Earl Grey Chiffon Cake (GF, DF)

The little yellow specks are lemon zest!

Perfect for parents craving a little tea break during nap time. If you want your little one to join the tea party, I’d recommend using decaf Earl Grey!

This easy Earl Grey Chiffon Cake is light as AIR. Made with rice flour and soy milk, it’s naturally gluten-free and dairy-free. Instead of regular sugar, this variation uses coconut sugar, giving the chiffon a gentle caramel sweetness and a warm golden crumb. Why do so many chiffon cake recipes call for like, 8 eggs?! We only use 4 here, and it tastes better than fine. And finally, instead of cream of tartar, we use something you probably already have - lemon juice.

Earl Grey Chiffon Cake
Servings: 1 chiffon cake (20 cm pan)
Dietary: Gluten-free, dairy-free

Ingredients:

• 4 large Japanese eggs, separated

• 80 g (⅔ cup) superfine rice flour

• 80 g regular or coconut sugar total (55 g for yolks + 25 g for whites)

• ⅓ tsp baking powder (gluten-free certified, if needed)

• ⅛ tsp salt

• 55 ml neutral oil (canola, grapeseed, or light olive oil)

• 65 ml unsweetened soy milk

• 3 Earl Grey tea bags (2 for infusion, 1 torn open and added directly)

• ½ tsp lemon juice (for stabilizing meringue)

• Zest of ½ lemon

📌 For little ones, simply swap in decaf Earl Grey for a completely toddler-friendly version.

Instructions:

1. Infuse soy milk
   Warm soy milk until steaming. Steep 2 tea bags for 5–7 minutes. Cover, cool. Top back up to 65 ml if reduced.

2. Prep pan
   Preheat oven to 160°C (320°F). Leave a 20 cm chiffon pan ungreased.

3. Dry mix
   Sift rice flour, baking powder, and salt. Tear open the third tea bag and whisk in the fine tea leaves for speckles.

4. Yolk batter (use biggest bowl - where all the ingredients will end up in the end)
   Whisk 4 egg yolks with 55 g coconut sugar until creamy. Add oil, cooled soy milk, and lemon zest. Mix in dry ingredients until smooth.

5. Meringue
   Beat egg whites until foamy. Add lemon juice. Gradually add 25 g coconut sugar (finer if possible) and whip to glossy medium-stiff peaks. The key to fluffy chiffon is to not over-mix. The peaks should still droop slightly, they shouldn’t stick straight up.

6. Combine
   Fold ⅓ of the meringue into the yolk batter to loosen. Gently fold in the rest in two additions, keeping the batter airy.

7. Bake
   Pour into the pan. Tap lightly to release big bubbles. Bake 35–40 minutes, until springy and a skewer comes out clean.

8. Cool
   Invert the pan immediately over a long-neck bottle. Cool fully upside down before unmolding. I usually use a thin bread knife to cut along all edges to ease it coming out in one piece.

Notes:

• Sugar swap: White sugar will give a lighter crumb and milder flavor, while coconut sugar adds caramel notes and a golden hue.

• Flour: Use only superfine rice flour for the fluffiest result. Coarse rice flour will make the crumb gritty. You can use the same weight of cake flour or sifted all-purpose flour. The texture will be a little more springy and traditional, while rice flour gives a softer, more delicate crumb.

• Soy milk: You can swap soy for oat or dairy milk if preferred.

Storage Tips (best to consume immediately):

At room temp:

• Store the cake at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2–3 days.

• If your kitchen is very humid (like Hong Kong summers), line the container with a piece of paper towel to absorb excess moisture.

• Avoid the fridge — it tends to dry out chiffon quickly.