Grandma’s Lemon Gold Chiffon Cake
When I found this Lemon Gold Chiffon Cake in my Grandma’s handwritten recipe journal, I knew I had to make it. There’s just something special about baking from those old family recipes — the ones written out by hand and tucked away for years.
This cake is light, lemony, and baked in a tube pan for that soft, airy texture that feels just right for spring, Easter, or anytime you want to make a simple dessert feel a little extra special.
I think vintage recipes like this one have a little charm to them — simple ingredients, handwritten directions, and a cake that feels elegant without being fussy.
It is baked in an ungreased 10 x 4 inch tube pan – I know I’ve mentioned this a couple of time, but this instruction is very important. 🙂 This link will let you buy your own on Amazon if you don’t have one.
Why You’ll Love This Lemon Gold Chiffon Cake
- It has a light, fresh lemon flavor
- The texture is soft and airy
- It’s a beautiful old-fashioned cake for spring
- Baking it in a tube pan keeps it true to the original recipe
- It feels special enough for Easter, brunch, or Sunday dessert
- It comes straight from Grandma’s recipe journal
What Makes This a Chiffon Cake?
- The separated eggs are beaten into two different batters and then gently blended
- It’s baked in an ungreased aluminum tube pan
- The result is light, airy, and delicate – almost like Angel Food Cake
Difficulty: Intermediate
Why: This vintage chiffon-style cake uses separated eggs and folded egg whites for its light texture.
Time
Prep: 30 min
Bake: 60 min
Difficulty
Intermediate
Makes
1 cake (12 servings)
Best For
Holidays, Easter, Brunch, Spring Celebrations
Ingredients You’ll Need
Simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry.
For the Cake
- sifted cake flour
- sugar
- baking powder
- salt
- vegetable oil
- large eggs – separated
- cold water
- fresh lemon juice
- lemon zest
- cream of tartar
For the Frosting
- butter (softened)
- sifted powdered sugar
- lemon juice
- lemon zest
Why This Cake Is Baked in a Tube Pan
- The original recipe was written for a tube pan
- Tube pans work especially well for lighter cakes with beaten egg whites
- The center tube helps the cake bake evenly
- Cooling it upside down is part of the old-fashioned method
- Keeping the tube pan makes the recipe feel more authentic
How to Make a Lemon Gold Chiffon Cake
Step by step recipe card is below. 👇
Step 1: Zest a fresh lemon so that you have enough zest for both the cake and the frosting.
Step 2: Juice the fresh lemon, and make sure you remove the pits!
Step 3: Separate six eggs – so you end up with six egg whites and six egg yolks.
Step 4: Sift all of the dry ingredients into a large bowl.
Step 5: Make a well in the flour mixture and add the eggs, lemon juice and lemon zest, and water.
Step 6: Whisk the egg yolk batter together by hand.
Step 7: Using a stand mixer (or electric mixer works too!) and beat the six egg whites until they are really stiff.
Step 8: Gently fold the egg yolk batter into the egg white batter and blend with a rubber spatula.
Step 9: Spoon the batter into an ungreased angel food cake pan. I’m always messy right?!
Step 10: While the cake is baking mix up the lemon chiffon cake frosting – sifting the powdered sugar first. It’s so important.
Baked Cake ready for frosting- Spreading the frosting
- Zesting a lemon for more lemon flavour!
How to Know When The Cake is Done(This Matters)
The cake bakes in the bottom third of your oven at 325F for about 60 minutes. The cake is done when it is golden in colour and it springs back when you lightly touch it with your finger. (But be careful!)
A Few Tips from My Kitchen
- Don’t overmix the egg white batter and the egg yolk batter. Just fold together.
- Remove the cake from the oven, and turn it over immediately, letting the little feet on the cake pan hold it upside down.
- Let the cake cool completely before gently removing it from the pan.
While the recipe called for 60 – 70 minutes – I chose the 60 minute time and so glad I did. It was perfect.
Can I Make Cake Ahead of Time?
