Throughout my blogging years, I have encountered so many different questions, comments and people.
Most people love love love asking me where did buy my breadmaker, waffle pan, pancake pan, baking pans, Pullman pan, nastar press, tart moulds, electric knife and even the most basic flour, ready-to-use puff pastry, milk powder, coconut milk, buttermilk and milk!!! Or can they substitute this with that ingredient? Always always always the same same same questions!!! Again again and again... Sounds frustrating? Well, yes but just a little because there are many people who are very encouraging, supportive and appreciative too and it feels really good reading their lovely comments and suggestions. Thank you!
And here's one good suggestion that happened...
After seeing one of my Instagram post showing a slice of Bengawan Solo pandan kaya Swiss roll that I had just before I left Singapore, one reader asked if I can replicate the same cake at home. Yes, I would love to!
Due to my bust schedule, I didn't manage to bake the cake immediately but eventually, I did!!!
And here's my version of Bengawan Solo Pandan Kaya Chiffon Swiss Roll!!!
Honestly speaking, I would say that it is probably 70% similar to the real Bengawan Solo cake. Why didn't I bake it exactly like the real Bengawan solo cake? I will tell you why...
This is my version of Bengawan Solo Pandan Kaya Chiffon Swiss Roll
It is not too sweet and is made with real pandan and gula Melaka!
This is the Bengawan Solo Pandan Kaya Chiffon Swiss Roll that I had at Changi Airport.
Look closely! I can see and taste that the Bengawan Solo pandan kaya chiffon Swiss roll ...
1) is skinless and chilled.
2) is soft and cottony but its texture doesn't look spongy or fluffy!3) has an intense green colouring and strong pandan flavouring that is obviously made with pandan paste, not the real pandan extract!4) has a pandan kaya filling that is too sweet for me.
Hmmm....
Please don't get me wrong... I like Bengawan Solo pandan kaya chiffon Swiss roll! Maybe I sounded a little too critical but I just want to bake a cottony soft pandan kaya chiffon Swiss roll that is made with REAL pandan! And its kaya filling must not be too sweet! Sounds reasonable?
Or easy? ... because some of you might think that I can easily modify a basic Asian chiffon Swiss roll at here by adding pandan into the cake and rolling it with a layer of kaya. Well, if you think so, you remind me of a reader who modified my basic Asian chiffon Swiss roll at here to bake her version of pandan Swiss roll and it didn't work. She asked me why... How would I know?
Like I always say again and again... Different ingredients can be very different! Most substitutions and modifications are NOT straightforward and easy! Please understand that any changes or substitutions can change the fiddly soft cakes very dramatically. Hence, please do not ask me if you can substitute any ingredient with another ingredient. If you want to try any substitutions, please go ahead and see how it goes... Sometimes, baking can be simply trials and errors.
Hence for this bake, I tried baking with several combinations and found two particular combinations that I really like. One is actually made with coconut milk and it has nice kueh-like texture rather than cottony soft and of course, the critical me reckon that it is not Bengawan solo enough!
THIS cake base that is made with milk is exactly cottony soft like the one that I had at Changi airport!!!! ... especially when it is nicely chilled!
However, I still think this cake is only 70% like the Bengawan Solo Pandan Kaya Chiffon Swiss Roll because mine is made with real pandan and gula Melaka (not pandan) kaya that is not sweet! And I hope that you will see the beauty of my cake as much as I do!
My cake is only 70% like the Bengawan Solo Pandan Kaya Chiffon Swiss Roll
... because it is made with real pandan and gula Melaka kaya
It is not too sweet and very very very delicious!!!
This is the cake that is served at room temperature.
The cake texture is rather fluffy and the kaya filling is semi-runny!
This is the cake that has been chilled overnight.
And only a small part of it was left! Ops!
Look closely! Can you see that its texture is more like the Bengawan one that I had at Changi airport?
YUM! I have to say both the chilled or un-chilled cakes are equally delicious!!!
Wanna bake this cake? I have a 1-minute concise video showing how I baked it.
If you want your pandan kaya chiffon Swiss roll to be 100% MORE like the Bengawan Solo one, you can:
1) substitute your 65g pandan-milk with 65g milk and a few drops of pandan paste... So, no fresh pandan, processing and squeezing are required.
2) roll your cake with store-bought pandan kaya
Easy!!!
If you want to check out my the other Peranakan-style a-little-kueh-like Pandan Swiss roll that I have baked with coconut milk, stay tune because I will share the recipe in my subsequent blog post.
If you want more of my recipes, you can follow me at either my Facebook at here or here or my Instagram @zoebakeforhappykids
Here's the recipe.
IMPORTANT: Please use the exact weight and make sure that all ingredients are at room temperature.
