Fluffy & Moist Pumpkin Spice Chiffon Cake (+VIDEO)

Pumpkin pie meets Chiffon cake! - Today, I’m sharing how to make a moist and fluffy pumpkin spice chiffon cake. It tastes like a pumpkin pie in a very fluffy way! It's one of my favorite cakes to bake during the fall to holiday season.

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a slice of pumpkin pie spice chiffon cake with whipped cream on a plate

Why we love this Pumpkin chiffon cake

It is so fluffy and moist.
It tastes exactly like pumpkin pie but in a fluffy way!
It's easy to make.
It's not heavy for your stomach. You can still enjoy the fantastic pumpkin pie flavor.
A perfect dessert to celebrate the Fall and Holiday season.

💬 This cake is for you if you crave a light dessert with fewer calories during the pumpkin season!

Jump to:

Why we love this Pumpkin chiffon cake
📌 Ingredients For Pumpkin Spice Chiffon Cake
📌 How To Make Pumpkin Spice Chiffon Cake
📌 Whipped Cream Topping
📌 Frequently Asked Questions
📌 VIDEO: watch How To Make It!
📌 Other Holiday Recipes
📌 Printable Recipe
Pumpkin Spice Chiffon Cake
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📌 Ingredients For Pumpkin Spice Chiffon Cake

In a bowl

Egg yolks
- Separate yolks and egg whites when making chiffon cake.
Granulated sugar
- Use regular granulated sugar or fine cane sugar.
Oil
- I added olive oil. You can also use any regular oils, such as vegetable oil.
Milk
- Use regular whole-fat milk.
Pureed pumpkin
- You can use canned pumpkin puree or roast a fresh pumpkin to make the puree.
Rum
- It adds a hint of depth to the flavor. You can omit it if you prefer.
Cake flour
- Cake flour is necessary to create a silky and fluffy chiffon cake texture.
Baking powder
- I often do not add baking powder for a plain chiffon cake, but a small amount is added today since the batter is heavier due to the pumpkin puree. It helps to push up the cake!
Salt
- It adds depth in flavor.
Pumpkin spice
- You can use a store-bought pumpkin spice or make homemade pumpkin spice.

Meringue

Egg white
- Ensure egg yolks are not mixed to prevent the meringue from not whipping properly.
Granulated sugar
- Just a little amount is added to stabilize the meringue.

How To Make Pumpkin (Pie) Spice

You can buy pumpkin spice at local grocery stores or make a homemade version quickly with 5 spices.

📌 How To Make Pumpkin Spice Chiffon Cake

6 Steps

Mix all the wet ingredients in a bowl.
Add the dried ingredients to a bowl and mix.
Make meringue.
Add the meringue to a bowl and fold.
Bake.
Let it cool completely.

Tips With Images

Now, let me share detailed tips on each step, which are crucial for successfully making pumpkin spice chiffon cake.

Step 1: Mix all the wet ingredients.

First, add yolks to a bowl. Set aside all the egg whites in a mixing bowl to make the meringue later.

No liquids & oil in egg white!

Ensure any liquids and oil (including yolks) are mixed in the egg white bowl and a whisk. That is because they prevent the egg whites from whipping up well.

Next, add granulated sugar and mix them right away:

Should we whip the yolks?

When you whip sugar and yolks, it contains more air in it. And the color looks pale when that happens. The air helps create a fluffier and slightly taller chiffon cake. Meringue does the main job, but it does contribute to it.

I tend not to whip for this recipe because baking powder is added but I often whip it when I don't add baking powder.

Add all the wet ingredients: milk, oil, pumpkin puree, and dark rum:

Mix them until they look smooth:

For the pumpkin puree, you have 2 choices:

Canned puree: Use the one that says "100% pure pumpkin" on the label.
Fresh pumpkin

How to make pumpkin puree from fresh pumpkin

Cut a pumpkin in half and remove all the seeds.
Place it flat (The cut side facing down) on a tray with parchment paper and roast it in the oven at about 400 F | 204 C (Adjust the temperature as you like) until the center gets cooked through completely. It depends on the size of the pumpkin and the oven, but typically it takes about 30 - 60 minutes.
Once it's cooled enough, remove the skin and puree it with a food processor. Done!

