Pandan Chiffon Cake

 斑斓戚風蛋糕

This recipe produced the best chiffon cake that is very soft and moist! I adapted from oladybakes who uses the cooked dough (烫面) method where the flour is slightly cooked in hot oil.

Ingredients

60g cooking oil (I use sunflower oil / coconut oil)

100g cake flour (I use Prima top flour)

4 egg yoks

5 egg whites

1 tsp fresh lemon juice (you can replace with 1/2 tsp cream of tartar if you have it)

70g caster sugar

1 tsp of pandan extract

95g coconut milk

1/4 tsp salt

1 spoonful of love

Method

A. To make pandan extract:

I have ready access to pandan leaves as I grow my own pandan plant. Blend 2 bundles of pandan leaves (about 12-15leaves) with 200ml water, squeeze the pulp and filter the pandan water using a fine mesh sieve. Store the pandan water in a container and keep in fridge for at least two days for the pandan extract to settle to the bottom of the container. The thick dark green sediment (see red arrow) is the pandan extract.

B. To make chiffon cake:

1. Stir pandan extract and salt into coconut milk and set aside.

2. Heat up the oil to 60+ deg cel. Add sieved cake flour and use a whisk to combine. Add the pandan coconut mixture (step 1) and whisk to combine. Add in the egg yolks one at a time, and whisk to combine. You will get a smooth and thick batter like this:

3. Use hand or stand mixer to whisk the egg whites, lemon juice and sugar (add in 3 batches) to stiff peak.

4. Take 1/3 of the meringue and whisk into the batter (step 2). Then pour the batter into the meringue and use spatula to fold in gently but quickly. 

5. Pour into cake tin and bang the tin a few times on table top to remove air pockets in the batter. Bake at 150 deg cel (top and bottom heat, no fan) for 30 - 35 minutes. Each oven is different, so please adjust baking temperature/time accordingly.

6. Invert the tin to cool the cake. Unmould the cake and serve.

Note to self:

- step 2, when pandan coconut mixture is added, the mixture will become thick and paste-like.

- step 5, 20cm cake tin