An iconic sweet cake in South East Asia, pandan chiffon cake is a unique treat! Rich with Asian flavours of coconut milk and pandan juice, it is moist, creamy and just perfectly sweet! It has the cotton-soft, smooth, light and fluffy texture of Asian-style chiffon cakes!
While we’re into this circuit breaker, I really started getting into my chiffon cake recipes! I’d always been looking to put aside some time to update some of the most popular ones on the blog, especially this pandan chiffon. Not only is it an iconic South-East Asian sweet cake, pandan chiffon cake is hailed as Singapore’s national cake!
In my humble opinion, the pandan chiffon cake is truly unique and extraordinary. And I know this sweet treat resonates with so many of you from the wonderful comments I’ve received over the years. As pleased as I was with how well that recipe was received, I just knew it could be even better!
Having been extremely encouraged by my success with my chocolate chiffon cake recipe adjustment a couple of days ago, I was ready to put forward my updated pandan chiffon cake! And I think you’ll find that this is my best ever, yet!
Why the pandan chiffon cake is so loved
For many of us, the pandan chiffon cake isn’t just one of a repertoire of Asian desserts. It is endearing in its appeal because it embodies the vibrant and diverse culinary heritage of South-East Asia.
It is a result of combining the Western technique that we have come to know of as the chiffon method in cake baking, with the rich and bold flavours of traditional Asian ingredients.
Pandan chiffon cake is moistened and flavoured with coconut milk and pandan juice. These render the cake its rich and creamy flavours, unmistakable green hue, as well as a unique aroma and taste.
So, what you have in pandan chiffon cake is a wonderfully delicious confection with an ultra airy and fluffy crumb, and an extremely tender and smooth, velvety texture.
As a chiffon cake, it is really light! You are literally eating tiny pockets of air! Pandan chiffon cake is my favourite, delicious lower-calorie snack.
I have to say that the flavours of coconut and pandan in this version is not too rich, nor heavy on your palette. This is simply how my family enjoys it.
If you like your pandan chiffon cake tasting richer, you can use pandan extract in place of pandan juice.
Also, the pandan paste can be increased a tad, but not too much, bearing in mind that the colour will also be much more saturated.
What is pandan?
Pandan refers to a herbaceous tropical plant native to South-East Asia. We love it for its unique flavour and sweet fragrance, which makes it popular for cooking as well as baking purposes.
Whole pandan leaves can be used to infuse liquids such as sweet soups with its fragrance and flavour. In cooking, we use it also to wrap savoury foods like meat and sticky rice in Asian cuisine.
For this recipe, we’re using the juices of the pandan leaves to infuse the chiffon cake with its beautiful greenish hues, flavour and aroma.
Ingredients for pandan chiffon cake
Chiffon cakes have two parts to making the batter. The meringue which is a stiffly beaten mixture of egg whites with sugar, and often (though not always) stabilised with cream of tartar.
Then, there’s the rest of the ingredients that make up a thick batter made with eggs yolks, liquids (water / milk / juices / extracts), sugars, oil and flour.
Here’s what you need for the meringue
- Egg whites
- Sugar
- Cream of tartar
Here’s what you need for the pandan batter
- Cake flour (Don’t have any? You can easily make cake flour from scratch!)
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Egg yolks
- Sugar
- Coconut milk (I highly recommend KARA brand)
- Pandan juice (or pandan extract)
- Pandan paste (added to infuse colour and bolder pandan flavour)
- Oil
Step-by-step: How to bake pandan chiffon cake
Part 1: How to extract pandan juice (pandan extract)
- Cut cleaned pandan leaves into 2-cm (1-inch) sections.
- Place into a blender or food processor and add water.
- Process into a fine pulp.
- Scoop out the pulp into a metal sieve, placed over a bowl to catch the juices.
- Press against the pulp, with the back of a metal spoon to strain the juices.
- Set aside the amount needed. Store the rest in an air-tight jar and keep chilled for up to 5 days.
If you want a more distinct pandan flavour, you can use pandan juice in a concentrated form by rendering natural pandan extract. Here’s how:
After extracting pandan juice, store in a jar with an air-tight lid. Let it sit overnight, or for at least 18 to 20 hours. The water will separate from the darker green, heavier sediment at the bottom.
Without disturbing the sediment, simply scoop out or pour away the water, leaving behind the natural pandan extract. Just be sure that when pouring away the water, you leave behind enough for the recipe in mind.
Use pandan extract in place of pandan juice in the recipe for a more distinct flavour. For a more vivid green tint, even bolder pandan flavour and fragrance, add between 1/4 – 1/2 tsp pandan paste.
Part 2: Make the batter
- Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until thick and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Step 2: Stir in the coconut milk, oil, pandan juice and pandan paste. Stir with a whisk until until well combined.
- Steps 3 & 4: Add the sifted flour mixture in 2 additions.
- Steps 5 & 6: Stir with a whisk until all the flour is incorporated and no streaks of flour are visible. The mixture should be thick, smooth and free of lumps.
Part 3: Whip up the meringue
When whipping up meringue, make sure your mixer bowl is dry and grease-free.
The meringue is probably the most important aspect when baking a chiffon cake. In fact, getting the meringue at the ideal stiffness is crucial to the final texture. And it can sometimes feel a little tricky.
The ideal stiff peak stage is somewhere between medium and firm stiffness. When you lift some meringue with the whisk (flick away excess), it should hold a firm shape from the base towards the tip, and droop over just a bit. Basically, it looks a bit like a small hook at the tip.
A finger test is equally effective. Use your index finger and tap the meringue in a couple of places. You’ll see the same half-curl or hook at the tip if its at the ideal stiffness (see photo #4 below).
- Step 1: In an electric mixer fited with a whisk attachment, pour in egg whites and sprinkle cream of tartar over.
- Step 2: Whisk on medium speed until the whites start to turn frothy.
- Step 3: Add sugar bit by bit in a steady stream.
- Step 4: Whip until stiff peaks form. This may take 5 to 7 minutes, depending on your mixer and speed.
