Last updated on October 13th, 2025.
Pistachio Chiffon Cake is just as impressive as it is delicious. It is tall, light and airy cake infused with the unique pistachio flavor.
Chiffon cake is the best of all worlds, it is tall, airy and light like the classic Angle Food Cake, but also tender and moist like a delicious Pistachio Pound Cake. A generous addition of homemade pistachio cream take the cake into a whole new level of indulgence. It is sweet, it is nutty, and has a wow factor for both looks and flavor.
Ingredients
You’ll find the complete recipe with measurements in the recipe card at the bottom of this post. Here’s a quick recap of the ingredients and possible substitutions.
- Pistachio Cream. The star of the show, gives the cake its pistachio flavor, beautiful hue, adds another layer of texture and increases the cake’s volume.
- Cake flour. Cake flour is rich in starches and poor in gluten, so it has a tendency to swell and puff vs. all purpose flour which bakes into a firmer, sturdier and more dense structure.
- Eggs. The egg whites are whipped into meringue, giving the cake its height and airy bite.
- Vegetable oil and milk. For moisture (milk, can be replaced with orange juice or water) and moistness (vegetable oil, use flavorless oil such as canola).
- Granulated sugar. Do not reduce the amount of the sugar, or the cake will lose it height and some of its moisture. If you are worried the cake is too sweet, add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar.
Make It
I am always amazed by how easy it is to make Chiffon cake despite the fact that it so impressive, and delicious. Please read my tips and notes carefully before baking for best results.
- Separate the eggs when cold to reduce the risk of yolk mixing in. Then mix in the oil into the yolks and set aside for about 30 minutes to allow it to reach room temperature.
- Use a whisk to mix the ingredients into the yolk mixture, using an electric mixer might incorporate too much air which will cause the cake to deflate.
- Do not over whip the meringue, it is ready when it reaches medium peak, meaning it is white and opaque, but drips drown when we lift the whisk.
- Do not grease the pan. This way the cake can grip on to the sides of the pan without sliding down and compressed. This is why a tube pan with a removable bottom works best (it is worth the investment, I got mine 15+years ago).
- Avoid opening the oven door during baking. Best not to open the oven door during the first 40 minutes. When we open the oven door the temperature drops and might cause the cake to collapse.
Yield and Storing
This recipe makes one 9.5-inch tube pan, about 12-15 slices depending on the size of each slice. You can also bake it as a layer cake. Divide the batter between 2, or three 9-inch rouns pans. (line the bottom with parchment paper but do not grease the sides.
Store at room temperature covered for up to 5 days, or wrap with a layer of plastic wrap, place in a freeze bag and freeze for up to three weeks.
Pistachio Chiffon Cake | Tall and impressive
Ingredients
- 8 Large Egg yolks, at room temperature
- 3/4 Cup (180ml) Unflavored vegetable oil like canola
- 1 Cup (300g) Pistachio cream
- 1/2 Cup (120ml) Milk at room temperature
- 2 1/4 Cup (270g) Cake flour
- 1 Cup (200g) Granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoon Baking powder
- 8 Large Egg whites
- 1/2 Cup Granulated sugar
Instructions
- Preheat you oven to 320F and have a 9.5-inch tube pan ready. Do not grease the pan.
- In a medium bowl sift the flour, then mix in the baking powder and the first quantity of sugar (1 cup, 200g). Set aside.
- Mix the egg yolks, oil, milk, and pistachio cream in a large bowl until fully incorporates. Do not use an electric mixer. Set aside.
- Place the egg whites in a bowl of a stand mixer and whip using the cage attachment until frothy, about 30 seconds.
- Gradually add the second portion on the sugar (1/2 cup, 100g), about 2 Tablespoons at a time (about four additions). Wait about 10 seocnds between each addition.
- Whip on high speed until you have a medium stiff meringue. It should be opaque, thick, slightly stable but still drips down when you lift the attachment. Stay close and check the meringue about 90-120 seconds after you added the last portion of the sugar.
- Mix in the flour mixture into the yolk mixture, stir just until there is no longer visible dry flour.
- Fold the meringue into the egg yolks mixture, 1/3 of the amount at a time.
- Pour the batter into the pan and bake over the medium over rack for 50-55 minutes. The cake is ready when the top does not jiggles and a toothpick comes out of the cake dry.
- As soon as the cake is out of the oven, invert the tube pan onto a bottle neck, (I use a soy sauce, or a sesame oil bottle), or the pan’s own feet if it has them.
- Once cooled, run a thin, along the inside wall of the pan, keeping the blade flush against the metal to avoid tearing the cake. Run the knife around the central tube to loosen the inner edge.
- Gently push the base up and out of the outer ring, and run the knife between the bottom of the cake and the pan.
- Gently lift the cake and release it from the pan onto your serving plate.
- Store at room temperature for up to five days, covered.To freeze leftovers: wrap with plastic wrap and place in a freeze bag, freeze for up to three weeks.
Notes
- This recipe makes one 9.5-inch tube pan, about 12-15 slices depending on the size of each slice.
- You can also bake it as a layer cake. Divide the batter between 2, or three 9-inch round pans. (line the bottom with parchment paper but do not grease the sides.
- If the egg yolks have any fat, or yolks in them, they won’t whip. Separate the eggs when they are cold to prevent any egg yolks dripping into the egg whites.