The Cottony Soft Pandan Cake Base
Make one Swiss roll (unrolled size: 35 x 25 cm / 10 x 14 inches)
For the pandan-milk extract:
4-6 pandan leaves
60g milk, plus extra to top if required
For the egg white mixture:
175g egg whites - about 5 large but please use exact weight.
80g caster sugar
For the egg yolk mixture:
75g egg yolks - about 5 large but please use exact weight.
65g pandan-milk extract
60g vegetable oil, preferably something light and neutral tasting - Do not use coconut oil!
90g cake flour
10g corn flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
Filling:
about 160ml (2/3 cup) kaya or more if required, store-bought or homemade with reduced sugar (see below)
Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F. Line baking tray with baking paper.
For the pandan-milk extract:
Wash and snip pandan leaves into small pieces. Place into a processor and add milk. Process to form a thick paste. Remove and squeeze out all the liquid from the paste through a muslin cloth. The amount of pandan extract yielded should be about 65g. Top pandan extract to 65g with more milk if required.
For the egg white mixture:
Using an electric mixer with a whisk attachment, beat egg whites in lowest speed for at least 10 mins to stabilise the egg white mixture.
While beating, proceed to mix the egg yolk mixture:
In a large mixing bowl, combine egg yolks, oil and pandan-milk. Use a hand whisk to mix until combined. Sift cake flour, corn flour, baking powder and salt into egg yolk mixture and use a hand whisk to mix until all are well-incorporated. Set aside.
Back to beating the egg white mixture:
Increase beating speed to the next higher speed. While beating, add sugar gradually. Increase beating speed to the next higher speed and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. The egg white mixture should be very smooth with tiny bubbles. Do not over-beat the mixture or use too high speed to beat the mixture.
Combine egg yolk and white mixtures:
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 baking tray. Use a spatula to spread the batter evenly and gentle tap the filled tray on the kitchen top to remove any large bubble.
Bake for 15-16 mins or until the cake is well-risen and fully cooked. IMPORTANT: Do not over-bake the cake or bake the fully-cooked cake for more than 16 mins especially if you are applying a thin layer of kaya filling on it. And it's ok if the top cake skin is tender to touch. If you want to know more, please read my baking tips at here.
When done, remove cake (with its baking paper) from the tray immediately and transfer it onto a wire rack to cool. After about 5-10 mins of cooling, flip the cake onto a clean cling wrap or baking paper without touching the top cake skin. Remove the used baking paper at its bottom, making sure that the bottom cake skin is entirely peeled. Use a blunt knife or spatula to scrape the bottom skin if required.
Place a clean baking paper on a wire rack, then transfer the cake back onto the wire rack with its peeled bottom facing the clean baking paper and its top cake skin facing up. Allow the cake to cool completely.
To assemble:
Place cake with the skinless bottom side down on a clean cling wrap or baking paper. Use a knife to trim off about 0.5 cm from both the shorter sides of the cake.
Spread thin layer of kaya evenly on the cake. Roll the cake from the shorter end (that is closer to you) along the longer side to form a Swiss roll.
Wrap and allow cake to firm up into its shape for at least 1 hr at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.
Trim off both sides of the cake. Slice, serve and enjoy!!! The cake is equally delicious when it is served at room temperature or cold.
Homemade Express microwave Reduced-sugar Gula Melaka Kaya
This kaya is made with less sugar because it is specially made for the assembly of this Swiss roll. With less added sugar, this kaya won't keep very well, even in a fridge for more than 1 week. Plus, it tends to look creamier with less translucent texture. If you want to make easy microwave kaya that looks and tastes like real kaya, please use the recipe at here and DO NOT reduce the sugar content!!!
Makes about 1/2 cup
50g gula Melaka, finely shaved or light brown sugar
160ml light coconut milk with 13% fat*,
2 pandan leaves, slightly bruised, shredded lengthwise and knotted
45g egg yolks, about 3 large but please use the exact weight.10g cornflour
*If unavailable, use regular coconut milk with 24% fat plus coconut water in 1:1 ratio.
Dissolve gula Melaka in 1 tbsp or any minimal amount of boiling water. Allow mixture to cool slightly.
Place 120ml coconut milk in a heat proof microwaveable bowl and cook coconut milk in microwave for 1 min with high power. Remove and stir. Repeat this 1 min high power and stir microwave step until coconut milk should be hot but not boiling. Then, add sugar mixture and pandan into the hot coconut milk.
In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks, cornflour and the remaining 40ml coconut milk until well-combined.
While the coconut milk mixture is hot, stir with a whisk while pouring in the egg mixture in a stream. The mixture will thicken slightly.
Microwave the mixture again on medium power for 30 secs. Remove and stir. Repeat microwaving and stirring step until kaya reaches its ideal smooth and creamy texture.
Discard pandan leaves once they are cooked. Cool completely to room temperature before using it to assemble the cake later.
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