Pandan Chiffon Cake
Thanks again to the lovely Penny for hosting the International Incident Party. I forgot about the cooking party for a while there, but I’m hopefully back for good.
Ahhhhh nostalgia! I managed to fill a whole page with meals I loved growing up. I always think back to eating noodles at my aunty/godmother’s house. She makes the best noodles, and boy have I eaten a lot at her house. She can even make amazing bee hoon with just a microwave, so I found out when we were in Rockhampton.
Learning to use chopsticks at a very early age; I have a better photo somewhere but couldn’t find it.
Celebrated my first birthday with a fruit cake, somewhere in the Flinders Ranges on one of our many camping trips. How cute does my mum look?
Still love eating sweet corn from the cob. I don’t sit on the floor to eat them these days. Perhaps I should, for old time’s sake.
However, pandan chiffon cake was a clear winner. When mum used to drag take me along to the Chinese grocery store, I always looked forward to getting a chiffon cake. We always called it sponge cake, and I remember loving the green one! Sadly these days, I never seen them in the stores, you’d probably have to go to an Asian bakery to find one.
After cruising the internet for some recipes I dug up Poh’s cookbook to see if she had a recipe. It is very similar to her orange chiffon cake which I’ve had much success with, so I gave it ago. The main difference is using the pandan paste instead of the orange juice and zest, and some measurements are varied. Unable to find pandan paste, I used pandan essence and some green food colouring.
Overall result? I was transported back to childhood immediately! After finally taking time to analyse, the only difference was the ones we used to buy were more light, but I think I can still achieve this if I beat the egg yolk and sugar more than I did. My Non-Asian Hamsley LOVED it, and now loves pandan flavour (the Asian vanilla as Poh refers to it). I was super impressed with the height and texture and will definitely not be my last time baking it.
Pandan Chiffon Cake
Poh Ling Yeow
10 egg whites (at room temperature)
1 teaspoon cream of tartar, sifted
145g caster sugar
10 egg yolks
210ml coconut milk
90ml vegetable oil
145g caster sugar
1 teaspoon pandan paste
300g self raising flour
pinch of salt
1. Preheat oven at 160°C fan forced/180°C regular.
2. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar with an electric mixer till soft peaks. Add sugar one tablespoon at a time a beat thoroughly after each addition till you achieve stiff peaks. Set aside.
3. In a separate bowl whisk egg yolks with caster sugar till fluffy. Add coconut milk, vegetable oil, pandan paste and self raising flour and whisk until combined. Gently fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture 3 batches.
4. Pour into a 22cm chiffon tin (do not use non-stick and do not grease). Bake for 1 hour or till skewer comes out clean.
5. When cake is out of the oven, immediately invert the cake still in the tin, and place on a cooling rack and leave to cool completely (about 1 1/2 hours).
Serves 8-10.
*edit 18/05/11 – I made this again a few weeks ago and beat the egg yolks and sugar extra well and the result was SO light and fluffy, just like the ones you used to be able to buy at the store!
To see what everyone else got nostalgic about check out their posts:
Mez
That looks beautiful, I saw it on Twitter and thought it looked amazing.
Can’t wait to give this a go!
xo
Mez
SHIT your Aunty can make vermicelli with a freaking MICROWAVE?!!?
Holy Moly!
msihua
I must admit.. when people say chiffon cake, I always only think of orange or pandan cake… so I grew up thinking it was always that! Love the colours.. so vibrant… save some for me!!!
Martyna (Wholesome Cook)
Wow, Shellie! The cake looks delicious and the pictures of the little you are so cute! “I don’t sit on the floor to eat them these days. Perhaps I should, for old time’s sake.” – I used to do this too, but not sure I’d be flexible enough nowadays to sit in that particular fashion for fonger than 10 seconds. Heh heh
kristy @ ksayerphotography
I love the colour of this!
Your photos are too cute! I love going through old photo albums
penny aka jeroxie
Ha… love the old photos! And I love that pandan is Asian vanilla. how how true!
Mardi@eatlivetravelwrite
You – and your mum – are adorable and that cake? WOW!
ck
The cake looks gorgeous, I love the green and it does look light and airy. Your childhood photos are lovely and yes, your Mum looks very cute. Camping in the Flinders, that brings back many memories…
Hannah
Gorgeous photos!! I would give so much to try a slice of this, as I’ve been intrigued by pandan and by chiffon cakes for years now, but have yet to come across an opportunity to try either. I’m scared of making such a light cake, too!
Michelle
I love pandan chiffon cake too! I’ve visited several blogs doing the IIP nostalgic thing and I realized how many things can be so darn nostalgic!
Jasmine
I have been thinking of baking this for awhile as I got Poh’s cookbook for xmas and have not tried anything yet.
I couldn’t find pandan paste either but picked up the essence…do you think you could use olive oil instead of veg oil, or do you think it will affect the flavour?
Iron Chef Shellie
Hi Jasmine,
Olive oil will make there be an olive oil taste, you need a neutral oil like vegetable or rice bran oil for this one 🙂
Quay Po Cooks
When it cones to chiffon cakes, I only want pandan. Yours looks yummy! Your little precious is so adorable. I wantbto give herba hug.
