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–+ servings

Fluffy Pandan Chiffon Cake

Somjit Najaireeb
Fluffy pandan chiffon cake is fragrant, slightly sweet and very, very airy - almost like cotton. It's the perfect snack or even a light dessert. Serve as-is, with some whipped cream, or even ice-cream for the simplest yet most satisfying dessert!
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Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 25 mins
Cooling Time 2 hrs
Total Time 45 mins
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine Asian, Malaysian
Servings 8 servings
Calories 280 kcal

Equipment

  • Hand Blender
  • Strainer
  • Silicone Whisk
  • Stand Mixer
  • Oven
  • Weighing Machine
  • Chiffon Cake Tin
  • Skewer
  • Cooling Rack

Ingredients

US Customary | Metric
  • 1 cup cake flour
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 5 pandan leaves
  • 2/5 cup water
  • 5 eggs, medium
  • 1/2 cup sugar, granulated
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/3 cup vegetable oil, unscented
  • 2 tsp vanilla essence
  • 3 drops green food coloring, optional

Instructions
 

  • Sift the cake flour and baking powder together.
  • Make the pandan juice. Cut the pandan leaves roughly. Add 25ml of water, and blend until very fine. Strain the fibres, squeezing the pulp to get as much juice as possible. It should amount to 100ml of pandan juice. If there is not enough, add more water.
  • Break the eggs and separate the whites from the yolks. Be careful not to break any yolks during this process. Set the egg whites aside.
  • Add 1/4 of sugar, all the salt, vegetable oil, pandan juice and vanilla essence to the yolks. Whisk until fluffy and well-combined.
  • Dump in all the flour and mix gently until just combined.
  • Add egg whites and 1/4 of sugar into the stand mixer with a balloon whisk attached. Start the whisk on low speed, slowly moving it to high. When the foam is getting thicker, add another 1/4 of the sugar.
  • When the foam is opaque white and starting to become glossy, add the rest of the sugar. Let it continue whisking for another 3-4 minutes.
  • Optional: gradually stop the machine and add the food colouring. Let it whisk for about 30 seconds to evenly distribute the colour. Switch off the machine and set aside.
  • Pre-heat the oven to 150°C/ 302°F.
  • Add 1/3 of the whipped egg whites to the yolk mixture. With a whisk, carefully and gently mix the batter while aerating it. Once combined, add the rest of the egg whites and slowly mix until smooth. Smoothen any lumps present in the batter.
  • Slowly pour out the mixture onto a clean chiffon cake tin without parchment papers laid or grease on the sides. Carefully turn the tin to level the batter out.
  • Place the tin in the centre rack of the oven and bake for 20 - 25 minutes. Poke the centre of the cake to check for doneness. If it comes out dry, the cake is done.
  • Remove the cake from the oven and place it upside down on a cooling rack. Let it cool completely for about 2 - 4 hours.
  • Once cooled, run a small, thin knife along the edges of the cake tin. Optionally, cut the top part of the cake to level it. Detach the cake from the sides, and run the knife along the bottom as well.
  • Flip it onto a serving plate and cut into the desired serving sizes. Serve as-is, with fresh berries, whipped cream, or ice-cream.

Notes

Tips
  • Make sure the bowls housing the egg whites are clean and grease-free. The presence of oils or fats interferes with its ability to become a smooth and glossy foam.
  • Use a separate bowl to separate the egg whites from the yolks, in case any yolks break and contaminate the egg whites. Do not use egg whites that have been exposed to broken egg yolks as they contain traces of fats. 
  • Try not to overmix the yolk mixture once the sifted flour is added. Over-mixing encourages gluten to form, which makes the chiffon cake dense and chewy, instead of melt-in-the-mouth and fluffy.
  • While food colouring is optional, it is recommended for a lovely bright green pandan cake. Without it, the cake appears to be a golden chiffon cake due to the egg yolks.
  • Add 1/3 of the whipped egg whites first to make it lighter and easier to mix with the rest later on. Use a hand whisk to mix it together, bringing up the mixture at every turn to aerate it.
  • As it bakes, chiffon cakes cling to the sides of the pan and remain stuck to it while cooling. This keeps its structure and height, preventing deflation.
  • Different ovens tend to have different internal temperatures - so the cake can be done earlier or later than the time set. Use a skewer to test the doneness of the cake.
  • Flipping the cake tin upside down as it cools reduces the influence of gravity, which prevents the cake from deflating on itself.
Storage Instructions
This pandan chiffon cake can be kept refrigerated once cooled for about 2 - 3 days. Freezing is not recommended as thawing can change the texture to be wet and mushy.

Nutrition

Calories: 280kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 27gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 133mgSodium: 73mgPotassium: 51mgFiber: 1gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 113IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 20mgIron: 1mg
Keyword baking, chiffon, pandan leaves
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