** Don't remove the skin before you bake the pumpkin since it helps to steam the pumpkin in the oven.

Step 2: Add the dried ingredients and mix.

Next, let's work on dried ingredients! Sift cake flour, baking powder, salt, and pumpkin spice altogether:

Mix until it looks nice and smooth:

👩🏻‍🍳 You might see small lumps of flour in your finished cake if you don't mix enough here.

Step 3: Make meringue.

Next, let's make meringue!

Whip until the meringue looks very fluffy and stiff.

Add about half of the sugar when the meringue looks very bubbly:

And add the rest when the meringue looks foamier:

Mix it at low speed toward the end.

💡 Whipping your meringue at low speed toward the end makes fine meringue with smaller air bubbles. And that leads to a more silky, fluffier cake texture.

💬 Use it right away while the condition is the best!

Step 4: Add the meringue to a bowl and fold.

Add ⅓ - ½ of the meringue into the bowl and fold gently:

When about 75 - 80% is mixed, add the rest of the meringue:

How to fold the meringue:

I often like to use a whisk when I need to fold a lot of meringue. You can use a spatula as well!

I created a video tutorial about 4 tips for holding ingredients. Check it out to master the move!

To see how to fold it with a whisk, check out the video tutorial of this recipe.

Re-whipping the meringue

The meringue separates very quickly in a short time, especially because it does not contain lots of sugar.

Mix fast with a whisk and re-whip when it looks separated.

Add the rest of the meringue and fold again:

Stop before the batter is completely blended to avoid over-mixing:

Switch to a spatula and clean the side and the bottom and mix until everything is evenly blended:

👩🏻‍🍳 Once it looks even, it is done! Bake it right away while the condition is the best.

Step 5: Bake at 340 F | 171 C for 40 - 45 minutes.

Pour it into a pan. Today, I used a 15-cm | 6-inch wide (bottom) chiffon cake pan.

Shake a pan to flatten the surface. Toss it gently several times to eliminate some bigger air bubbles:

Swirl the batter with a toothpick to eliminate bigger air bubbles:

When you touch the surface, it should bounce back gently. You may hear slight bubble sounds but that is totally fine as long as it bounces back.

Step 6: Let it cool completely.

Take it out from the oven and toss it gently to remove some steam and prevent the cake from deflating too much.

Flip and let it cool completely:

💬 Flipping also prevents the cake from deflating too much.

How to take out a chiffon cake from a pan.

Push down the edge all around.
Push down the center all around.
Flip and take off the pan on the side.
Push the side all around.
Twist the pan on top and remove it.

You can also remove a chiffon cake by inserting a knife around the edge and center. But you can do it very quickly in this way, and there is no need to worry about hurting your cake with a knife!

📌 Whipped Cream Topping

I LOVE to eat this pumpkin spice chiffon cake with fluffy whipped cream! A slice of the chiffon cake with a big drop of whipped cream melts in your mouth.

Whip until it looks soft yet fluffy:

a slice of pumpkin spice chiffon cake with whipped cream on a plate

📌 Frequently Asked Questions

My chiffon cake deflated a lot after taking it out of the oven. Why?

Chiffon cake is light and fluffy with less amount of flour compared to other sponges. It is normal to see your cake look deflated a little. Try some tips I mentioned in the post to prevent it from deflating too much. (Toss the pan & flip to cool it.)

If it still deflated a lot, that usually means the cake was not baked long enough.

When you use regular round pans, the center deflates more.

Can I use all-purpose flour to bake this chiffon cake?

With all-purpose flour, the cake is not going to be as fluffy as with cake flour mainly because all-purpose flour contains more glutens in it.
I highly recommend getting cake flour for the best result. Try online sites if you can not find them at local stores.