Pandan Chiffon Cake

Enjoy Pandan Chiffon Cake, a light, fluffy masterpiece infused with fragrant pandan goodness in every bite!

There’s something so calm and comforting about a Pandan Chiffon Cake on a slow weekend. It feels a little fancy, but still soft, homely, and easy to share over tea. The crumb is light and pillowy, with a gentle coconut milk cake richness and that grassy, nutty pandan flavour people often call Asian vanilla extract. I tested this one a few times because chiffon can be a cheeky little thing.

One batch rose beautifully, then sank because I rushed the cooling. Another had gorgeous colour but not enough pandan aroma. After a few rounds, I found the sweet spot: fresh pandan leaves for fragrance, coconut milk for softness, and a stable egg white meringue for that airy cake texture. It’s a soft chiffon cake that feels simple, elegant, and so lovely to slice.

What is Pandan Chiffon Cake

Pandan Chiffon Cake is a soft, fluffy chiffon cake flavoured with pandan leaves and coconut milk. It has a delicate cake crumb, a natural green cake colour, and a light, bouncy texture that sits somewhere between a sponge cake and an oil based cake. It’s fragrant, airy, and not too sweet.

The cake gets its lift from whipped egg whites folded into an egg yolk batter. That’s what gives it the tall rise, spongy cake structure, and cloud-like bite.

Where is Pandan Chiffon Cake from

Pandan chiffon cake is strongly linked to Southeast Asia, especially Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, and other places where pandan leaves are used often in desserts. It is often known as Singapore pandan cake, and you’ll also see versions of Vietnamese pandan cake and pandan coconut cake across Asian bakeries.

Pandan itself comes from Southeast Asian cooking and is loved for its sweet, grassy, nutty aroma. It works beautifully with coconut milk, which is why this cake tastes so smooth and fragrant.

How to Make It

To make Pandan Chiffon Cake, blend fresh pandan leaves with coconut milk, then strain the homemade pandan juice. Whisk it into egg yolks, oil, sugar, cake flour, and baking powder. Fold in firm peaks meringue, bake in an ungreased tube pan, then cool upside down until fully set.

At-a-Glance – What You’ll Need Before We Start Rolling

Yield	Prep Time	Cook Time	Difficulty	Storage
1 x 8 inch cake tin or tube pan cake, 8–10 slices	25 minutes	45–55 minutes	Medium	2 days room temperature, 5 days chilled

Ingredients

• Coconut milk – Adds creamy richness, moisture, and that classic pandan coconut cake flavour.
• Pandan leaves – Give the cake its fresh, grassy aroma and soft green chiffon cake colour.
• Egg yolks – Add richness and help form the smooth egg yolk batter.
• Superfine sugar – Sweetens the cake and helps stabilise the meringue.
• Vegetable oil – Keeps the crumb soft, moist, and tender for longer.
• Cake flour – Gives the cake a delicate cake crumb and lighter bite.
• Baking powder – Gives a little extra lift so the cake rises evenly.
• Egg whites – Whip into meringue and create the fluffy chiffon cake structure.

Optional – My Favourite Extras That Add a Little Magic

• Pandan extract – Good when fresh pandan leaves are pale or mild.
• Pandan paste – Adds a stronger green colour and deeper pandan aroma.
• Cream of tartar – Helps stabilise whipped egg whites for a safer rise.
• Lemon juice stabilizer – A handy swap for cream of tartar if that’s what you have.
• Vanilla extract – Softens the grassy edge of pandan and makes the cake taste rounder.
• Confectioners sugar – Lovely for a light dusting before serving.
• Coconut cream drizzle – Adds a glossy café-style finish.
• Whipped cream topping – Makes the cake feel more like a celebration cake.

Substitutions – Smart Ingredient Swaps That Still Taste Amazing

• Cake flour to plain flour – Use plain flour with a small spoonful replaced by cornflour for a lighter texture.
• Vegetable oil to canola oil – Canola oil cake works just as well because it stays neutral and soft.
• Fresh pandan leaves to frozen pandan leaves – Frozen leaves are a great backup and still make fragrant pandan juice.
• Homemade pandan juice to pandan extract – Use extract when pandan leaves are hard to find, but start small.
• Superfine sugar to caster sugar – Caster sugar is perfect for the meringue because it dissolves quickly.
• Coconut milk to light coconut milk – It works, but the cake will taste less creamy.
• Cream of tartar to lemon juice – Use a few drops to help stabilise the egg white meringue.