Yes, you can. And in fact this cake is actually so much better if you bake it a day or two ahead. Just make sure it’s carefully wrapped up. I would wait to frost the cake until the day I’m going to serve it.
Storage & Reheating
This cake will feed a crowd!
But if you have leftovers, store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 2–3 days.
This cake freezes beautifully too!
FAQs
Why is Lemon Gold Chiffon Cake baked in an ungreased tube pan?
An ungreased tube pan helps the batter cling to the sides as it rises, which is important for a light chiffon-style cake like this one. It also helps the cake keep its height while cooling upside down.
What makes this a chiffon cake instead of a regular lemon cake?
This cake gets its light, airy texture from separated eggs and whipped egg whites folded into the batter. It also uses oil instead of butter, which is another classic chiffon cake characteristic.
Can I make Lemon Gold Chiffon Cake ahead of time?
Yes. You can bake the cake a day ahead and frost it once it has completely cooled. Store it covered, and for the best texture, let it sit at room temperature a bit before serving.
More of Grandma’s Old-Fashioned Recipes to Try…
Final Thoughts
There’s something nostalgic about reaching back into your childhood and baking a memory. I can see my Grandma in her kitchen, creating delicious treats for us.
This is a recipe that takes a little extra time and effort but is so worth it.
And when you serve this lemon gold chiffon cake at your special gathering? You’ll be smiling ear to ear. xo
Bake easy. Live cozy.
This is that very special cake you will now have in your recipe toolkit that you can wow your family and friends with.
Judy
Love delicious lemon desserts? Save this Lemon Gold Chiffon Cake recipe for later!
Grandma’s Lemon Gold Chiffon Cake
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Equipment
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cup cake flour - sifted
- 1 ½ cups sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- ½ cup vegetable oil - look at this
- 6 large eggs - – separated
- ¾ cup water - – very cold
- 2 tsp lemon juice - fresh
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
Frosting Ingredients
- ½ cup salted butter - softened
- 4 cups powdered sugar - sifted
- 3 tbsp lemon juice - fresh
- 2 tsp lemon zest - and 1 tbsp for decoration
Instructions
- Separate the eggs
- Zest one lemon and then juice it
- Preheat oven to 325F
- Sift flour, sugar, baking powder, salt together in a large bowl.
- Make a well and add in order: oil, egg yolks, water, lemon juice, lemon zest.
- Beat together until smooth (mixer, how long? )
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (or using a medium bowl with an electric mixer) add the cream of tartar to the egg whites and beat until very very stiff
- Pour the egg yolk mixture gradually over the egg whites
- Carefully folding with a rubber spatula just until blended but do not stir
- Pour immediately into an ungreased tube pan
- Bake in the bottom third of the oven at 325F for 60 minutes until the top springs back when lightly touched.
- After removing the cake pan from the oven, turn the pan upside down, using the small feet on the tube pan or placing the tube section over a small funnel (a cup will work as well)
- When cold, loosen the sides of the cake from the outside and funnel side of the pan carefully with a rubber spatula, onto the cake plate you will be serving from
Frosting
- In the bowl of a stand mixer:
- Cream butter, add part of the sugar and cream well. Add remaining powdered sugar with lemon juice – alternating until mixed. Add lemon zest at the end and mix in well.
- Check this to see if it is needed? – To prepare the cake for frosting. With a sharp knife cut off the baked ‘top’ of the cake so that it sits evenly on the plate.
Notes
Nutrition
These are estimated values generated from a nutritional database using unbranded products. Please do your own research with the products you’re using if you have a serious health issue or are following a specific diet.
Judy Kahansky
Judy Kahansky is an experienced writer and baker, creating delicious desserts (including pie!) for over 40 years. She loves to take classic and vintage recipes and update them to fit the busy lives of her readers. When not baking, Judy and her husband Mark are passionate golfers, enjoy the simple life, and are travelers and dog lovers, spending as much time as they can with their sweet pup Ruby.
