This Pandan Chiffon Cake is soft and fluffy with a delicate and airy texture that you will love. This cake is simple but it is so good!
It has been a while since I made a naked chiffon cake. I missed seeing the fat and tall cake standing in its beautiful simplicity on a cake plate. I love peeking excitedly while it rises magnificently inside the oven.
Pandan is one that comes close to ube when it comes to Filipino desserts flavor. We enjoy it in ice creams, in drinks and of course, in cakes. This Pandan Chiffon Cake is very light and soft, and the subtle flavor of pandan will leave you wanting more.
While my aim is to give pandan the limelight it deserves, I used pandan flavoring for this recipe. Thanks heaven for those neat bottled liquid flavorings. They allow me to make flavors that otherwise I would not find if I ever have to source them locally.
For reference, I used the McCormick pandan flavor. This cake is mildly infused giving it just the right amount of pandan flavor that imparts a buttery, coconut-y taste.
Pointers for Making Pandan Chiffon Cake
- Because this is a chiffon cake, the key process is the whisking of egg whites to stiff peaks. I used medium to high speed on the stand mixer to start. Add the cream of tartar to the egg whites and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar while the mixer is running, and beat until stiff peaks form.
- Be sure that your bowl is clean and free of any trace of grease or water to achieve the maximum volume of the beaten egg whites.
- Lift the whisk and when a peak is left holding its shape without falling back down, it is done.
- You can also invert the bowl. The meringue (beaten egg whites) should not drip down.
- When you whisk the white properly, this pandan chiffon cake will rise to its most glorious height with the lightest and airy crumbs. You will love it!
Folding the meringue into the pandan batter.
Why does the cake need to be cooled upside down?
Chiffon cakes are cooled upside down so that they retain their heights as they cool, instead of collapsing down. Since this is baked in a tall, tube pan, inverting it over an overturned mug will give it lots of airflow underneath it, thus preventing condensation from building up in the cake.
How to Unmold the Chiffon Cake?
Once the cake has cooled down. Loosen the sides of the cake with a knife. Using your hands, gently push the cake down and away from the sides of the pan to loosen it more.
Gently lift and remove the inner tube of the pan and loosen the bottom with a knife. Invert the cake on a serving plate.
I hope you enjoy this cake that I adore so much. It is a simply stunning and delicious any day treat!
More Chiffon Cakes
- Pineapple Chiffon Cake
- Chocolate Chiffon Cake
- Ube Chiffon Cake
- Vanilla Chiffon Cake
- Chiffon Cake with Mocha Glaze
Pandan Chiffon Cake
Ingredients
- 7 large egg yolks
- 1 and 1/2 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup canola oil
- 3 tsp pandan liquid flavor
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 7 large egg whites
- 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 F. In a medium bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder. Set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar until incorporated. Add water, oil and pandan extract and mix well.
- Add the dry ingredients mixture to the pandan batter and stir until smooth and lump-free.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk the egg whites on medium-high speed until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and continue to whisk until egg whites form soft peaks. Gradually add 1/2 cup sugar while the mixer is running and continue beating until the egg whites form firm peaks that hold its shape when the whisk is lifted.
- Gently fold the egg whites to the yolk batter in three additions until batter is uniform. Pour batter into a prepared 10-inch tube pan. Bake for 60-65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Invert cake on top of an overturned mug and let cool.
- To unmold cake, loosen sides with a knife. Using your hands, gently push the cake away and downwards from the pan. Lift and remove the inner tube gently and loosen the bottom using a knife. Invert to a serving plate.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 10 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 295Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 149mgSodium: 469mgCarbohydrates: 30gFiber: 1gSugar: 10gProtein: 10g
Can I use pandan leaves instead of the pandan extracr?
Hi Lara! Yes you can. I would say just infuse the liquid with the leaves.
Good day maam, can I use coconut milk instead of water? Thank you God Bless…
Hello there Estela! Unfortunately, I have not tried subbing coconut milk for the water so I can’t really guarantee.:)
Made these tonight to go with shrimp patties and Hawaiian macaroni salad. Best rolls I’ve ever made! So light and fluffy, they nearly floated right off the pan. I’ll be making them again for our next family game night. Thank you for the recipe.
Hello, Ilona! I am so happy that you enjoyed this!
I love the flavour of pandan. I don’t think I have ever made a chiffon cake using pandan before though! It looks like something i used to eat in Malaysia. Yum! I love how green it goes lol
Thanks, Ruby! The green color definitely makes it more special 😉