STEPS

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C (340°F) and prepare an ungreased 20 cm (8-inch) chiffon cake tin with a removable base. It is important to use an ungreased cake tin as the cake uses the sides of the tin to rise.

2. In a blender, combine the coconut milk and pandan leaves and blitz until smooth. Pour the pandan milk through a fine-meshed sieve to extract ½ cup + 1 tablespoon (135 ml) of pandan milk. Use the back of a spoon to press the pandan leaf pulp to extract more milk. If you are short, add a splash of coconut milk to make up the missing volume.

3. In a medium-sized bowl, combine the egg yolks, 3 tablespoons (40 g) of sugar, the vegetable oil and the pandan milk and whisk to combine. Sieve in the cake flour and baking powder, whisk until smooth and set aside.

4. Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment and whisk on medium-high speed for 2 minutes, or until foamy. Add ⅓ cup + 2 tablespoons (90 g) of sugar and continue to whisk for 5 minutes, or until the meringue forms stiff peaks. Add one third of the meringue to the egg yolk mixture and whisk until well combined.

5. Transfer the lightened egg yolk mixture to the remaining meringue and fold in gently until the batter is just combined. Slowly pour the batter into the cake tin and bake for 45 minutes, or until an inserted skewer emerges clean. Remove from the oven and invert the tin on a wire rack to remove the cake. Cool for 1 hour, or until completely cooled. Once cooled, run a thin knife around the sides and base of the cake to loosen it from the tin.

Troubleshooting – Quick Fixes I’ve Learned from My Bakery Kitchen

Problem	Why It Happens	Quick Fix
Cake sinks after baking	It was underbaked or cooled upright	Bake until springy, then cool upside down fully
Big holes inside	Batter had large air pockets	Tap gently once and run a skewer through before baking
Dense bottom layer	Meringue was deflated or unevenly folded	Fold slowly and stop once no streaks remain
Cake won’t climb	Tin was greased	Use an ungreased tube pan so batter can grip
Dry texture	Oven too hot or cake overbaked	Bake lower and check early near 45 minutes

Comparison – How This Recipe Stacks Up Against Other Desserts

Dessert	Texture	Best For
Pandan Chiffon Cake	Light, airy, moist, and spongy	Tea time cake, birthdays, soft Asian cake recipe lovers
Pandan Sponge Cake	Drier, springier, less rich	Layer cakes with cream or jam topping
Pandan Butter Cake	Rich, dense, buttery	Stronger slices, gifting, and coffee pairing

Tips – My Personal Tricks for a Professional-Looking Result

Use Fresh Pandan Leaves When You Can

Fresh pandan leaves give the most beautiful aroma. The scent is softer than pandan extract, but it tastes cleaner and more elegant.

If your leaves are pale, I like adding a tiny touch of pandan paste. It gives the pandan flavored cake a stronger colour without taking over.

Love soft, airy cakes? My Chiffon Cake is light as a cloud and perfect for afternoon tea.

Don’t Grease the Pan

This is the one rule I never skip. An ungreased tube pan lets the batter cling to the sides as it rises.

If you grease it, the cake may slip down and collapse. Chiffon needs grip, not shine.

Stop at Firm Peaks

Firm peaks meringue is usually better than very dry stiff peaks. You want the whipped egg whites to hold shape but still fold smoothly.

If the meringue looks chunky or dull, it has gone too far. That can lead to a rough crumb.

Fold Like You’re Keeping Bubbles Alive

The air in the meringue is the lift of the cake. Fold slowly, scrape the bottom, and turn the bowl with each motion.

Don’t stir in circles. That knocks out air and makes the cake heavy.

Cool It Fully Before Unmoulding

I know it’s tempting to pull it out early, especially when the kitchen smells amazing. But a warm chiffon cake is fragile.

