← Nouns Cooking · Bakery

Ingredients

• 10 pandan leaves (about 60 g), cut up
• 4 tbsp Water
• 5 large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 50 g caster sugar
• 70 ml vegetable or sunflower oil
• 80 ml thick coconut milk
• 130 g cake flour (or plain flour)
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• ¼ tsp Salt
• 5 large egg whites, at room temperature
• ½ tsp Cream of tartar
• 80 g caster sugar

Method

1. Heat the oven to 170°C (150°C fan, 340°F). Have ready an ungreased 21–23 cm tube (chiffon) pan with a removable base; the batter needs to cling to the sides to climb.
2. Blend the pandan leaves with the water until fine, then squeeze through a muslin or fine sieve. You need 50 ml of deep green juice; top up with water if short.
3. Whisk the yolks and sugar until pale, then whisk in the oil, coconut milk and pandan juice. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk until smooth.
4. In a very clean bowl, whisk the whites with the cream of tartar until foamy, then add the sugar gradually and whisk to firm, glossy peaks that just curl at the tip.
5. Whisk a third of the meringue into the yolk batter to loosen it, then fold in the rest gently in two goes until no white streaks remain. Pour into the pan and run a skewer through to pop big bubbles.
6. Bake for 40–45 min until risen, golden and springy, and a skewer comes out clean. Immediately turn the pan upside down (over a bottle neck if it has no feet) and leave to cool completely, about 1½ hours.
7. Run a thin knife around the sides and the tube, push out the base and release the cake.

Tips

• Frozen pandan leaves work well, or use ½ tsp pandan paste mixed with 50 ml water.
• Never grease the pan, and cool it upside down, or the cake will collapse.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

King Arthur Baking Baking Heritage