This Pumpkin Chiffon Pecan Cake recipe creates a light and airy dessert ideal for your holiday and autumn celebrations. The cake's texture is achieved by folding whipped egg whites into the batter, giving the cake a delicate consistency. Throw in some toasted pecans to add more texture and taste to the dessert.
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With pumpkin as a key ingredient, this chiffon cake is ideal for autumn and holiday celebrations like Thanksgiving. It makes for an elegant and inviting dessert, especially if decorated or garnished with seasonal touches like candied walnuts, a sprinkling of cinnamon sugar or candied berries.
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Ingredients
Gather the following ingredients to make the pumpkin chiffon pecan cake recipe:
- Cake flour: if you don't have cake flour you may make your own. Measure one cup cup of all-purpose flour, remove one tablespoon of flour from the cup and replace with one tablespoon of cornstarch.
- Baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg
- Eggs: separate egg whites and egg yolks. Bring to room temperature before starting the pumpkin chiffon recipe.
- Granulated sugar
- Pecans: use toasted and chopped pecans
- Vegetable oil
- Milk: use whole milk brought to room temperature
- Cream of tartar: adds stability to the whipped egg whites. Replace with 1 teaspoon lemon juice if you don't have cream of tartar.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Refer to instructions in the recipe card below. Or if you are a visual learner, check out my pumpkin chiffon cake video which walks you through the recipe step-by-step:
Variations and serving suggestions
This pumpkin chiffon pecan cake is wonderful on it's own, but feel free to change it up a little to suit your tastes. Consider the following:
- Dried cranberries - cranberries and pumpkin are a match made in heaven! Stir in ½ cup of dried cranberries when adding pecans.
- Walnuts - replace pecans with toasted walnuts
- Serving suggestions:
- Drizzle with caramel sauce - use purchased sauce or make your own using my caramel sauce recipe.
- Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of sweetened whipped cream to your serving plates.
- Add candied pecans to top of cake for more visual appeal.
Equipment
You need the following equipment to make this pumpkin chiffon cake:
- Tube cake pan: use a 10" pan. Don't grease the pan.
- Stand or hand mixer
- Bowls, measuring cups and spoons
- Rubber spatula
Storage
Cover the pumpkin chiffon pecan cake cake in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. Alternatively, wrap well and store in the freezer for up to 2 months.
Top Tips
- Don't grease the baking pan. When the pan is greased, the batter can't "grip" the sides, causing the cake to collapse or not rise fully.
- Gently fold whipped egg whites into pumpkin mixture. Over folding will deflate the air incorporated into the whites. If this happens, your cake will not rise properly.
More dessert recipes with pumpkin
Love pumpkin in your desserts? Check out a few of these recipes:
I hope you enjoy this pumpkin chiffon pecan cake as much as my friends and family do!
📋 Recipe
Pumpkin Chiffon Pecan Cake
Equipment
- 1 Tube cake pan 10" pan, Do not grease pan
- Measuring cups and spoons
- Bowls
- Hand whisk and rubber spatula
Ingredients
- 5 Large Eggs Egg whites and yolks separated into two bowls
- 1 Cup Cake Flour
- ½ teaspoon Baking Powder
- ½ teaspoon Ground Ginger
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 3 Tablespoons Granulated Sugar To mix with egg yolks
- ¼ Cup Granulated Sugar To mix with egg whites
- ½ Cup Pumpkin puree Use canned puree - do not use pumpkin pie filling
- 5 Tablespoons Whole Milk Room temperature
- 5 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
- ¾ Cup Pecans Toasted and chopped into small pieces
Instructions
- Separate egg yolks and egg whites into 2 bowls. Let come to room temperature (approximately 1 hour).
- Preheat oven to 350℉
- Sift together cake flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Set bowl aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together egg yolks, 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar, vegetable oil, milk and pumpkin puree. Continue whisking until well combined (approximately 1 minute).
- Add cake flour mixture to bowl with pumpkin. Fold dry ingredients into the pumpkin mixture using a rubber spatula. Set bowl aside.
- Add cream of tarter to bowl with egg whites.
- Using a hand- or stand- mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, begin mixing egg whites on medium speed until they become foamy.
- Slowly start adding ¼ cup granulated sugar into bowl with egg whites while the mixer is running. This process will take 1 - 2 minutes.
- Increase mixer speed to medium-high and continue whipping until stiff, glossy peaks are reached.
- Add ¼ of whipped egg whites to bowl with pumpkin mixture. Stir gently with a rubber spatula.
- Add pecans pieces to bowl and stir.
- Add half of remaining egg whites to the mixture and fold gently until no white streaks remain.
- Add remaining egg whites to the mixture and fold gently until no white streaks remain.
- Spoon cake batter into tube pan - note: use an ungreased pan. Carefully smooth the top.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until well risen and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Note: you may also check for doneness by inserting a thermometer into the middle of cake. The cake is done when the internal temperature is 200℉
- Remove from oven and immediately invert cake pan over onto a cooling rack. Do not remove the pan.
- Let cake cool upside down for 1 hour.
- Gently lift pan off the cake. If cake is sticking to pan, run a sharp knife around the inside of pan to release.
Video
Notes
- Do not grease the cake pan. The cake batter needs to cling to the side of pan to rise. Grease will inhibit the cake from rising.
- Storage: Cover cake cake in plastic wrap or aluminum foil and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. Alternatively, wrap well and store in freezer for up to 2 months.
Kristine says
YUM! This pumpkin chiffon pecan cake is amazing. It's nice to have a pumpkin recipe that isn't heavy and chewy. This cake is light and fluffy. Thank you!
dessertswithstephanie says
Hi Kristine, thank you for your feedback. So pleased you enjoyed the chiffon cake!
Kimberley Asante says
This Pumpkin Chiffon Pecan Cake is absolutely scrumptious and perfect for the fall season! I love the combination of light, airy chiffon and the rich pecan flavors—thanks for sharing this delightful recipe!