Let it cool upside down until the tin feels cool to the touch. That helps lock in the airy cake texture.

Slice with a Serrated Knife

A soft chiffon cake can squash under a regular knife. A serrated knife keeps the slices tall and neat.

Use gentle sawing motions. Don’t press down too hard.

If you enjoy bright citrus desserts, my Lemon Chiffon Cake is fluffy, fragrant, and beautifully refreshing.

Variations – Fun Twists and Flavours Inspired by Dessert Experiments

Pandan Coconut Cream Cake

Slice the cake into two layers and add whipped coconut cream in the middle. It turns the light dessert cake into a soft celebration cake.

Finish with a coconut cream drizzle for a glossy café-style look.

Pandan Honey Tea Cake

Brush the cooled cake with a thin honey topping. It adds a gentle floral sweetness without making the crumb soggy.

This one is lovely with hot tea pairing, especially jasmine or oolong.

Pandan Jam Cake

Serve slices with kaya or coconut jam topping. The creamy coconut flavour works so well with the pandan leaves.

It’s rich, smooth, and very Southeast Asian dessert inspired.

Pandan Birthday Chiffon Cake

Top the cake with whipped cream topping and fresh fruit. Keep the cream light so the cake still feels airy.

This makes a birthday chiffon cake that looks elegant but doesn’t feel heavy.

Pandan Vanilla Cloud Cake

Add a little vanilla extract with the pandan juice. It rounds out the flavour and makes the cake taste softer.

This is a great option if you’re baking for someone new to pandan cake.

Pandan Coconut Mini Cakes

Bake the batter in mini tube pans if you have them. They look gorgeous for dessert boxes or afternoon tea.

Just reduce the bake time and check early.

For another bright and airy flavour, my Orange Chiffon Cake is soft, citrusy, and wonderfully fragrant.

Serving Suggestions – How I Like to Present These for Maximum Wow

With Hot Tea

This cake is beautiful with hot tea pairing. Try jasmine, oolong, green tea, or even a mild black tea.

The light chiffon cake texture feels soft and clean beside a warm drink.

With Coconut Cream Drizzle

A simple coconut cream drizzle makes the cake look polished. Keep it thin and glossy, not thick like icing.

It adds a smooth finish without hiding the pandan flavour.

With Whipped Cream and Fruit

A whipped cream topping and fresh berries make this feel like a café dessert. The cream should be lightly sweetened.

I like keeping the sides bare so the green chiffon cake colour still shows.

With Kaya or Jam

A little kaya, pineapple jam, or berry jam topping adds contrast. Don’t spread too much, as the cake is already delicate.

A small spoonful on the side is enough.

With Confectioners Sugar

For a clean finish, dust the top with confectioners sugar. It gives a soft snowy look and keeps the cake simple.

This is my go-to when I want a neat tea time cake.

With Toasted Coconut

Sprinkle toasted coconut around the serving plate. It adds crunch and makes the pandan coconut cake feel more fragrant.

It’s simple, but it looks lovely in photos.

Common Mistakes to Avoid – Lessons I’ve Learned After Dozens of Batches

Greasing the Tin

A chiffon cake recipe needs an ungreased tube pan. The batter climbs the sides as it bakes.

Grease stops that climb, so the cake may rise less or collapse.

Overwhipping the Egg Whites

Dry meringue can break into little clumps. Those clumps are hard to fold into the egg yolk batter.

Aim for firm peaks, not chalky peaks.

Folding Too Hard

If you mix too firmly, the batter loses air. That means the cake bakes up dense instead of soft.

Use a spatula and fold from the bottom up.

Opening the Oven Too Early

Opening the oven door too soon can shock the cake. It may sink before the structure has set.

Wait until the cake is close to done before checking.

Removing the Cake While Warm

Warm chiffon is tender and weak. If you unmould it too soon, it can tear or shrink.

Let it cool upside down until completely cool.

Using Too Much Pandan Paste

Pandan paste is strong. Too much can taste artificial and make the colour too bright.

Start small, then adjust next time if needed.

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