Yes, I am.
Especially the one that is so soft, fluffy and tender? With its texture like cotton?
YUM!!! YES, please!
Just like the iconic Bengawan Solo pandan chiffon cake that is highly recommended by CNN as it is named as the Singapore's national cake at here?
Oh! YES, please!
Guess what? I have found IT!!!
A recipe that can bake a pandan chiffon cake that is so soft like the Bengawan Solo one.
Not bragging but I have to say that mine is even better because it is made with heaps of REAL pandan leaves!!!
Like Bengawan Solo Ultimate Soft Pandan Chiffon Cake
You can't imagine how I happy I am when I found this recipe!!! Or can you? I was so wrapped that I had to sing "I'm the one" by DJ Khaled and Justin Bieber... LOL!
Although I don't wish to exaggerate or make too big claim about this recipe, I'm 100% sure that this cake is absolutely fight-able with the well-reputed Bengawan solo pandan chiffon cake.
It is ultimately soft and tender! Even better because I have loaded my cake with heaps of real pandan leaves. So you can imagine... Every slice of my cake is so fragrant!!!
How and why this recipe?
Originally, I thought that the pandan chiffon cake that I have baked from here (original from ieatishootipost) was actually good enough to satisfy my pandan chiffon cake craving. Not anymore...
After optimising and creating a series of ultra soft chiffon cakes at here (banana chiffon cake), here (honey chiffon cake), here (cranberry yogurt chiffon cake), here (cocoa chocolate chiffon cake), here (milk chiffon cake), here (pandan chiffon cake with milk) and here (orange chiffon cake), I have finally found THIS recipe!!!YES! This is the recipe that bakes the SOFTEST and BEST pandan coconut chiffon cake that I have ever baked!!!
Absolutely... A MUST TRY recipe if you crave to eat Bengawan solo pandan chiffon cakes!
Believe it or not...
This pandan chiffon cake is really as soft and tender as the Bengawan solo ones!
I'm sold!!! Are you?
Important baking tips?
Not being fussy here but I must emphasize that the success of creating this ultimately soft texture in the pandan chiffon cake is very highly depending on these following essential steps:
Tip One: The Egg White Mixture
Like my other ultra soft chiffon cakes, this cake contains NO cake-rising ingredients like cream of tartar and baking powder as I believe that these cake-rising ingredients tend to make the cakes structurally stiffer and kill their ultimate softness! With NO chemical agents added to stabilise the cake structure, the success of this chiffon cake depends highly on the egg white mixture used and please be aware that beating the egg white mixture into its best form is very essential!
To achieve that, I would strongly encourage you to stick to my peculiar way of beating your egg white mixture...
- Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites in the lowest speed for at least 10-15 mins to stabilise the mixture.
- Then, increase beating speed to next higher speed and while beating, add sugar gradually.
- After all of the sugar has been added, increase beating speed to the next higher speed and continue to beat until stiff peaks form and the meringue should be smooth with very tiny bubbles.
- Never beat the egg whites with too high speed and never over-beat the egg white mixture!!!
Tip Two: The Sugar Added
The sweetness of the cake is just right for us but regardless of the sweetness of the cake, please DO NOT reduce this amount of sugar added as this is the most ideal amount required to beat the egg white mixture into its best form.
Tip Three: Coconut Milk
Yes that I have to agree that the canned coconut milk is not as fresh, fragrant and natural as the freshly squeezed ones but we all know that the water and fat content of coconut milk from different coconut can often vary dramatically. For this reason, I like to strongly stand by my point that it is the ultimate consistency that I'm after. You know... Ingredients that will give us successful results at all times!!!
So for this bake, I'm using canned fat reduced coconut milk with 13% fat - please check the product label. If unavailable, you can substitute 120g fat reduced coconut milk with 60g regular coconut milk with 24% fat plus 60g coconut water.
Tip Four: Pandan Paste
It was funny that my Aussie colleague told me that she can't find any pandan paste that is made with real pandan. I laughed hysterically and told her that ALL pandan pastes are NOT REAL!!!
The only way to incorporate REAL pandan into pandan cakes is to extract pandan juice from real pandan leaves and then incorporate the juice into the cake.
Gosh! Tell me about it. Extracting enough pandan juice from these tough leaves can be so tricky. To avoid any wastage, I prefer to extract pandan juice with the coconut milk that I was going to add into my cake and it has worked well for me.
