Butterscotch Chiffon Cake

Jump To Recipe by Cindy @mycountrytable

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This Butterscotch Chiffon Cake is light as an angel food cake yet rich as a butter cake, and it’s frosted with a delicious butterscotch frosting for the perfect finish. This is a perfect cake for any occasion.

If you’ve ever tried my Lemon Chiffon Layer Cake, you’ll understand why I’m moving forward with more flavors. There’s just something so perfect about the texture and rich flavor of chiffon cakes.

Angel food vs butter vs chiffon

You might be wondering what the difference is between these 3 cakes. Allow me to explain.

ANGEL FOOD is made using egg whites only. There are no egg yolks, oil, or butter. Beaten egg whites are the sole leavening in this cake. It has a high sugar content to help support and stabilize the egg whites. Angel food cake must be made in an angel food cake pan and inverted in the pan until cooled so it won’t deflate.

BUTTER is the type of cake you’re probably most familiar with. Butter cakes are made with whole eggs and butter and depend on baking powder and soda for leavening. If your recipe calls for creaming the butter first, then adding sugar, eggs, etc…, it’s a butter cake.

CHIFFON is a moist, tender, light, and airy cake that is sort of a cross between a butter and a sponge (angel food) cake. It has the richness of a butter cake but the springy texture of a sponge cake. It’s similar to a butter cake but uses oil instead of butter. It depends on beaten egg whites and baking powder for leavening. The egg yolks are added to the cake batter first, and the egg whites are beaten until stiff and folded in at the end. The beaten egg whites make a Chiffon cake light and airy like a sponge (angel food) cake but richer like a butter cake because the egg yolks are also being used.

Separating the eggs

The first and foremost thing you should do in this recipe is separate your eggs. In this recipe, you’re going to separate the eggs, then beat the egg whites.

Why? It’s always easier to separate eggs that are cold, and whip egg whites when they are room temperature. Egg whites whip up with more volume at room temperature. Therefore, start by separating the 5 large eggs, straight from the fridge. Once they’re separated, set aside the egg yolks, in a small bowl. Then transfer the egg whites to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and leave them to come to room temperature while you mix the other ingredients.

Now we’re ready to mix the cake.

Mixing the Cake

Measure the flour by the spoon and level method. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and brown sugar.
You can use a whisk. However, I sift it through a mesh wire strainer to make sure there are no small hard lumps of brown sugar.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the oil, egg yolks, water and vanilla.
Mix until all ingredients are combined thoroughly and mixture is smooth. Set aside.
Add the cream of tartar to the bowl of egg whites on the stand mixer. Whisk the egg whites until they are shiny with stiff peaks, but not dry. This shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes with a stand mixer, a little longer if using a hand mixer.
Pour the egg mixture slowly over the beaten egg whites, using a spatula to gently fold the egg mixture into the egg whites.
Go down the sides and under the bottom of the mixture and back up the other side.
Mix only until the two are mostly incorporated. There should still be a few white streaks remaining.

Baking the Cake

Pour the batter into the tube pan, using a small offset spatula to evenly distribute the batter. If you see any air bubbles run a knife through them to pop them.
Bake the cake on the lowest oven rack at 325 degrees, until it’s golden brown on top and a toothpick test comes out clean. This can take up to 65 minutes.

Cooling the cake

Immediately invert the cake onto a funnel or bottle and leave it until it’s completely cooled.
Run a knife around the center tube and the insides of the pan and gently shake the pan to make sure the cake has loosened. Invert the cake onto a plate, then place a cake plate on top, flipping the cake over onto the cake plate.

Butterscotch Frosting – Ingredients

1 8-ounce cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
3 1/2 to 4 cups powdered sugar
5 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt

Butterscotch Frosting – Instructions

Add the cream cheese to the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until the cream cheese is very smooth and free of any lumps. Add the butter and mix until light and creamy.
Add the brown sugar, (breaking up any small clumps), and beat until the mixture is very smooth and creamy. Make sure to beat long enough so that the brown sugar is no longer gritty.
Sift in two cups of powdered sugar and add 2 tablespoons of heavy cream, and mix until combined and smooth. Sift in 1 1/2 cups more of powdered sugar, and add 2 more tablespoons of cream. Check the consistency, and add the remaining sugar and cream if needed for a perfect spreading consistency. Add the vanilla and salt and mix to incorporate.
Frost the top and sides of the cake.

Cake Pan options

You can bake this cake in a 10-inch tube pan as directed in this recipe, or you can use a 9 x 13-inch pan. Don’t grease it. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes.

Do you like butterscotch recipes? Check these out…

Butterscotch Cream Pie

Butterscotch Pecan Blondies

Old Fashioned Butterscotch Cake

Butterscotch Cupcakes

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