Pandan cake

There's no food colouring to be seen in this cake - the iridescent green is thanks to pandan extract. Pandan leaves grow abundantly in Southeast Asia and, as well as adding colour, adds a softly herbaceous and aromatic note to baking.

Pandan cake Credit: Donal's Asian Baking Adventure

• serves

  8

• prep

  30 minutes

• cook

  35 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 6 eggs, separated
• ½ tsp cream of tartar
• 175 g caster sugar
• 1 tsp pandan extract
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 100 ml full-fat coconut milk
• 50 ml vegetable oil
• 125 g plain flour
• pinch salt
• cake release spray (or another non-stick spray)

Lime glaze

• 1 lime, zested and juiced
• 100 g icing sugar, sifted
• a little water

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 175°C. In a large clean bowl, whisk the egg whites and cream of tartar until frothy using an electric hand mixer. Continue to beat until it looks slightly opaque, then add 100 g of the sugar in a steady flow. Continue to beat until the meringue reaches stiff peaks then set aside.

2. In a separate bowl, using the same electric beaters (no need to wash), beat the egg yolks and the remaining 75 g sugar and until light; this should take a couple of minutes until it reaches ribbon stage.

3. Add the pandan extract, vanilla extract, coconut milk and vegetable oil. Whisk until well combined.

4. Sift the flour into the egg yolk mixture and whisk well again. Using a spatula, fold a spoon of the meringue into the egg yolk mixture and mix in well. Then gently fold the remaining meringue into the egg yolk mixture.

5. Lightly spray a bunt tin with cake release spray, then pour the mixture into the tin. Bake oven for 35 minutes.

6. Remove cake from oven and leave to cool completely in the tin before removing from tin and adding the glaze. 

7. For the glaze, mix the lime juice, icing sugar and water together. Gently pour evenly over the cooled cake so it drizzles down the sides. Grate some lime zest over the top of the cake to finish.

This recipe is from Donal's Asian Baking Adventures on SBS Food (Channel 33). Stream episodes via SBS On Demand.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.