Pandan Layer Cake

I am a huge fan of Pandan swiss roll and the fragrant smell of Pandan leaves itself. Thanks to my dad, I can get the leaves for free just beside my house. Today I attempted the Malaysians' favorite Pandan layer cake. You can find this cake in most bakeries here and at times even as birthday cakes. The cake has two components, the chiffon base and the kaya layer. If you find sponge cake to be your  strength then you may use a sponge base. The difference being, chiffon cake is more moist and has a cottony texture. It melts in your mouth like a soufflé ! A sponge cake is more light and requires separate beating of egg-whites and folding technique. The pandan kaya or custard is what gives the cake the extra kick. It is made of creamy coconut milk, jelly powder and a thickening agent, hoen kwee flour.

Recipe

The Pandan Chiffon base

Ingredients
150g Self Raising Flour
100g Caster Sugar
80 ml Melted Butter/ Vegetable oil
50ml Pandan Juice ( blend 4 pandan leaves with 90 ml water and filter the juice)

20 ml Evaporated milk ( Or coconut milk )
1 Tbs Ovellete
1 Tsp Pandan Extract
1/2 Tsp Green Colouring
5 medium Eggs

Steps

• Pre heat oven at 170C and line 2 8inch round pans with parchment paper. ( I used one springform pan of the same size but the cake expanded above the ring)
• Gather flour, sugar, eggs and ovellete in a large mixing bowl and beat at high speed till the batter turns white.
• Add the pandan juice, extract and colouring, continue beating at high speed
• Pour in the melted butter and fold using a spatula to mix.
• Spread the batter into the pans prepared and hit downwards a few times to release air bubbles
• Bake for 40 minutes and let it cool completely.

The Pandan Kaya/ Custard

Ingredients

40 ml Pandan Juice (the remaining unused for the cake + 460 ml water)

400 ml Coconut milk ( I used 50g powder + 400 ml water )

120 g Sugar

85 g Hoen Kwee Flour

1 Tsp Pandan Extract

1 Tbs Jelly Powder 

A pinch of salt

Green colouring

Steps

• Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan and whisk until smooth.
• Heat using medium flame stirring continuously. 
• Remove from heat once the kaya boils and thickens.

Assembling the cake

• Cut the cake into layers, if you desire to make more than two.
• Find a pan or tupperware that is slightly bigger and taller than your cake pan but of the same shape.
• Put one layer of cake, and pour in the custard. Repeat with the rest of the layers and finally on the top.
• Refrigerate or keep the cake in the freezer till the custard sets.
• Remove the cake by running a knife on the edges and flip on a plate, then flip again to turn it over using another plate. ( quite a process for a delicate custard)

• Decorate the cake with jelly or desiccated coconut.
• Keep the cake chilled.

I have no complaints about the taste of the cake but the process of decorating and turning the cake could be a little hard. The custard could be soft and delicate to work with, hence it might get messy if you handle it rough. Just be extra careful with that! Otherwise the cake is easy and it tastes good by itself.

Renuka G