If you’re looking for a buttery, light, moist and fragrant pandan cake, you’ve come to the right place! As a kid in Singapore, my mom often bought pandan cakes from the local bakery for breakfast before school. I didn’t appreciate it much when I was still living in Singapore. However, after moving to the US, I’ve found that good pandan cakes are difficult to find in Asian bakeries. As the saying goes, “the stomach always wants what it can’t have.”
This recipe is based on the wildly popular Mrs Ng Sk’s butter cake recipe. There are many versions of this recipe, but I wanted to contribute one that uses 100% pure pandan leaves without any food coloring or additional pandan extract. The cake will look less “hulk-green,” but the delicious flavor makes up for the lack of color!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need and notes for some of them:
- Coconut milk
- Pandan leaves – This recipe does not use additional pendant extract, so you’ll need to use a lot of pandan leaves. Read the notes below for more details!
- Salted butter – I recommend using good quality butter such as Kerrygold Irish. The high-fat content lends a rich, buttery flavor that compliments well with the light vanilla-scent pandan.
- Large eggs r.t.
- Granulated white sugar
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
What are Pandan Leaves? And Where Can I Find Them?
Pandan is a fragrant plant commonly used in Southeast Asian cooking and desserts. The best way to describe the flavor would be a mix of vanilla and coconut with a hint of “grass.” It adds a beautiful fragrance to the rice, so don’t sleep on it until you try it!
Pandan can be found in the frozen section of most Asian grocery stores. Refer to the photo below if you need an idea of how it looks!
Easy Ways to Separate Egg White and Egg Yolk
I would suggest using the following easy and effective methods:
- Hand-Strainer Method
It’s a little messy, but an efficient method! Using your hands as a strainer, gently hold the egg yolk in your palm. Let egg whites fall through the gaps between your fingers. Transfer egg yolk to a bowl. - Egg Shell Method
This is probably the most popular method for separating eggs. It involves titling the egg yolks back and forth between the 2 halves of the egg shell and letting the egg whites drip into a bowl. - Egg Separating Tool
With a quick online search, there are many tools to do this! There are many gimmicky ones out there, but I’m sure you’ll find one with enough raving reviews that’ll work for you.
Why Is My Cake Domed?
One of the main reasons a dome forms is the uneven cooking between the outside perimeter and the center of the cake. Naturally, the batter touching the pan will heat more quickly, so the batter at the outer perimeter will set first before the center. This is caused by an oven that’s probably too hot.
How to Prevent Domed and Cracked Cakes?
- Low and slow
Depending on the pan size, I try to bake most cakes at 325 F or lower for 50-60 minutes. This prevents uneven heat distribution, allowing the cake to be baked evenly without forming a dome. - Invest in an oven thermometer
This might sound counter-intuitive, considering that ovens have built-in thermometers to gauge temperature. However, ovens that do not have good airflow will naturally create hot and cold spots, causing inaccuracy in setpoints. An oven thermometer will ensure the cake batter is baked at the correct temperature and not in an overly hot oven.
Place the oven thermometer on the middle rack and preheat at 350 F for 15 minutes. Check temperature to determine accuracy.
Did I Fail if My Cake is Domed? Umm no…
Honestly, I don’t really think it’s something to worry about. I live in a rented NYC apartment built in the 1950s, and we don’t have the best kitchen appliances and oven. I try my best to get the temperature right with an oven thermometer, but sometimes the oven cranks up the heat mid-bake, and there’s nothing I can do about it. If you’re worried about the aesthetics, I would suggest using a cake leveler to flatten out the top of the cake. A professional baker friend uses the same tool for almost all her large cakes, and I’ve never seen her fret over a domed cake.
How Make the Cake
Cut pandan leaves into 1-2 inch small segments. Blend coconut milk and pandan leaves until smooth consistency. Use a fine mesh strainer to separate the liquid and solids. Dispose of the solid and set aside the pandan liquid mixture for later use.
Separate egg yolk and egg white into two separate bowls, making sure not to get any egg yolk in the egg whites. There are several methods to do this flawlessly. Read the post to find out more!
Combine the plain flour and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside.
