Pandan Chiffon Cake

Pandan Chiffon cake is always my favourite, espcially from Bengawang Solo. When I was young, I dislike cake (how I wish I will be still the same now so I need not worry about my waistline :P), any cake especially with cream. The only cake I will consume was Pandan Chiffon cake which we normally call pandan cake.

After I started to bake, I always wanted to bake Pandan Chiffon cake but have no courage to try it as from my understanding, this is not an easy cake to handle. I have phobia on the folding part that I am not good at all which led to my failure with baking sponge cake previously.

Finally I gained enough courage to lay my hands on this cake, and I was mentally prepared that I might fail for the 1st time. I refer to Chiffon Cake Tips and Trouble from All That Matters for the step by step guide. Thanks Rei for these wonderful information, it comes so useful for 1st timer like me.

I have so many recipes of Pandan Chiffon cake that I had hard time to select which one to use. I used Baking Mum's recipe simply because what she had mentioned, "If you follow this exact recipe the pandan chiffon cake will be more fragrant than BS."


It must be my oven too hot, the cake was cracked so terribly when baking. After cooled down on the wire rack, the cake shrinked and turned to a funny shape. I had removed the cake from the oven after 30 mins baking as the skewer came out clean. I thought it was done but the cake is a bit moist, next time I will just stick to orignial stated baking time.

I had overfolded the batter, the top layer of cake is more compact whereas the bottom layer is more fluffy although still not as fluffy as what I would expect.

Ingredients :
100 g Top Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tbsp Pandan Paste
100 ml Coconut Milk
4 Egg Yolks
50 ml Corn Oil
1/2 tsp Green Colouring (I like my cake to be more green in color :P)
5 Egg Whites
¼ tsp Cream of Tartar
100 g Castor Sugar
Pinch of Salt

Method :
1. In a bowl, using hand whisk, whisk yolks and sugar till sugar dissolves.
2. In a measuring cup, mix well the coconut milk, pandan paste and green coloring.
3. Add oil and salt and whisk.
4. Add pandan coconut milk mixture and stir well.
5. Fold in sifted flour and baking powder and mix well.
6. In another bowl, using an electric mixer, beat till the whites are foamy. Add in sugar gradually and beat till soft peak.
7. Add in Cream of Tartar and beat till stiff peak.
8. Fold in 1/3 of the whites into the yolk mixture using a rubber spatula till incorporated.
9. Pour the mixture to the remaining egg whites and fold in gently till incorporated.
10. Pour the batter into a ungrease 20cm chiffon tube pan. Bang the pan on the table to get rid of bubbles.
11. Bake at 170 degree for 40 - 50 mins. Insert a skewer to check if the cake is done.
12. Remove from the oven and invert the pan. Run a sharp knife along the edges to remove the cake from pan when it's completely cool.

Verdict?
Despite the ugly outlook, the cake tasted delicious, family members like the cake as well. Dear husband commented that the cake is not fragant enough and not sweet either, my brother shared the same comment on the sweetness but I think the sweetness is just nice for me.
Overall I am happy with the result but next time, I will increase the sugar slightly and use fresh pandan leaves instead.