Pandan Chiffon Cake
Inspired by techniques from King Arthur Baking and Serious Eats.
This follows the classic chiffon method, with fresh pandan juice and coconut milk replacing the water and vanilla, giving the cake its natural green colour and fragrance without any extract or colouring.
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Method
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Equipment
- 25 cm two-piece tube (angel food) tin, ungreased and unlined
- blender or small food processor
- fine sieve and muslin or a clean tea towel
- 2 large bowls
- stand mixer or electric hand whisk
- balloon whisk
- wire rack or glass bottle for cooling upside down
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 307 kcal |
| Protein | 5.6 g |
| Carbohydrate | 40.8 g |
| of which sugars | 24.4 g |
| of which free sugars | 24.1 g |
| Fat | 13.8 g |
| of which saturates | 3.5 g |
| Fibre | 0.3 g |
| Salt | 0.57 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
1.8 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
Metric · 12 servings
Cake
- 240 g cake flour (or plain flour; see note) plain flour works with a slightly firmer crumb
- 150 g caster sugar
- 2½ tsp baking powder
- 3 g fine sea salt or table salt about ½ tsp
- 6 large egg yolks
- 110 g neutral oil (sunflower or rapeseed)
Meringue
- 8 large egg whites, at room temperature
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- 140 g caster sugar
Pandan juice
- 100 g pandan leaves (fresh or frozen), cut into 2 cm pieces
- 80 ml water
Cake
- 120 ml coconut milk (full-fat)
- 1
Make the Pandan Juice. Blitz the pandan leaves with the water until they're broken down to the texture of fine grass clippings, then press the mixture through muslin or a clean tea towel to squeeze out roughly 60ml of vivid green juice.
- 2
Heat the Oven. Preheat the oven to 165°C (145°C fan), allowing at least 20 minutes, and position a shelf in the lower third.
- 3
Leave the Tin Ungreased. Resist greasing or lining the tube tin. The rising batter needs bare metal to hold onto, and that's precisely what lets this cake reach its full towering height.
- 4
Make the Batter. Combine the flour, 150g of the sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre and pour in the egg yolks, oil, pandan juice and coconut milk, whisking until the mixture is smooth and glossy, about 1 minute. Here the coconut milk and pandan juice stand in for the vanilla, lending their colour and scent to the batter naturally.
- 5
Whisk the Meringue. On medium speed, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy, then slowly sprinkle in the 140g of sugar while whisking on medium-high speed until you reach stiff, glossy peaks that hold straight up. Without a meringue this firm, the cake won't have the structure to climb so tall.
- 6
Fold Together. Stir a third of the meringue into the batter to loosen it, then fold in the rest with a spatula in two additions, making sure to scrape right down to the bottom of the bowl, until the mixture is free of white streaks.
- 7
Fill and Bake. Scrape the batter into the tin, pass a skewer through it to burst any large bubbles, and even out the top. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until it has risen well and the top is golden over the green crumb and springs back when touched; the cracks should look dry and a skewer should come out clean.
- 8
Cool Upside Down. As soon as it's out of the oven, invert the tin onto its feet, or balance it over the neck of a bottle, and leave it to cool completely, about 2 hours. This upside-down cooling keeps the warm, fragile sponge from caving in before it sets.
- 9
Unmould. Trace a thin knife around the edges of the tin and around the central tube, remove the base, then free the cake from the bottom. Finish with a dusting of icing sugar or a spoonful of whipped cream.
Storage
Keep covered at room temperature for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. It freezes well, wrapped tightly, for up to 2 months; thaw at room temperature before serving.