Place room-temperature butter and ½ cup sugar in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat at low speed for 15 seconds, then increase to medium-high speed until light and creamy. Add egg yolks, and beat for another 30 seconds until well mixed. Mix in half of the flour mixture. Add pandan liquid and mix well. Add the rest of the flour mixture and beat until well incorporated. Set aside.
In a clean mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy. Add in ¼ cup granulated sugar. Continue to whisk until stiff peaks form (refer to photo for reference).
Transfer ⅓ of the egg white mixture to the butter mixture. Gently fold until well incorporated. Repeat with the subsequent two batches, folding gently with each batch.
Grease a 9×5-inch loaf pan with butter and line with parchment paper. Carefully pour the batter into the lined pan. Gently tap the pan to remove any trapped air bubbles.
Place in the preheated oven and bake for 50-55 minutes or until the cake tester comes out clean. When the cake is fully cooked, remove from oven and let rest in pan for 5-10 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack.
Let the cake completely cool before serving! Enjoy.
Storage
Store in the fridge in an air-tight container for 1 week. The cake can also be frozen in the freezer for up to 2 months. Use a cling wrap and store in a container to prevent frost burn. Defrost in the fridge for 24 hours before serving.
Cut pandan leaves into 1-2 inch small segments. Blend coconut milk and pandan leaves until smooth consistency. Use a fine mesh strainer to separate the liquid and solids. Dispose of the solid and set aside the pandan liquid mixture for later use.
Separate egg yolk and egg white into two separate bowls, making sure not to get any egg yolk in the egg whites. There are several methods to do this flawlessly. Read the post to find out more!
Combine the plain flour and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside.
Place room-temperature butter and ½ cup sugar in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat at low speed for 15 seconds, then increase to medium-high speed until light and creamy. Add egg yolks, and beat for another 30 seconds until well mixed. Mix in half of the flour mixture. Add pandan liquid and mix well. Add the rest of the flour mixture and beat until well incorporated. Set aside.
In a clean mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy. Add in ¼ cup granulated sugar. Continue to whisk until stiff peaks form (refer to photo for reference). Note: If using an electric mixer, ensure the paddles are clean.
Transfer ⅓ of the egg white mixture to the butter mixture. Gently fold until well incorporated. Repeat with the subsequent two batches, folding gently with each batch
Preheat the oven to 325 F.
Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with butter and line with parchment paper. Carefully pour the batter into the lined pan. Gently tap the pan to remove any trapped air bubbles.
Place in the preheated oven and bake for 50-55 minutes or until the cake tester comes out clean.
When the cake is fully cooked, remove from oven and let rest in pan for 5-10 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack. Let the cake completely cool before serving! Enjoy.
Ingredients
Directions
Cut pandan leaves into 1-2 inch small segments. Blend coconut milk and pandan leaves until smooth consistency. Use a fine mesh strainer to separate the liquid and solids. Dispose of the solid and set aside the pandan liquid mixture for later use.
Separate egg yolk and egg white into two separate bowls, making sure not to get any egg yolk in the egg whites. There are several methods to do this flawlessly. Read the post to find out more!
Combine the plain flour and baking powder in a medium bowl and set aside.
Place room-temperature butter and ½ cup sugar in a large mixing bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat at low speed for 15 seconds, then increase to medium-high speed until light and creamy. Add egg yolks, and beat for another 30 seconds until well mixed. Mix in half of the flour mixture. Add pandan liquid and mix well. Add the rest of the flour mixture and beat until well incorporated. Set aside.
In a clean mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites until foamy. Add in ¼ cup granulated sugar. Continue to whisk until stiff peaks form (refer to photo for reference). Note: If using an electric mixer, ensure the paddles are clean.
Transfer ⅓ of the egg white mixture to the butter mixture. Gently fold until well incorporated. Repeat with the subsequent two batches, folding gently with each batch
Preheat the oven to 325 F.
Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan with butter and line with parchment paper. Carefully pour the batter into the lined pan. Gently tap the pan to remove any trapped air bubbles.
Place in the preheated oven and bake for 50-55 minutes or until the cake tester comes out clean.
When the cake is fully cooked, remove from oven and let rest in pan for 5-10 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool on a wire rack. Let the cake completely cool before serving! Enjoy.
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