totally worth buying the proper equipment to make them in. They have the advantage of being "real cake" while being much lighter in calories, cholestorol, fat. I will usually just do a 10x sugar and liquid glaze (lemon juice, orange juice, key lime juice, a little liquor like Gran Marnier, kirsch, etc) to drizzle over them. For something really spectacular, make a lemon cake, "frost" with whipped cream, and surround with fresh berries.

thanks for the reply but what if i want to do a wedding cake using a chiffon cake recipe? i can't decorate a cake with a hole in the middle?

Like I said - you can experiment and see how it does in regular pans.

Or, you can try a different type of sponge cake like a genoise, which work just peachy in regular pans, and stack well.

This may be too late, but you can bake chiffon in regular pans. I have done it many times. Just make sure you grease and line the bottom of the pan only. The batter needs to be able to climb up the sides of the pan.

My everyday recipe is a chiffon, and I bake it in all sorts of pans. works just fine. I grease the whole thing and line the bottom with parchment. The "climbing the sides" thing only needs to be done when there is no chemical leavener like in angel food or pound cake.

Kory- good to know. Do you flour your pan as well? Chiffon is also my go to cake l and I have never had a problem with them. They also stack well too.

koryAK thanks for your help can you tell me what your everyday chiffon recipe is?

I would also love that receipe... Thanks!!!!

I've baked a chiffon in a 10" pan. It bakes alot quicker than in a tube pan. Here's my fav. recipe!

Preparation time: 25 minutes. Baking time: 55 minutes. To serve 16. Light, airy and dependable.


2 1/4 c. sifted cake flour (no substitutions)
1 1/2 c. sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. vegetable oil
5 lg. eggs, separated, plus 3 egg whites
1 tbsp. grated orange peel
2 tsp. grated lemon peel
3/4 c. orange juice
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tbsp. confectioners' sugar

Adjust oven rack to lowest position. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Sift flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into bowl. Make wide well in center and add oil, egg yolks, citrus peels and juice. Whisk until smooth.

Beat egg whites in mixer bowl until frothy. Add cream of tartar and beat to very stiff peaks. Pour yolk mixture in thin, steady stream into beaten whites; fold in gently. Pour into ungreased 10-inch tube pan.

Bake 55 minutes until cake springs back when touched gently. Immediately invert pan onto funnel; let hand until completely cool.

Remove cake from pan and turn upright onto serving plate. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Makes 16 servings.