Part 4: Folding the meringue into the batter
- Steps 1 & 2: Add ⅓ of meringue (whipped egg whites with sugar) to the batter. Fold in gently with a whisk until well incorporated.
- Steps 3 & 4: Add another ⅓ of the meringue and again, fold in gently in a uniform and consistent motion.
- Steps 5 & 6: Add the remaining meringue and fold in gently. The final batter should feel light, and have no visible streaks of meringue.
Part 5: Baking and cooling
Filling the pan
Pour into the chiffon tube pan from one place, and let the batter spread to fill the pan. Gently running a thin spatula in an ‘S’ motion throughout the batter helps reduce large air pockets.
Then smooth and level the surface. Finally, give the pan a few taps on the counter top to minimise air pockets.
Baking
Bake on the lowest rack in an oven preheated to 170°C (338°F) for 45 to 50 minutes, or until done. DO NOT open the oven door.
Only do so about 5 minutes before the end of baking, to check if the cake is done. When a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean, the cake is baked through.
Note: A bit of cracking on the surface of the cake as it bakes is perfectly alright!
Cooling
Once the cake is taken out of the oven, immediately invert the pan with it’s funnel over the neck of a bottle.
If your tube pan has ‘feet’ like the one I use, simply invert over a cooling rack. Chiffon cakes need to ‘hang’ until completely cooled.
To release the cake, run an offset spatula gently around the sides of the pan, pressing against the pan as much as possible. Then invert the pan again so that the bottom is now facing up.
Gently tap or push the pan’s base to loosen the cake from the sides of the pan. Then run the spatula around the base to release the funnel.
Chiffon cake is served ‘upside-down’.
How to store pandan chiffon cake
Pandan chiffon cake will keep well at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, including the day it is baked. Due to the coconut milk content, this cake is best kept in an air-tight container and chilled to extend its freshness.
Have it out at room temperature 20 minutes before, though it’s also really enjoyable when eaten chilled!
Chiffon cakes, in general, are suited to freezing for up to two months. To freeze, allow the cake to cool completely. Wrap it loosely, but completely sealed, in several layers of cling wrap so as not to damage its shape. Then, wrap in a final layer of aluminium foil, and place it in the freezer.
When you’re ready to tuck into it, thaw out the frozen cake at room temperature for 2-3 hours, or until it comes to room temperature.
Tips for Making Perfect Chiffon Cake
1. Use the right pan
Chiffon cakes are best baked in a chiffon tube pan without non-stick coating. This is because the batter needs to cling to the sides of the pan as it rises, which is what gives the cake its height and airy crumb. The best pans are made of aluminium with a removable base.
Baking in dark-tinted pans will give you a darker cake crust, while non-tinted or light-tinted pans will yield a lighter crust, in general. Be careful as dark-tinted pans could also be non-stick, so avoid these for chiffon cakes.
Do not grease the pan, for the same reasons that you would not bake in a non-stick cake pan.
2. Use the appropriate pan size
In order for the cake to rise proud and tall, use the appropriate sized pan. When filled with batter, the pan should not be more than 3/4 full.
3. Have ingredients at room temperature, including eggs
Cold egg whites do not whip up as well, so it won’t trap as much air as egg whites at room temperature.
4. Whip meringue to the ideal stiffness
An under-whipped meringue will lack volume and not rise as much, producing a cake with a denser crumb. On the other hand, if over-whipped, the meringue will form clumps when you try folding into the batter, and is harder to break down.
Because it takes more effort to incorporate, there’s a tendency to over fold. This can result in an over-worked batter, causing the meringue to lose volume. Thus, resulting in a denser cake as well.
In fact, even if you manage to fold without losing too much air, an over-whipped meringue is one of the most common reasons why chiffon cakes turn out dry.
5. Sift powdered ingredients together
Mix powdered ingredients like flour, baking soda or baking powder (or both) and salt. Then sift together. This will give you a smoother and finer cake crumb and enable the cake to rise evenly and uniformly.
Remember the cream of tartar is for whipping up the meringue, so do not add it here.
6. Do all your mixing, stirring and folding with a whisk
I strongly recommend folding with a whisk. In baking school, we were encouraged to fold all our meringues with whisks!
The whisk helps incorporate meringue more easily and thoroughly, with minimal loss of volume due to the inherent shape and structure of the whisk. At the same time, it helps to reduce air pockets in the batter, so big gaping holes in your chiffon cake can be avoided.
7. Invert the chiffon pan once out of the oven
Remember, chiffon cakes need to ‘hang’ in an inverted position until completely cooled.
Here are more recipes to inspire you:
- Homemade Nonya Kaya (Coconut Jam)
- Sweet Mung Bean Soup with Sago Pearls
- Pandan Raisin Bread with Crumble Topping
- Coffee Chiffon Cake
Tried this recipe? I’d love to see! Remember to share your pics on Instagram and tag @foodelicacy or #foodelicacy.
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Pandan Chiffon Cake (Updated Recipe)
An easy-to-follow recipe for pandan chiffon cake which makes a rich, moist, just perfectly sweet chiffon that's cotton-soft light and fluffy, and wonderful aromatic!
Ingredients
For the pandan juice:
- 10 pandan leaves, washed and cut into 2-cm lengths
- 5 tbsp water
For the batter:
- 5 egg yolks
- 45 g caster sugar
- 85 ml coconut milk (I recommend KARA brand)
- 3 tbsp plus 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 1 tbsp pandan juice
- ¼ - ½ tsp pandan paste
- 100 g cake flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
For the meringue:
- 5 egg whites
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- 55 g caster sugar
Instructions
Make pandan juice:
- Place chopped pandan leaves into a blender or food processor and add water. Process to a pulp.
- Place the pulp in a metal strainer. Press the back of a spoon against it to obtain the juice. Set aside 1 tbsp. The leftover can be kept chilled.
Make the batter:
- Preheat oven to 170°C (338°F). Position the oven rack on the lowest in the oven.
