Recipe: Pandan Chiffon Cake - Bánh bông lan lá dứa

By Helen Le Published: December 5, 2014

  • Prep: 25 mins
  • Cook: 25 mins
  • Ready In: 50 mins

  • Yield: 1 loaf (8 Servings)

Light, fluffy and airy like a piece of cloud with slight aroma of pandan and coconut 😉

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Ingredients
Instructions
  • Just grease the bottom of the pan so it's easier to unmold later and leave the sides ungreased. (If you use chiffon pan with removable bottom, you don't need to grease the pan at all. The cake needs support from the pan to cling on to when it rises)
  • Preheat your oven to 160°C / 320°F Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Don't let any egg yolk drop into the egg white. A safer way is to separate the egg yolk over a small bowl. If the egg white is clean from the egg yolk then you can add it into the large bowl.
  • Use an electric mixer to beat up the yolks. Gradually add in one third of the sugar while beating. Continue beating till the sugar is dissolved and the yolks turn pale and creamy. Then gradually add the oil and coconut milk and continue beating.
  • Also add 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp pandan extract. (If you prefer using fresh pandan leaves then chop them up and blend with coconut milk. Then extract the green juice and add to the recipe in the same amount as the coconut milk)
  • Gradually sieve in the flour and corn starch and mix well. Do this in a few batches to avoid big pockets of flour. Mix until you see no white color of the flour, then you will get a very thick and glossy batter. Remove the beaters from the mixer. Wash them clean and wipe dry.
  • Start beating the egg white on low speed to avoid splashing and gradually turn to high. Beat on high until you see many big bubbles. Then add cream of tartar or lime juice and a pinch of salt. Continue beating on high speed. Gradually add in the rest of the sugar and beat until stiff peak is formed.
  • Mix the egg whites into the egg yolks in 3 batches using folding method. Fold gently to keep as much of the air in the egg white as possible. Fold about 100 times or until fully incorporated. Drop the bowl gently 2 times to break the big bubbles.
  • Pour the batter slowly into the baking pan from 1 feet high to break the big air bubbles. Jiggle to level the surface, then drop the pan 2 more times and run a chopstick around the cake pan to break all the big air bubbles if there's any left.
  • Place the cake pan right in the middle of the preheated oven. Bake at 160°C/320°F for 50 minutes or until the toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean.
  • Take the cake out of the oven and immediately turn the cake over and let it rest UP SIDE DOWN on a rack or on a bottle of wine (to prevent it from collapsing).
  • To unmold, run the knife along the sides, hold the cake pan at a 45° angle and give it a good whack. Repeat after rotating the pan each 1/4 turn.
  • Cut out a slice and enjoy the light, fluffy and airy cake with some whipped cream or a cup of tea.