Pandan chiffon cake

Pandan chiffon cake is very popular in Malaysia and Singapore and the surrounding countries. It is made with the pandan plant (pandanus, or screw pine). The leaves have a sweet flavour and it is extensively used in cakes and savouries. The juice is also used as a green colouring. You can find pandan leaves in Asian supermarkets and they can be costly. I use pandan essence instead; this can be found in Asian supermarkets as well.

Unbalanced

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Step 1

Preheat oven to 180 C / Gas 4.

Step 2

For the cake, in a bowl or mixer, mix together all the dry ingredients till combined.

Step 3

Make a hole in the centre and add in 6 of the egg yolks (refrigerate the extra egg yolk until further use, within a day or two) coconut oil, pandan extract, vanilla extract and the coconut milk. Beat until smooth, scraping down the side of the bowl as needed.

Step 4

In a separate bowl, whisk the 7 egg whites at high speed until foamy. Add in the cream of tartar and continue to whisk until soft peaks form. Gradually add in the sugar and whisk until almost stiff peak forms. Remember to scrap the side and bottom to ensure a good mix.

Step 5

Mix 1/3 of the egg whites into the yolk mixture with a spatula or whisk taking care not to deflate the. Repeat the rest and just mix until well blended.

Step 6

Pour the mixture into an ungreased 25cm chiffon cake / tube tin. Bake until a skewer comes out clean, 50 to 60 minutes.

Step 7

Remove from the oven and immediately turn the tin upside down to cool.

Step 8

Let it cool thoroughly for about 1 to 1½ hours.

Step 9

To remove the cake from the tin, run a spatula or a thin knife along the inside of the pan and along the tube. Again use the spatula to gently dislodge the cake from the bottom pan by ‘cutting’ through as close to the pan as possible. Invert onto a greased wire rack.

Step 10

Dust the top with icing sugar.

Step 11

Serve with fruits and ice cream or custard. I serve it with 0% fat yoghurt.