- Have a 20-cm (8-inch) chiffon tube pan ready. DO NOT GREASE.
- Sift together the cake flour, baking powder and salt.
- In a separate, large mixing bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until thick and fluffy, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk, oil, pandan juice and pandan paste. Stir with a whisk until until well combined.
- Add the sifted flour mixture in 2 additions. Stir with a whisk until all the flour is incorporated and no streaks of flour are visible. The mixture should be thick, smooth and free of lumps.
Make the meringue:
- Fit an electric mixer with a whisk attachment. In a dry, grease-free mixer bowl, pour in egg whites and sprinkle cream of tartar over.
- Whisk on medium speed (speed 4 on my Kitchen Aid). When the egg whites become frothy, add sugar bit by bit in a steady stream. Whip until stiff peaks form. This may take 5 to 7 minutes, depending on your mixer and speed.
Fold the meringue into the batter:
- Add ⅓ of meringue (whipped egg whites with sugar) to the batter. Fold in gently with a whisk until well incorporated.
- Add another ⅓ of the meringue and again, fold in gently.
- Add the remaining meringue and fold in gently. The final batter should feel light, and have no visible streaks of meringue.
- Pour into the chiffon tube pan from one place, and let the batter spread to fill the pan.
- Gently run a thin spatula in an 'S' motion throughout the batter to reduce large air pockets. Smooth and level the surface. Give the pan a few taps on the counter top to minimise air pockets.
Baking and cooling:
- Bake on the lowest rack in the oven for 45 to 50 minutes, or until done. DO NOT open the oven door. Only do so about 5 minutes before the end of baking, to test if done. The cake is done when a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Note: A bit of cracking on the surface of the cake as it bakes is perfectly alright!
- Immediately invert the pan over a bottle neck once it is removed from the oven. Allow it to 'hang' until completely cooled.
- To release the cake, run an offset spatula gently around the sides of the pan, pressing against the pan as much as possible.
- Then invert the pan again so that the bottom is now facing up. Gently tap or push the pan's base to loosen the cake from the sides of the pan. Then run the spatula around the base to release the funnel.
- Chiffon cake is served 'upside-down'.
Notes
Storing pandan juice: The unused pandan juice can be stored in an airtight container and chilled in a refrigerator. It will keep well for up to 5 days. If pandan juice is unavailable, you may use 3/8 tsp of pandan paste in place of 1/4 tsp pandan paste.
1. Use the right pan
Chiffon cakes are best baked in a chiffon tube pan without non-stick coating. DO NOT GREASE THE PAN.
2. Use the appropriate pan size
In order for the cake to rise straight and tall, use the appropriate sized pan. When the pan is filled with batter, it should not be more than 3/4 full.
3. Have ingredients at room temperature, including eggs
Cold egg whites do not whip up as well, so it won’t trap as much air as egg whites at room temperature. When blooming cocoa, remember to allow it cool to room temperature before incorporating it into the rest of the batter.
4. Whip meringue to the ideal stiffness
5. Sift powdered ingredients together
This will give you a smoother and finer cake crumb and enable the cake to rise evenly and uniformly.
6. Do all your mixing, stirring and folding with a whisk
The meringue will incorporate more easily and thoroughly, with minimal loss of volume due to the inherent shape and structure of the whisk. It also helps reduce or eliminate air pockets in the batter.
7. Invert the chiffon pan once out of the oven
Once removed from the oven, immediately invert the pan over a bottle neck once it is removed from the oven. Or if you have tube pan with ‘feet’, invert the pan over a cooling rack. Allow it to ‘hang’ in this position until completely cooled.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 110Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 118mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 0gSugar: 9gProtein: 3g
All nutritional values are approximate only.
Hi Sun, thank you very much for sharing. It’s fascinating to know you can bake in pressure cookers these days! Also, thank you for sharing the amount of lakanto and extra tips! Appreciate it so much! Keep sharing your baking stories, ya? Take care!
Hi Celia, for the batter i used 35gm lakanto and for the meringue its 45gm lakanto.
I used Philips pressure cooker. It has a “bake” function. I set it to 52 mins baking time, seal at “bake”. And when baking is completed, i switched off the power, leave cake in the cooker for another 10 mins and then only open the lid. Once again, thanks so much for the recipe. Ive gifted quite a few cakes last week 😁
Hi Jessie, the trickiest part of a chiffon cake is commonly the meringue. Dense crumb could be the result of an under-whipped or over-worked meringue. The meringue either didn’t hold as much air as it optimally could (under-whipped) or lost the trapped air during the folding process (over-worked). The cake crumb should be moist, might even feel a bit damp when first removed from the pan, but not soggy. Soggy crumb could be due to under-baking. You can try whipping the meringue using caster sugar (the finer sugar particles will cut through the egg whites more effectively) and be gentle with the folding. Also, baking times can vary from oven to oven, so you may need an extra 5 to 10 minutes of baking to allow the moisture to escape. Hope this helps with your next bake!
Hi Sun, I’m so thrilled this recipe worked out so well for you and your son enjoys it! Thank you for taking the time to write to me. I learnt something new from you – I’ve never baked in a pressure cooker before nor have I used lakanto. I’d love to know how you do it! Did you use a regular pressure cooker? I have one but never imagined I could use it for cakes.
Hi Celia, thanks so much for sharing your recipe. Just tried your recipe. My first ever chiffon cake! Baked in pressure cooker and replaced sugar with lakanto. Great success. My son gave his seal of approval.
Hi there ! My cake came out dense and soggy :/ any tips/idea why and how can I fix this ?
hello celia! i tried this pandan chiffon cake and it tastes amazing. but sadly it’s still a little bit wet on the bottom of the cake eventho i put 50 mins inside the oven with both fan top and bottom. do you have any solution to this? thank you very much!
