Pandan Layer Cake

Fluffy, moist and fragrant. This Pandan Layer Cake will leave you wanting more!

Ingredients

Method

1. Grease and line the bottom of a 20 x 12 x 7.5 cm cake pan with 2 layers of parchment paper.
2. Preheat oven to 190°C (you may add in a tray of water, about 2 cups, to increase the humidity to help the cake bake evenly).
3. In a bowl, whisk 20g castor sugar with egg yolks until the sugar has dissolved. Pour in corn oil and whisk till just combined before adding in the milk and pandan paste. Whisk until well-combined.
4. Sift cake flour and baking powder into mixture. Then add in salt and whisk until just thoroughly mixed.
   Note: Do not over-mix or the cake will become dense.
5. In another bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy. Add cream of tartar and continue to whisk until thick foam forms.
6. Then gradually add in 30g castor sugar whilst still whisking and whisk until it reaches stiff peak.
   Note: When the meringue begins to look glossy, stop and check after beating for every 10 seconds, stop when it has reached the stiff peaks, do not over-whip.
7. Add the meringue into the cake batter in 3 batches. Mix with a whisk until almost even after each addition.
8. Then switch to a spatula, scrape down the sides and fold the mixture gently until just evenly mixed. Lightly bang the mixing bowl on your worktop 2-3 times to release large air bubbles.
9. Pour batter into cake pan. Jiggle the pan to even out the batter then lightly tap pan against worktop 2-3 times to release air bubbles.
10. Bake at 190°C for 30 minutes or until fully cooked (wooden stick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean).
    Note: If you using Rinnai RO-E6208TA-EM Oven, use the 3D Hot Air function for even heating that is great for baking cakes.
11. Once cake is done, remove from oven and drop the cake pan from about 30cm high onto the countertop (this is to minimise shrinkage).
12. Invert the cake pan onto a wire rack and leave it to cool down.
13. To make pandan juice, roughly cut the pandan leaves into small pieces and blend with water until fine. Then strain the mixture to extract the only the juices.
14. Once the cake has cooled down, unmould from the cake pan and remove the parchment paper.
15. Slice the cake horizontally into 3 even layers using a serrated knife.
16. In a bowl, add in coconut milk and mung bean flour and mix until well-combined.
17. In a small pot, add in water, agar-agar powder, unsalted butter, pandan juice and salt. Bring mixture to a boil, cook until agar-agar powder has melted.
18. Turn off the heat and pour in the coconut milk mixture. Stir thoroughly before adding in pandan paste and yellow food colouring.
19. On medium-low heat, cook the pandan mixture (stirring continuously) until the mixture is thick enough to coat the sides of the pot thinly.
20. Then turn off the heat and continue stirring until residual heat dissipates. The mixture should now be thick enough to coat the sides of the pot thickly but thin enough to flow smoothly.
    Note: Cover and dip the pot in hot water to prevent mixture from setting.
21. Now to assemble the cake:
    a. Place in the top part of the cake (cut side facing up) into the cake pan.
    b. Pour in 140g of the pandan mixture, tilt the pan from side to side to swirl the mixture to form an even layer. Wait for about 60 seconds for it to set slightly.
    c. Repeat Steps a and b for the other two layers.
    d. Set aside to let it cool down.
22. Once cooled down, use a plastic knife to run along the sides of the pan (so the cake will come out easier afterwards).
23. Cover the cake pan and refrigerate for 4-5 hours or overnight to set completely.
24. To serve, unmould and leave it to room temperature before cutting the cake into slices.