Recipe: Pandan Layer Cake 香兰千层蛋糕

Updated: 1 Aug 20

By far, found this the best balance for the pandan flavour and aroma.

For the kaya, I used combination of pandan paste and pandan juice (rested more than 24 hours in the fridge).

1/8 Used combination of pandan paste and pandan juice for Kaya

29/7 Substituted Kaya's pandan juice with 1.5 tsp of pandan paste

7" round Chiffon Cake (recipe from https://kenwee-kee.blogspot.com/2017/10/recipe-easy-light-and-fluffy-chiffon.html with 80% more flour)

Yolk Mixture

Either blend all ingredients in a mixer or hand whisk ingredients sequentially and mix well on each addition. 3Jumbo or 4L egg yolks + 17g caster sugar + 1/8 tsp salt + 41g oil + 51g milk + 1/4 tsp pandan paste + shift in 67g self raising flour and 12g tapioca/corn starch.

May substitute pandan paste and milk with pandan juice *blend/grind 17g, 1cm pieces of mature pandan leaves with milk until very fine. Squeeze with cheese cloth for juice. 

Meringue

Whip 3Jumbo or 4L egg whites(+/-68g jumbo eggs or +/-50g L eggs) till very foamy, gradually add in 41g caster sugar. Continue whipping till stiff peaks (mine near over whipped). 

Transfer yolk mixture to a mixing bowl. Add 1/3 of whipped egg whites to the yolk mixture. Mix and fold. Add another 1/3, fold to combine. Add the remaining 1/3, fold till evenly mixed (I like 'folding' with hand whisk. Do scrape the bottom and sides for the final folding).

Baking

Pour the batter into 7" loose bottom pan (otherwise line the bottom). Run a skewer through the batter to remove big air pockets. Bake at 150C (preheated) for 60-65 min (bottom rack) till the cake springs back when lightly pressed. To reduce cracks, may bake at 150C 35min, 120C 45-50min.

Remove, drop once from 1' high (prevent sinking). Invert on wire rack till luke warm. De-pan. Gently rub off the browned sides. Slice the cake into 3 layers (mine 1.7cm each). Discard the uneven top layer.

580g Kaya:

• Into a bowl, mix and combine 138g coconut milk/cream (used canned), 13g custard powder and 27g Hun Kwee flour.
• Into a blender, grind 17g, 1cm pieces of mature (not old) pandan leaves with 100g water until very fine. Strain for pandan juice. Repeat 2 more rounds with the pandan pulps *to reduce the green/grassy taste, store it in the fridge and use the next day (up to 14 days).

1. Into a pot, add pandan juice and top up with water to make it 391g. 
2. Add 3/4+1/8 tsp agar powder (3.5g), mix well. Add 46g sugar, 29g unsalted butter, 1/8 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pandan paste. 
3. High heat, whisk regularly and bring mixture to boil. Off, remove from heat.
4. Add coconut milk/cream mixture. Mix.
5. Medium heat whisk regularly until mixture thicken, coating sides of pot thinly. Off.
6. Continue stirring for another minute. Mixture shall get slightly thicker  *It will be difficult for mixture to flow to the sides if it is too thick!

To assemble

1. Using the same cake pan (washed), swirl the pan with water, drain-off excess.
2. Into the pan, add +/-145g kaya mixture. Top with 1st layer of cake (the bottom layer of cake, cut side up). 
3. Repeat for the 2nd, 3rd layer (the top layer of cake, cut side down) and the top.
4. Do use a spatula to spread kaya mixture evenly, including the sides. 
5. Set aside till cool. Cover wit cling film, refrigerate for 4-5 hours.
6. To unmould, loosen the sides (top part) with a spatula. Invert, and may have to tilt a little, knock knock on sides and top.

30 Jun 20

Our Pandan is growing very slowly here in winter. Hence, chosen a recipe that uses pandan paste for the cake... used the limited stock of pandan leaves for the layer instead.

Thanks Jo, for your guidance and support. Muak!

Tadaaa, presenting my Pandan Layer Cake! Not perfect, but good enough... till the next round!

Recipe from http://kitchentigress.blogspot.com/2014/06/pandan-kaya-cake-video-recipe.html?m=1

Sponge Cake, I used:
+/-183g eggs (3 Jumbo, 201g with shell)

Yolk Mixture

1. Into a mixing bowl, whisk 56g yolk with 12g caster sugar until sugar dissolved.
2. Add 62 vege oil, whisk to combine. 
3. Add 56g milk and 1/4 tsp pandan paste, whisk and mix.
4. Sift in 52g plain flour, 10g tapioca flour, 1/4 + 1/16 tsp baking powder and 1/8 tsp salt.
5. Whisk until well combined. Set aside.

Egg Whites

1. In another mixing bowl, whip 120g egg whites until foamy.
2. Add 1/8 tsp cream of tartar. Continue whipping until very foamy.
3. Gradually add in . Whip until firm peaks.
4. Add 1/3 of whipped egg whites to the yolk mixture. Mix with whisk. Add another 1/3, whisk/fold to combine. Add the remaining 1/3, whisk/fold till evenly mixed. Tap, tap removing big air bubbles.

Baking

1. Pour batter into 8" round pan, lined bottom. Jiggle pan to level. Tap, tap removing big air bubbles.
2. Bake on bottom rack, preheated at 160C for 40 min till the cake springs back when lightly pressed.
3. Remove, drop once from 1' high. Invert and leave to cool.
4. Unmould and slice cake into 3 layers.

Kaya, I used:

• Into a bowl, mix and combine 180g coconut cream (canned), 18g custard powder and 35g Hun Kwee flour.
• Into a blender, grind 20g, 1cm pieces of mature (not old) pandan leaves with 100g water until very fine. Strain for pandan juice. Repeat 2 more rounds with the pandan pulps.

1. Into a pot, add pandan juice and top up with water to make it 510g.
2. Add 1+1/8 tsp agar powder, mix well. Add 60g sugar, 38g unsalted butter, 1/8 + 1/16 tsp salt, a full 1/4 tsp pandan paste.
3. High heat, whisk regularly and bring mixture to boil. Off, remove from heat.
4. Add coconut cream mixture. Mix.
5. Medium heat whisk regularly until mixture thicken, coating sides of pot thinly. Off.
6. Continue stirring for another minute. Mixture shall get thicker.

To assemble, ref: https://mykitchen101en.com/pandan-layer-cake/
*First attempt, did it on agak-agak basis.

1. Using the same cake pan (washed), swirl the pan with water, drain-off excess.
2. Pour some kaya mixture. Top with 1st layer of cake (the bottom layer of cake, cut side up). 
3. Repeat for the 2nd and 3rd layer (the top layer of cake, cut side down). 
4. Pour mixture into the gap (sides) and the remaining on the top.
5. Set aside till cool. Cover wit cling film, refrigerate for 4-5 hours.
6. To unmould, loosen the sides (top part) with a spatula. Invert, and may have to tilt a little, knock knock on sides and top.