Hi Rachel, I haven’t used sugar substitutes like sweeteners, so I can’t say for sure how the texture and moistness will be affected. You could try whipping the egg whites with agave, I’ve read that it does work. You can replace coconut milk with regular milk, though of course the rich and creamy flavour won’t be quite there for a pandan chiffon cake. Hope this helps!
Hello celia, wanna ask if sugar can be replaced with sweeteners as for diabetics patients and also isit possible to omit the coconut milk?
Hi Seraph! Thanks so much for writing in! Using home-made pandan extract alone, without the pandan paste, may not render such a vivid green tint, and will be mild in flavour. But if you wish to use this alone, here is a modified 3-eggs recipe for an 18-cm chiffon pan. For the batter: 3 egg yolks; 30 g caster sugar; 50 ml coconut milk (3 tbsp + 1 tsp); 30 ml oil (1 tbsp); 2 tbsp home-made pandan extract; 65 g cake flour; ½ tsp baking powder; ⅛ tsp salt. For the meringue: 3 egg yolks; ¼ tsp cream of tartar; 35 g sugar. Hope this works out well!
Hi Celia, thank you very much for this very detailed and clear recipe! I would like to omit the pandan paste and use purely homemade pandan extract. May I know how much pandan extract should I put in order to get more visible green tint & pandan flavor? I only have a 18cm chiffon pan.
Hi! Thank you for sharing! There are varying flour to eggs ratio for chiffon cakes, and these all make good chiffon cakes too. It’s a personal preference, I feel, how you enjoy the texture of a chiffon cake. Personally, I go by fats (including liquids, but not eggs) to flour ratio, rather than flour to eggs. For me, I like chiffon recipes with a minimal ratio of ⅔:1 liquids + fats to flour. As for the dark crust, it’s more to do with the tube pan you bake in. I baked the same recipe in a dark tube pan, and it had a nice, deep browning all around the sides. I prefer the dark crust, but my 8-inch (20-cm) aluminum tube pans don’t render the browning as deeply. Hope this helps! Take care and stay safe too!
Hi Celia, came across your Pandan chiffon cake blog recently . Just wondering , I notice that some chiffon cake uses more flour & egg ratio . For 7 eggs recipe it’s about 3/4 cup cake flour. Can u comment on why is that so?
Will definitely try your recipe . Also , how come your chiffon do not have a dark crust ? Like that very much .
Thanks for sharing, stay safe.
Hi Ping, greetings! Yes, you can definitely use pandan essence. I’m not sure if your essence is clear or green-coloured. If it’s clear, then you may wish to add a few drops of green colouring to get the characteristic green pandan hue. I would start with 1 – 1½ tsp pandan essence. Hope this works out well for you! Happy baking and stay safe!
Hi Celia – I’m from the States and don’t have pandan leaves or pandan paste, but I do have pandan essence. Would that work for this recipe? Instead of 1 TBSP pandan juice and 1/4-1/2 tsp of Pandan paste, can I replace with pandan esscence and how much should be used?
Hi Jaslyn, thank you for sharing! I’m happy to hear you enjoyed this pandan chiffon taste and texture. It’s natural for the cake to rise quite a bit and then lose a bit of height towards the end of baking as the cake structure reaches stability. If your crumb was airy and fluffy throughout the cake, and not dense or compacted towards the bottom when inverted, meaning the top is now the bottom, then it’s a good and successful bake. I can think of a few possibilities if the cake didn’t rise quite as tall: (1) meringue might have lost a bit of volume during the folding process, thereby losing some trapped air bubbles; (2) meringue could have been slightly under-whipped so it hasn’t reached the optimal amount of trapped air bubbles; (3) may need to check if your baking powder is still active, or might have lost some efficacy. I hope these can help you with your own observations when you next bake it again! I’d love to hear from you how it goes!
Hi Celia, thanks so much for this recipe. I tried and it turned out soft and yummy. There’s just one part that isn’t satisfactory. My cake didn’t rise as much as yours. May I know how to create a tall chiffon cake like yours?
Hi Min, I’m happy to help in any way I can with your baking adventures! Have a wonderful weekend and stay safe!
Hi Ann, thank you for your kind words of sharing and encouragement! So thrilled this humble recipe can bring you and your family enjoyment and happiness! Have a wonderful weekend, and happy baking!
Celia – many thanks for all your hard work to put out such a thorough and detailed recipe! We had this all the time as kids and I’m so chuffed to be able to recreate it for my family and my little girl. Thank you!!!
Hi Celia, thanks for the 6-inch chiffon pan measurements! My chiffon cake finally finally came out fluffy and moist 🙂 For your other chiffon cake recipes (looking at attempting the chocolate one next!), would it be ok to use roughly the same measurements for the 6″ tin as this and just tweak them accordingly?
Hi Celia, thank you for your advise. I will try again cos is really very delicious! Thank you very much 🙏
Hi Min, thanks so much for sharing! I haven’t encountered the sides ‘cracking’ open before. I can’t say for sure but this may be due to uneven folding of meringue into the batter. If the cake dropped out shortly after inverting, this is possibly due to under-baking or baking in a pan that has a bit of a non-stick coating.
Hi Celia! I finally tried your chiffon cake recipe! But I used a 23cm mould recipe which you advice others. Is delicious and end product looks presentable even though encountered some problems…😅
1. The upper SIDES split open during baking (like a cartoon froggy opening its mouth smiling☺)
2. The cake dropped out after I turned it upside down for maybe around 15 mins..
May I know what could have gone wrong? Seeking your advice. Thank you!
Hi Min, welcome! Sure, you can try these quantities for a 6-inch chiffon pan. For the batter: 2 egg yolks; 20 g sugar; 35 ml coconut milk (2 tbsp + 1 tsp); 20 ml oil (1 tbsp + 1 tsp); 1 tsp pandan juice; ¼ tsp pandan paste; 40 g cake flour; 1/2 tsp baking powder; pinch of salt. For the meringue: 2 egg whites; ¼ tsp cream of tartar; 25 g sugar. Bake with top and bottom heating mode, but without fan-assist. Hope this work out for you, Min, I’d love to know how it goes! Happy baking!
