Kim Kushner’s elegant orange chiffon cake is as light as it is striking. Naturally dairy-free and delicately scented with orange blossom, it’s finished with crushed rose petals for a subtle floral note — making it a beautiful choice for Mother’s Day or any spring celebration.

Adapted from The Modern Menu, this cake has long been part of Kushner’s family table — served to mark holidays, celebrations and special occasions. Here, the classic is reimagined as a taller, lighter version that feels both timeless and effortlessly modern.

If you love airy, citrus-forward desserts, you might also like this Orange Angel Food Cake, another light and elegant option for entertaining.

A person in a silk pink top sprinkles dried rose petals on a bundt cake over a white countertop

Orange Chiffon Cake With Rose Petals

Kim Kushner

A light, airy orange chiffon cake infused with orange blossom and topped with rose petals—an elegant, dairy-free dessert perfect for Mother’s Day and spring entertaining.

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Ingredients

½ cup neutral oil such as avocado oil, vegetable oil or rice bran oil, plus extra for greasing
2 cups all-purpose flour sifted, plus extra for dusting
7 eggs room temperature
1¼ cups sugar
½ cup orange juice
½ tsp orange blossom water
2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
1 tsp edible dried rose petals (see note) crushed between your fingers

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a 9-inch angel food pan with oil and dust lightly with flour. Shake out the excess flour.
In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or using a handheld mixer), beat eggs on medium-high speed for 3 minutes. With the mixer on medium-high speed, slowly add sugar, 1 tbsp at a time. (It will take about 8 minutes.) The mixture should be thick, glossy and nearly fill up the entire bowl.
Reduce the speed to medium. Add oil, orange juice and orange blossom water and mix for 2 minutes. Replace the whisk attachment with a paddle attachment.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt. Add half of the flour mixture to the egg mixture and mix on medium-low speed for 1 minute. Add the remaining flour mixture and mix for another 1 to 2 minutes, until well combined. (If you do not have a paddle attachment, you can use a spatula to fold in the baking powder, salt and flour.)
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the cake springs back when tapped or a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Set aside to cool completely before removing from the pan.
Run a knife along the sides and center of the pan to loosen the cake from the pan. Invert the cake onto a cake plate or platter. Sprinkle the crushed rose petals over the cake.