#COOKING: PANDAN CHIFFON CAKE RECIPE

PANDAN CHIFFON CAKE. Something green and lucky to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day! This delight isn’t very easy to find in these parts, but is a adored in its native Singapore. I’ve adapted this spongey, fluffy cake for the common Baker, using accessible ingredients. For those who don’t know, Pandan is a fragrant tropical green leafy plant with a creamy, vanilla-like essence, found in Southeast Asia. It is irresistible.

The trick with this cake is gentle folding of the stiff egg whites, into your egg yolk, coconut and pandan batter before transferring to the pan. Ensure also you do not grease your pan as there are enough oils in this cake for it not to stick. And if you don’t have the standard Chiffon cake pan, a Bundt pan will do.

This is decadent and indulgent, but also airy, not overly-sweet. Have tried this a few times and finally got the right height and texture. Cannot wait to make this again! Don’t know where to find Pandan Extract or Powder? Try Amazon or your local Asian grocer.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup + 2 tbsp flour
5 eggs, separated at room temperature
100 ml Coconut Milk
2/3 cup Icing Sugar, divided in two
4 tbsps Vegetable Oil
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Pandan Extract
1 tsp Dried Pandan Powder

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat oven at 340°F.
2. Sift flour, baking powder and salt and reserve in small bowl.
3. Place egg whites in one bowl, and egg yolks in another bowl.
4. Using Egg Beater, beat yolks and half of icing sugar till thick and creamy.
5. In a small bowl, mix coconut milk, pandan powder and extract, plus oil.
6. Pour coconut and pandan mixture into egg yolk mixture and beat till smooth. Add flour mixture in gradually, beating till smooth. Set aside.
7. Beat egg whites with Egg Beater, mixing-in Cream of Tartar and remaining Icing Sugar. You will be beating for about 5 minutes at medium-high speed minimum, or till egg whites can form stiff peaks.
8. Using spatula, gentle fold-in egg whites into egg yolk/pandan/coconut batter. Do not overmix.
9. Transfer batter into cake pan, gently doing an “S” motion till even. If you see little air bubbles, use a toothpick through the batter to pop these.
10. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or till toothpick is clean.
11. Cool upside-down for about an hour, allow ventilation. Using spatula, gently trace along edges of pan to let cake out of pan. Store at room temperature in air-tight container or bags for up to 3 days.

Gallery:

(Photo credit: Mr. Will Wong)