Hi Celia, I’m a newbie in baking but I would like to try your recipe.. I only have a 6inch pan to start with…. May I request for the amount of ingredient needed. And I don’t know if my question is silly or not…😅 May I ask for the oven mode. Top n bottom heat setting? Should I on the fan or not? Appreciate if you can answer my query…. 🙏
Hi Wendy, thank you for persevering with this recipe. I’m happy to hear you like the flavour! I’d really like to help. I’m wondering if you took pics of your cake you could share? You could email me at [email protected]. Because there could be a few possible causes, I’ll try to cover these in a separate email to you. I’ll be in touch soon.
Hi Celia, your recipe taste really fragrant and it rises well too . Unfortunately I have tried a few times but I always get dense bake – there will be some part that is still wet , the bottom esp (which means the top when it is in the oven ) , what could be the reason? I use TOP and bottom heat at 170 deg and my baking time is extended to 85mins , still the same . Thanks in advance for your advice .
Hi Mel! Thank you so much for trying this out! The substitutions sound good! If you find that the cake didn’t rise much, the likely issue is the meringue. Could have been slightly under-whipped, or perhaps its volume was lost a bit when folding into the batter. Less likely issue, but possible, is the efficacy of the baking powder. Glad it looked and tasted fine!
Hi Celia, thanks for the detailed recipe! I tried it today and made 2 changes: coconut oil and 2 tsp pandan powder instead of juice and paste. My tube pan is 23cm. Resulting cake didn’t rise much unfortunately. Taste and look fine. Oh well.
Hi Cecilia! What kind of pan size do you have? If you scroll through the recent comments at the end of the recipe post, I’ve given ingredient measurements for various pan sizes in response to several readers. Let me know if you’re in need of any help.
Hello Celia,
Thank you for sharing your recipe but I am unable to find the pan size you used for this, please help 🙏🏻😊
Hi Val, you can use 1/2 tsp pandan paste, or even a tad more. I wouldn’t put too much as colour-wise, the green colour could be a bit much unless you don’t mind. Happy baking!
Hi Celia,
I would like to fully omit the dandna juice. How much pandan paste do I have to add in?
Hi Angela, thank you very much for sharing! So thrilled to hear your bake was successful! Keep sharing your stories, ya? Happy baking and have a great week ahead.
What a great recipe! Thank you for the step by step instructions, excellent photos and easy to understand recipe. I have always wanted to make a chiffon cake but assumed it was too difficult. Then I came across this website and thought I’d give it a try. Fantastic results, my family and friends love the chiffon cakes I’ve made. Thank you again!! 🙂
Hi Sofia! Thank you so much! I hope the pandan cake turned out well for you if you tried it. I will definitely try to put up an angel food cake recipe, and am adding it to to my list right away. Stay in touch and keep baking! Have a lovely weekend!
Hello Celia
Thank you for sharing the recipe. The cake looks superb. I’m making this today.
Would you be very kind to post an Angel Food Cake recipe, please? That’s on my wishlist (to bake and to eat!).
You sounded so lovely in all your comments, by the way.
Have a nice day ahead!
Hi Eunice, thank you for sharing! A sticky and crumbly texture is new to me, to be honest. Chiffon cakes are kind of tricky because there could be not just one, but a combination of several factors. The most common issue has to do with how well the meringue was whipped. If under-whipped, it could cause a dense and compact cake texture. The second is an overworked batter, which usually happens when there’s too much folding causing the meringue to lose volume – this too, results in a dense and compact crumb. The third has to do with oven temperature (some ovens have hot spots which means that baking can be uneven) and baking time, especially if not long enough for the sides and centre of the cake to bake through completely. Hope these give you some idea!
hi! Thanks for sharing this recipe! Mine came out really sticky and crumbly so it doesn’t look too nice when I scrapped it out from the tin. Had a hard time scrapping it out though the texture and taste are all ok! What could be the reason may I ask?
Hi Ping, sure! If it’s a 10-inch (23/24 cm) tube pan, use these amounts – For the batter: 7 egg yolks; 65 g sugar; 120 ml coconut milk; 20 ml pandan juice (1 tbsp + 1 tsp); 70 ml oil (4 tbsp + 2 tsp); 1/2 – 3/4 tsp pandan paste (your preference) ; 140 g cake flour; 1/4 + 1/8 tsp salt; 1 1/2 tsp baking powder. For the meringue: 7 egg whites; 3/4 tsp cream of tartar; 80 g sugar. Happy baking, Ping, and wish you every success!
Hi Celia, can I check if i have a 10 inch tin instead, how do I calculate the ingredients to make it work? Thank you!
Hi Jamie, that’s so wonderful to hear! Congratulations! You could also reduce the coconut milk a bit (say, 105 ml instead of 120 ml) if it was a bit moist. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Celia
I used your 6eggs recipe & it turned out well, I baked for 60mins & texture is abit moist so maybe I should bake abit longer next time. Thanks again for sharing this recipe & of coz it’s going to be my to go chiffon recipe for my family!
Hi Doreen, thank you for writing in! Yes you can replace the coconut milk with full cream milk, though the cake won’t have quite the flavour intended. I suggest adding a bit more pandan paste as well if you prefer. Hope you’ll like it!
Hi Jamie, sure. Try this – For the batter:6 egg yolks; 55 g sugar; 120 ml coconut milk; 60 ml oil (4 tbsp);1/2 tsp pandan paste; 120 g cake flour; 1 1/4 tsp baking powder; 1/4 tsp salt; For the meringue: 6 egg whites; 3/4 tsp cream of tartar; 70 g sugar. Bake at 165 to 170 deg C, for 50 mins to 55 mins, depending on your oven. I usually start checking at 45 mins, then every 5 mins after, until cake is done. I’d love to hear how it turns out! Happy baking, Jamie!