Tip Five: Baking Temperature and Time
Due to maximal amount of liquid added, this cake will rise rapidly during baking and will shrink after cooling. For this reason, I prefer to bake the cake in a slightly lower oven temperature at 160°C then 150°C and baked it a little longer for at least 65 mins. Having said that, different ovens can be different and I know that my current Ariston oven is typically warmer than some ovens. Thus, if you think that your oven is not strongly heated like mine, you might want to bake yours at 170°C then 160°C. Please do not bake the cake for less than 60 mins as this is the minimal baking time required to bake such a large cake with a large amount of moisture.
If you prefer your chiffon cakes to have absolutely no cracks at all, you can try baking the cake below 150°C but please beware that the cake will need a longer time to bake and if the your oven temperature is too low, the cake will not rise properly.
Tip Six: The Usual
Not to nagging but these are usual baking tips that I always mentioned for baking my other ultra soft chiffon cakes...
- Please do not unmould the cake by pressing it!!! To unmould, please use a blunt thin plastic spatula or knife to run along the cake's edges and gently push the cake out from the pan. Plus, please use a serrated knife to slice the cake.
- This recipe makes one tall and perfect 8-inch (20 cm) chiffon cake. So, please do not ask me to calculate the amount of ingredients required to bake your chiffon cake in different sizes. To do so, you can either 1) prepare the same amount of batter and bake a smaller cake using your larger pan or 2) prepare the same amount of batter and use partial the amount to bake a smaller cake cake using your smaller pan or 3) buy a 20cm chiffon cake pan.
- Last but not the least, please use the exact weight of the ingredients and make sure that all ingredients are at room temperature.
Have you follow my recipe and baking tips to the tee?
Yes and you will be enjoying this ultimate soft pandan chiffon cake!
Here's a quick video showing how I baked this ultimate soft pandan chiffon cake.
Happy National Day, Singapore!!!
To celebrate this arriving special day, I have baked this ultimate soft pandan chiffon cake that tastes just like home.
Here's the recipe.
IMPORTANT: Please use the exact weight and make sure that all ingredients are at room temperature.
Makes one tall and perfect 8-inch (20 cm) chiffon cake
For the egg yolks mixture:
9 fresh pandan leaves120g coconut milk, fat reduced with 13% fat plus more if required*
90g egg yolks (about 6)
30g neutral tasting vegetable oil
120g cake flour with 8% protein
1/4 tsp salt
For the egg white mixture:
200g egg whites (about 6)120g caster sugar
*If unavailable, use 60g regular coconut milk with 24% fat plus 60g coconut water.
Preheat oven to 160°C/320ºF.
For the egg yolks mixture:
Using a kitchen scissor, snip pandan leaves into small pieces and place them into a blender or a processor container with 120g coconut milk and process. Place blitzed pandan over a muslin cloth and squeeze out the pandan-coconut-milk juice. Use only 120g of the juice. Top the mixture with extra coconut milk to 120g if the extracted juice is less than 120g.Place the extracted juice, egg yolks and oil in a large mixing bowl and use a hand whisk to mix until everything is combined.
Sift the cake flour and salt into the egg mixture and use a hand whisk to mix until batter is smooth. Set aside.
For the egg white mixture:
Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites in the lowest speed for at least 10-15 mins to stabilise the mixture. Increase beating speed to the next higher speed. While beating, add sugar gradually. Increase beating speed to another higher speed and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. The meringue should be very smooth with tiny bubbles. Do not over-beat the mixture.Using a hand whisk or a spatula, gently fold in the egg whites to the egg yolks mixture in 3-4 batches. It is ok to mix the 1st batch of egg white more vigorously into the egg yolk mixture but the subsequent portions must be folded in very gently. Make sure that most of the white is not visible after folding.
Pour batter into an un-greased 20 cm chiffon tube pan. Give the pan a gentle tap and use a skewer to draw a zigzag on the batter surface to remove any large air bubbles. Bake at 160°C for 10 mins, then reduce temperature to 150°C and bake for another 55 mins or until it is thoroughly baked. Cover the top of your cake very loosely with a piece of foil when it turns brown too quickly at the last 15 mins of baking. IMPORTANT: This cake has high liquid content and needs to be baked for at least 60 mins in total.
After baking, invert the cake immediately to cool on a wire rack. Allow the cake to cool completely in the pan before removing it from the pan. Important: Do not unmould the cake by pressing it! To unmould, please use a blunt thin plastic spatula or knife to run along the cake's edges and gently push the cake out from the pan.The cake is fragile and so it is easier to slice with a serrated knife. Enjoy!
Store any uneaten cake in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. You will be surprised and delighted that the cake can stay so soft and moist even after the 3rd day of bake!
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