This light and airy chiffon cake is made with eggs, sugar, flour, and vegetable oil. Matcha and cocoa powder are used not only for flavors, but also to create beautiful camouflage effect!
I was feeling spontaneous last week and wanted to create something simple yet artistic. I miss being creative as a child, always drawing something out of pure imagination. My dream was to attend art school and become a graphic or interior designer. But life doesn’t always go the way you want. Luckily, I discovered baking. Over the past few years, kitchen has become my happy place, where I can play with food and let my creativity runs wild. I turn baking pans/sheets into my canvas, and use batter or dough as my art mediums. This camouflage chiffon cake is the perfect example!
This recipe uses very few ingredients and incorporates matcha powder and cocoa powder to create camouflage pattern. The tri-color appearance may seem intimidating at first, but I hope my step-by-step instructions can help you make this fun and spongy cake.
WHAT IS CHIFFON CAKE?
A chiffon cake is a type of sponge cake made with eggs, sugar, flour, and oil. It uses meringue (whipped egg whites) as a leavening agent for its light and airy texture. What separates chiffon cake from an angel cake is its unique ingredient: vegetable oil. Oil, unlike butter or shortening, remains liquid at room temperature, helping the cake stay moist.
TIPS ON MAKING CHIFFON CAKE:
- Use the right baking pan: Traditionally, chiffon cakes are baked in tube pans, because of its unique side that allows the cake to rise higher. Do not use a non-stick for baking pan! An example would be this 6 inch Chiffon cake Mold with Removable Bottom from Amazon.
- Do not grease the side of the pan: You may grease the bottom of the pan, but DO NOT grease the side of the tube pan. The cake needs to cling on the sides to rise when baking. If you grease the pan, it will not rise as high.
- Cool upside down: Chiffon cake needs to be cooled upside down so they stretch down instead of collapsing. Let cool completely before removing the cake from the pan.
- Room Temperature vs Chilled Eggs: Most recipes called for room temperature eggs. However, since this meringue is made without cream of tartar, I followed Just One Cookbook advice and used cold, refrigerated egg whites. Cream of tartar is typically used to help stabilize whipped egg whites, prevent sugar from crystallizing and acts as a leavening agent for baked goods. I was still able to achieve smooth meringue with chilled eggs without cream of tartar.
- Whip egg whites until stiff peaks: Eggs whites are beat until stiff peaks, meaning that when you take out the whisk, the meringue stays upright.
HOW TO MAKE CAMOUFLAGE CHIFFON CAKE
*This recipe makes around 3 mini chiffon cakes or one 6 in chiffon cake.
The mini chiffon cake size I used measures: 4 inches/10cm diameter and 2.25 inches/5.5cm deep.
STEP 1 WET INGREDIENTS
In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar together. Then add vegetable oil and water, mix until well combined.
STEP 2 DRY INGREDIENTS
Sift in cake flour into the wet ingredients, and whisk until there are no lumps.
Equally divide the batter into 3 separate bowls. Add matcha powder to the first bowl, mix until combined. Add matcha powder and cocoa powder to the second bowl, mix well. Leave the last bowl plain.
STEP 3 MAKE THE MERINGUE
Using a handheld or standing mixer, whip the egg whites on medium speed, until fine bubbles form. Then slowly add in sugar and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. When you take out the whisk, the meringue should stay upright.
STEP 4 COMBINE
Divide the beaten egg whites into 3 equal parts. Gently but quickly fold in the meringue into the 3 smooth batter. Keep folding until combined.
STEP 5 BAKE
Preheat the oven to 350F. You can grease or line the bottom of the tube pan with parchment paper, but do not grease the sides of the pan. As the cake bakes, it will cling to the pan and puffs up in the oven.
Scoop the cake batter in small batches into the tube pan, alternating colors as much as possible to create beautiful camouflage pattern (shown below).
STEP 6 COOL DOWN
The cake must be cooled upside down. If using a 6″ tube pan, immediately invert the pan over a heavy bottle. If baking in mini tube pan, place the pan upside down onto a cooling rack.
Let cool completely before removing cake from the pan. Use a knife and run it around the pan before removing.
OPTIONAL: WHIPPED CREAM
Because of its light structure, chiffon cake is usually served with powdered sugar or whipped cream. Heavy frosting could potentially weigh the cake down. You can also serve the cake by itself.
MORE CAKE RECIPES:
- Matcha White Chocolate Swiss Roll
- Milk Bar Reese’s Peanut Butter Cake
- Thai Tea Basque Burnt Cheesecake
If you make this recipe, please leave a comment below and let me know what you think. Make sure you also tag me @onehappybite on Instagram and hashtag it #onehappybite so I can see your creations!
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Mini Chocolate and Matcha Camouflage Chiffon Cake
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cooling Time: 30 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 1 hr
- Yield: 3 mini cakes 1x
Description
This light and airy chiffon cake is made with eggs, sugar, flour, and vegetable oil. Matcha and cocoa powder are added not only for flavors, but also to create beautiful camouflage pattern!
This recipe makes 3 mini chiffon cakes or a small 6 in. chiffon cake
*To make 6 mini chiffon cakes, you can double the recipe. Make sure to double all the ingredients.
Ingredients
- 3 large egg yolks
- 1 ½ tbsp granulated sugar
- 1 ½ tbsp vegetable oil
- ½ cup cake flour
- 2 ½ tbsp water
- 1 tsp matcha powder (for bowl 1)
- 2 tsp matcha powder (for bowl 2)
- ½ tsp cocoa powder or charcoal powder (for bowl 2)
Meringue
- 3 large egg whites
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
Whipped Cream (Optional)
- 100 ml whipping cream
- 2 tbsp granulated sugar
Instructions
-
Preheat the oven to 350°F. You can grease or line the bottom of the tube pan with parchment paper, but do not grease the sides of the pan. As the cake bakes, it will cling to the pan and puffs up in the oven.
-
In a large bowl, prepare wet ingredients. Whisk together egg yolks and sugar. Then add vegetable oil and water, whisk until well combined.
-
Sift cake flour into the wet ingredients, whisk until there are no lumps.
- Equally divide the batter into 3 separate bowls. Add 1 tsp of matcha powder to the first bowl, mix until combined. Add 2 tsp matcha powder and ½ tsp cocoa powder to the second bowl, mix well. Leave the last bowl plain.
-
Meringue: In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites on medium speed using a handheld or stand mixer. Once you start seeing fine bubbles, slowly add in sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. When you take out the whisk, the meringue should stay upright.
-
Divide the beaten egg whites into 3 equal parts. Gently but quickly fold in the meringue into the 3 smooth batter. Keep folding until combined.
- Scoop the cake batter in small batches into the tube pan, alternating colors as much as possible to create beautiful camouflage pattern (shown below)
-
Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the toothpick or testing knife comes out clean.
-
The cake must be cooled upside down. If using a 6″ tube pan, immediately invert the pan over a heavy bottle. If baking in mini tube pan, place the pan upside down onto a cooling rack. Let cool completely before removing cake from the pan. Use a knife and run it around the pan before removing.
-
Dust the cake with powdered sugar or serve with whipped cream (optional). Enjoy!
Whipped Cream
-
Using a handheld or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the heavy whipping cream and sugar on medium-high speed until medium peaks form, about 3-4 minutes.
Notes
To make 6 mini chiffon cakes, you can double the recipe. Make sure to double all the ingredients.
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: American, Japanese
Keywords: camouflage, chiffon cake, matcha
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