Erin@TheFoodMentalist
I love the colour! I didnt know that Pandan was the asian version of vanilla? wow thats so cool. I will have to investigate 🙂
leaf (the indolent cook)
Oh, lovely! I haven’t had this for awhile, and how I do miss it!
Soy @ honeyandsoy
I love pandan chiffon cake too! Note to self- do not visit food blogs with a nostalgic theme in the middle of the night as it causes massive cravings!
Alana
This looks really interesting, I’ve never eaten green cake before! One day I’ll have to try it (with an extra boost of insulin haha) xx
Biren @ Roti n Rice
First time here and you have a lovely blog. You remind of a school friend whos is alsoMalaysian/Swiss and lives in Melbourne now.
Your pandan cake looks wonderfully soft and light. I am impressed with the height. Very cute childhood pictures!
Trix
I have only been introduced to pandan in the last few years, and it is absolutely fabulous. It has the clear advantage over vanilla thanks to its fun color!! And yes, your mom is adorable, and so are you!
Heidi - Apples Under My Bed
I love that you grew up eating this. It seems so exotic to me! I am fascinated with other cultures. & you’re right, your mum is so sweet in that photo. But you are possibly the cutest kid EVER. Seriously, it’s ridiculous haha. Thanks for the recipe 🙂
Heidi xo
Nancy/SpicieFoodie
Your childhood photos are adorable! I love your pandan chiffon cake, looks perfect and delicious.
Shirley
Cute pictures. Love the green cake.
tinytearoom
this definitely brings back a lot of memories from my childhood. This cake looks exactly like the one I use to eat. Well done!
Jackie
I stumbled upon pandan essence the other day (in a RANDOM shop that I also stumbled upon), I think I now have a use for it!
A Canadian Foodie
I love pandan and this is a perfect St. Patrick’s Day cake!!!
Love chiffon cakes and the colour is gorgeous!
🙂
Valerie
(Such a cutie eating your corn!)
angie
Have not had a pandan chiffon in years! It sure does bring back nostalgia 😉
What a cutie you were when you were little! (Not saying you’re any different now =p ). Have been meaning to try and bake my own one day, thanks for reminding me about it.
Kayla @ Fitter Than Choc
Ooohh, you look like a total angel. Great job on the pandan cake. I don’t think I’d have the courage to bake a cake as light and fluffy as this. At least not for now. It’s just beyond my baking abilities. I’d be saving this recipe though, lest any of my friends need a pandan cake recipe. I wish I could have a taste of it!
Susan
I see this cake at bread top all the time and I must buy one next time I am there. Yours looks delicious!
kirbie
I love pandan chiffon cakes. Yours came out beautifully.
Karly
Oh my goodness, your pandan cake looks beautiful!! I’ve got to try this recipe out.
carine
Your pandan chiffon looks really greeny-pretty..I love eating pandan chiffon since I was 3…my mum bought them as my birthday cake..(it’s cheap), she was so happy that year…hahaz
Agnes
YAY cute baby pictures! 😀 God, I love chiffon cake.
muppy
Looks great, I have Poh’s book too, i’ll have to look. Have you used coconut flour? How much coconut flour do you think i could get away with using in this recipe, maybe 75g coconut 225g plain?
Raymond
That looks absolutely fantastic!!! I am definitely looking forward to try it! Do you know what does the cream of tar tar does to the meringue mixture? Is it very important?
Iron Chef Shellie
I think it helps keep it stiff and firm.
cHrIstInA_YY
Woah!~ Thank you very much for the recipe! I really miss pandan chiffon cake so so much xD
Tess
Really looks yummy!thanks for sharing your recipe.i will definetely try this one but would like to use pandan juice .How could i inconcorporate the pandan juice in your recipe?i cant find pandan paste in my area just pandan essence.
Iron Chef Shellie
Hi Tess, thanks for your comment. I’m not sure, as I’ve never worked with pandan juice. I only used Pandan essence instead of the paste when making this recipe. I substitute it and use green food colouring to get the colour.
mfsa
hi,im making it right now,but its in the oven for close to 2 hrs already and it is still liquidy.i used cake flour since i didnt have self raising and all purpose flour.did that mess it up?the color and texture outside of the cake right now is just so pretty.i just wish it be done already.
Iron Chef Shellie
I’m not sure, did you beat your egg whites till they were stiff? Did you add baking powder/soda to make the plain all purpose flour have a raising agent?
Mel
Hello,
For the baking powder, is it supposed to be teaspoon or tablespoon?
I’ve made the cake before, it was amazing however I didn’t add so much baking powder.
Thanks for the recipe. 🙂
Iron Chef Shellie
Sorry, teaspoons! will fix the post now 🙂
sandy sevilla
Hi, did you use cake flour or all purpose flour? How many tsp of pandan essence did you use? Thank you!
Iron Chef Shellie
Just all purpose plain flour. About 1 teaspoon of pandan essence 🙂
Mary @ Fit and Fed
The pandan has me intrigued, I’ll have to see what I can find at my local Asian grocery!
Becky pepper
I just ordered pandan paste on Amazon. Saw a cake on Australian Masterchef program and wanted to try it.
Joan Carroll
The cake us so good but why did it stick to the pan? Do I have to grease the pan?
Iron Chef Shellie
It always sticks to the pan. Use a thin knife and run it around the edges to release the cake from the side of the pan 🙂