Hi Celia,
Thanks for the detailed sharing! Just wondering whether I can substitute the coconut milk with milk instead? Tks ☺️
Cheers,
Doreen
Hi Celia
Thanks for your reply. Do u hv a 6 eggs recipe? Coz I feel 7 eggs seem abit too much for my pan. And what’s the baking time for both? I have been using your bread recipe & my family loves it, its my to go bun recipe now. I hope your this pandan chiffon will be my to go chiffon recipe too. Many thanks again for working out the recipe for me.
Hi Jamie, you can certainly omit the pandan juice. For a 23/24 cm chiffon tube pan, you can use these amounts. For the batter: 7 egg yolks; 65 g sugar; 120 ml coconut milk; 70 ml oil (4 tbsp + 2 tsp); 1/2 – 3/4 tsp pandan paste (your preference) ; 140 g cake flour; 1/4 + 1/8 tsp salt; 1 1/2 tsp baking powder. For the meringue: 7 egg whites; 3/4 tsp cream of tartar; 80 g sugar. I hope you can succeed with my step-by-step visual guide! wish you every success, Jamie!
Hi Celia
My chiffon pan is 23cm, how to adjust the recipe & what’s the baking time? Can I omit the pandan juice & use only the pandan paste? I have tried a few recipes but always failed. Hopefully yours will work for me. Thanks!
Hi Neha, that’s awesome! Here are the amounts adjusted for a 17-cm tube pan. For the batter:3 egg yolks; 30 g sugar; 50 ml coconut milk; 2 tbsp oil; 2 tsp pandan juice; 1/4 to 1/2 tsp pandan paste (to your liking); 60 g cake flour; 1/2 tsp baking powder; 1/8 tsp salt. For the meringue: 3 egg whites; 1/4 tsp cream of tartar; 35 g sugar.
Hi Samantha, I haven’t tried using coconut cream because product brands do vary in how they classify coconut cream as coconut milk, and vice versa. But I believe coconut cream will work fine!
Is coconut cream able to be substituted in place of the coconut milk?
Hello Celia:
thanks for the detailed instructions and photos. I plan to make the cake as soon as I get my pandan flavor bottle.
I have a 17 cm pan. Could you please help me with the correct ratio of all ingredients. Thanks much.
Neha
Hi Jessie, you can substitute with lemon juice or vinegar. The recommended substitution ratio is 1:2; meaning if the recipe calls for 1/2 tsp cream of tartar, replace with 1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar. Happy baking!
Hi Celia,
Can I replace cream of tartar with baking powder or baking soda?
Thanks to advise.
Regards,
J
Hi Pamela, so glad to hear it! Thank you so much for sharing, and I hope you can leave a star rating and review for this recipe, it would mean so much! Have a great week ahead and stay safe!
Hello Celia,
Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. It worked out really well!!! My family enjoyed it a lot!
Much appreciated!
Hi Fel, sure you could! Coconut oil would add its own flavour and should work nicely here with the coconut milk. I use large eggs, typically between 56 to 62 gm each.
Hi Celia, is it ok to use coconut oil i/o veg oil?
and wad are the size used for the eggs?
Hello celia, May i use coconut oil instead of veg oil?
and wad size of the eggs shld be used? 🙂
Hi Celeste, adding more pandan juice might throw off the ingredient ratios a bit as there would be too much liquid. There would need to be some compensation by adding more flour/egg whites. Even then, the pandan flavour might not be as pronounced compared to pandan paste. But if you want to try, may I suggest using 1 tbsp concentrated pandan juice or extract, as explained in my post. Hope this helps. Whichever you decide, I hope it turns out well!
Hi Celia, can i replace pandan paste with more pandan juice? Will omitting it result in lack of pandan flavour?
Hi Sally, it’s generally recommended not to open the oven door during the baking process, especially during the first half of the baking period for a chiffon cake. This is around the 20-22 minute mark, so it’s probably about there as well in the videos you refer to. So it’s not that you cannot, just that a sudden temperature fluctuation in the oven can cause the cake to collapse. I personally don’t cover chiffon cake when baking, and some cracking is normal. Hope this helps!
Hi Sally, I wouldn’t recommend using self-raising flour as the cake won’t be as tender. You might be better off making your own cake flour, using plain flour and corn starch (my recipe post has a link to an article that shows how to make your own cake flour). If you use self-raising flour, you may want to replace 1 – 2 tbsp with corn starch, as well as reduce baking powder and the salt a bit. I haven’t tried this myself, so I can’t determine the quantity exactly.
Whats the reason why do not open oven door during baking?
Some video says cover woth alu foil from the start to prevent top cracking and remove foil aft 20mins. What do u think?
If I were to self raising flour instead of cake flour, will it be the same amount of flour, no need baking powder? What about salt?
Hi Wenny, no worries! I wish I had a 24-cm tube pan to bake in! For the batter: 7 egg yolks; 65 g sugar; 120 ml coconut milk; 70 ml oil (4 tbsp + 2 tsp); 20 ml pandan juice (1 tbsp + 1 tsp); 1/2 tsp pandan paste; 140 g cake flour; 1/4 + 1/8 tsp salt; 1 1/2 tsp baking powder. For the meringue: 7 egg whites; 3/4 tsp cream of tartar; 80 g sugar. You can still make the pandan juice as per the original amount, as there is more than for what you need here.
Hi Celia
so sorry, i posted in review instead of comment!
I just wanted to check if i have a 24cm tin instead, how do I calculate the ingredients to make it work? Thanks so much and so sorry for boo boo!
Hi! This sounds like the problem of oven temperature being too hot, so the cake rose too quickly and then collapsed before the end of baking. An oven thermometer is highly recommended because oven temperatures can lose their calibration, so this is to be sure if your oven is at the temperature setting that you want it to be. If your oven temperature is accurate, and the cake still collapses mid-baking, try baking at a lower temperature, 165°C. Baking times may vary also if baking in a regular pan, may take slightly longer. Also, it’s necessary that the pan you use, even if it’s not the chiffon tube pan, does not have a non-stick coating. I hope this helps!
Hi,
I have followed all the measurements correctly except I baked on a normal pan instead of a tube pan as I don’t have one. The cake rised beautifully mid baking but it sank later on. May I know why?
Hi! You could in fact, omit entirely or substitute. Cream of tartar helps to stabilise whipped egg whites so you can get those nice, firm peaks and the trapped air will be more stable. If you choose to omit, you might lose a little air when folding into the batter, so the cake might not rise as much as it potentially could. The other option is to substitute every 1/2 tsp cream of tartar with 1 tsp lemon juice or white vinegar, as they have the same acidity as cream of tartar. It should have minimal impact on the overall flavour, and are usually handy in the kitchen.
Hi Evanni, reduce the recipe ingredients by 20%. For the pandan batter: 4 egg yolks, 36g sugar, 65 ml coconut milk, 40 ml oil (2 tbsp + 2 tsp), 2 1/4 tsp pandan juice (or pandan extract), 1/4 tsp pandan paste, 80g cake flour, 3/4 tsp baking powder, pinch of salt. For the meringue: 4 egg whites, 1/2 tsp cream of tartar, 45g sugar. You can still make the same amount of pandan juice than what is needed in the recipe, if you’d like to keep extra on hand for other uses.
Hi Celia, I have only 7 inch pan, how should I reduce the ingredients please?
Thanks in advance
Hi! What if I don’t have cream of tartar? Can I omit it or should substitute?
Hi Charmaine, I would use 1.5 times the amounts in the recipe – it’s just easier to handle. You might have some extra cake batter left over after filling a 23-cm chiffon pan. You could fill in paper or cupcake muffin moulds, and bake separately after the cake. It’ll take much shorter time.
If you have a 23cm chiffon pan instead of a 20cm – how would you adjust the recipe for a bigger pan?
Hi Liz, coconut oil should work out fine, and I think even better for flavour! Over folding can cause the batter to lose trapped air (volume), or could be the egg whites were either slightly underwhipped or overwhipped. If you had blobs of beaten egg white in the batter which required more folding on your part, to incorporate into the batter, that would be a sign of overwhipped whites. Because you have to work in more folding, the batter could lose volume resulting in a denser texture. Does this help?
Hi Celia, Tried the recipe and cake turn out fine except a little dense. What could be the problem? Is it with the folding? And I used coconut oil instead of corn oil.
Hi Rachel, from my experience, this could happen if the oven temperature is too hot, so the top of the cake expands and rises too quickly before the base and sides have baked through, then deflates. This could leave you with a dense base. It could also be due to placing the cake pan too close to the top heat, so usually, I place my cake pan on the lowest rack in my oven. It could also be due to how well you beat the egg whites, and the technique of folding it gently into the batter so that you don’t lose too much of the trapped air bubbles in the whipped egg whites, which helps the cake to rise evenly and uniformly. Hope this helps!
Hii!! I have tried it but ny cake deflates after rising while still in the oven! Why does that happen? Also its de se at the bottom!
Hi Connie, sure you could. Cover loosely over the top and sides with clingwrap, but sealed around the base at the edge of your plate, so as to prevent the cake from drying out. Hope this helps!
Hi thanks for your quick reply. Can I just put it on the kitchen counter top, cover it loosely, if I don’t have a such big air tight container? Will it be ok? Thanks
Hi Connie, it should be fine when kept overnight at room temperature, if stored in an air tight container in a cool, dry place. The cake has to completely cool down to room temperature before storing so as to avoid moisture building up in the container. I usually store the cake in the fridge after a day out (if there’s even any left?), and when you want to eat it, I find it’s as good after microwaving for 10 to 15 secs on medium high. Enjoy!
Hi may I know how I can store the cake? Will it be ok to keep the cake on the counter top (spore is very humid n hot) for just 1 day (make on thu, consume on fri)? I think putting it in the fridge will change the texture. Thanks
Hi Celia, Last week, I started to bake your Pandan chiffon cake using exactly your recipes and steps and it was the best Pandan cake I ever made. I surprised myself even when I tasted it and so did my Family. You know how many other Pandan recipes I have tried and it fell short. I baked two cakes using your recipes within 1 week. Thank you for your sincere sharing because for us amateur bakers, the best bake made our ingredients and efforts worthwhile. To everybody reading this post, just trust this recipe and enjoy.
Hi Hui Ling, I usually buy pandan paste from Phoon Huat outlets, or from NTUC supermarkets – any brand will do. When it comes to coconut milk, I highly recommend the KARA brand, but again, any packet brand should be fine.
Hi, which brand of Pandan paste do you use and where do you buy from? Coconut milk can be the usual Thai coconut milk in UHT brick packets?
Hi Bel, coconut oil sounds interesting, though generally speaking, vegetable oils with neutral tastes are recommended. But since this chiffon cake uses coconut milk, I’d be interested to know if the flavour of coconut oil intensifies the overall flavour of the cake, so I hope you can share if you do try this.?Happy baking!!
Hi, can i use coconut oil instead of canola/sunflower oil?
Hi Ana, wow!????? That’s so wonderful to hear! Congratulations.. the credit is all yours as you must have followed the recipe carefully and handled the batter perfectly to get it soft and fluffy! Generally, egg yolks, oil and sugar give the cake it’s moistness, whipped egg whites and leavening agents like baking powder, cream of tartar, etc, gives it the volume (rise and fluff) and flour provides the structure. The use of cake flour which has a lower protein content compared to plain flour, is also what gives the chiffon cake it’s soft and tender texture. If you find your batter less fluffy than usual, the common causes are usually under-whipped egg whites (i.e. not stiff enough) or over-folding the whipped whites, or over-mixing the cake batter – these all lead to loss of trapped air bubbles and thus less volume = less height = more denseI texture.? Hope your second attempt goes perfectly! I’d love to see your bakes so if you’re on Instagram, feel free to #foodelicacy, ya??
Hi Celia, I tried this recipe and it was a success. I selected this for my first baking session with my bestie. I gave the cake to my colleague and frends. They said it was yummmm…and it’s super soft!! I love it. What gives it the softness? egg white or the oil? & while typing out this, my 2nd attempt is in the oven! However, this time the batter was abit less fluffy then the prev time. Hope it turns out fine! Hope to bring over to my cuz place later. ?
Hi Wati! Yayyy! So happy to hear that! Thank you so much for trying out the recipes and for leaving your comments. You’re a gem!
Hi Celia!
I tried the coffee chiffon cake too! It turned out beautiful. I love your recipes, will try more. hehehe. Thank you!
Hi Wati, thank you so much for your feedback! So thrilled to hear it turned out well for you! Thanks for trying this recipe, and if you try other recipes as well, please keep your feedback coming!?
Hi Wati, that’s wonderful to hear! Thank you so much for giving this recipe a go!? please keep your comments coming, ya?
Hi Celia!
I love your recipe! I’m a beginner at baking but managed to somehow bake this successfully ?
Everyone who tasted it, love it! Thanks to u!
Ok, thanks.
Hi celia,
May I know if it’s OK to use 50g eggs? Or do I need to use 60g eggs?
Hi Fiana, I think you could get away with 5 egg yolks and 6 egg whites if you’re using smaller 50gm eggs.?
Hi Celia,
Thanks for reply so soon. I shall try again and bearing in mind the pointers that you raise. Thanks !
You’re most welcome, Stella! Keep at it, okay, you WILL succeed!????
Hi Stella, using a slightly larger cake pan would impact baking time, i.e. shorter baking time. Doesn’t sound like this posed a problem.?
Hi Stella, thank you for writing! Sorry to hear that, but believe me, I’ve had the same issues before. Chiffon cakes MUST be inverted once they’re out of the oven to let it ‘hang’, so you did identify the problem correctly after your first attempt, and inverted it on your second attempt. To prevent chiffon cakes from falling or slipping out of the pan while inverted, try to use a cake pan without non-stick coating (the cake needs to ‘hang’ or stick onto the sides as it rises and later, when it’s inverted). Using a chiffon or tube pan would be best. Do not grease the sides or base of pan. It could also be that the cake was not baked long enough, or the temperature was too low, or the egg whites were not whipped enough to stiff peaks. Over-whipping would result in a drier cake, so if your cake was still moist but a little dense, it’s likely an underwhipped egg white issue. I realise there could be various contributing factors, so hope I’ve helped you identify what the possible issue or issues might be.
Hi Celia,
Thanks for the flavourful recipe ! I love the taste but I was not successful even after 2 attempts. Both occassion, the cake raised after baking. The first time, I did not flip over and it shrunk. Second time, I inverted the cake tin immediately after taking out from the oven. The whole cake fall off after like 5 minutes. What could have gone wrong? Over whisking of egg white or the folding was not complete and thorough?
Hi Celia,
I have forgotten to mention that I used a 23cm cake tin with your recipe for 100g flour. Could the tin be oversize?
Hi Catherine, it sounds like the egg whites might have been over-whipped if the cake rose and then sank after cooling, and also if texture turned out dry. Try whipping to stiff peak stage – this is when you lift the whisk and turn it upside down, the egg whites on the whisk should hold its shape straight up, and maybe droop just a little at the tip. Also, another readon that the cake could sink is if the egg whites were not folded evenly or well enough into the batter. Hope you keep trying – chiffon cakes are a little tricky and takes practise to get it right, but you will get there!??
my pandan cake rises but it sink after over turn to cool. texture dry. surprisingly top did not crack.
Hi Celia, aw..bummer, sorry to hear that?. It’s hard to say without seeing it first hand. When you say it didn’t rise straight, did you mean it was lopsided? It could be that the batter wasn’t made level all around in the pan before baking. If it was level, then the next issue could be that it might not have been baked long enough. You also need to invert the cake pan immediately when it’s done baking and out of the oven, and let it cool completely inverted. If you did all that, then the usual issues with chiffon cafe could likely be that the egg whites were not beaten sufficiently to just stiff peaks, or over folding the batter which could cause the cake to lose volume and become denser. It’ll help a lot if you could tell me what the texture was like.
I tried your recipe and it didn’t turned out right, my chiffon cake, doesn’t look good. It’s not raise straight. What you think, cause of this? Please help.
You’re most welcome, Fenni! I wish you success! Do feel free to ask me anything, I’m happy to help!
Thanks for your prompt reply. This is certainly helpful. Happy baking! =D
Hi Fennie, sounds like you’ve got a 24-cm chiffon tin – it’s the wider base of the chiffon tin, which also becomes the base or bottom of your cake when turned over, that’s considered as the size of the chiffon tin. This is usually the standard size of chiffon tins widely available in Singapore, so if you’re baking a chiffon cake that calls for a 20-cm chiffon tin, I usually use 1.5 times the amount of ingredients, to make enough cake batter for a 24-cm tin. Hope this helps you! Happy baking, Fennie!
Hi Celia. I got a newbie question. I have a chiffon tin: 20cm diameter for the shorter side (top part of the cake) and 24cm diameter for the longer side (bottom part of the cake). Therefore, my question would be, is this a 20 cm or 24 cm tin? I cannot seem to find the answer online. =( Thanks.
Your welcome, Yvonne! Please feel free to ask me anything. Thank you!
Thank you so much celia!
Hi Yvonne,
You could try using 1.5 times the portions stated. For example, in place of 100 gm top flour, use 150 gm, in place of 4 eggs, use 6 eggs, and so on. That should make enough batter for a 23-cm chiffon cake tin. If you do end up with some extra batter, what I usually do is bake the rest in paper muffin cups, but do these after you have finished baking the larger chiffon. Hope it works out for you! Do let me know how it turns out. Happy baking!
Hi, may i know how To adjust the ingredients’ mEasurements for a 23-cm chiFfon tin?
Hi, may i know how to adjust the ingredients measurement for a 23cm chiffon tin? Sorry for all cAps cos the comment box only allow all caps..