Pandan chiffon cake is a delightfully airy dessert with the aromatic, unique flavor of pandan. Made with rice flour, this recipe is perfectly gluten-free and dairy free!
Jump to:
What is chiffon cake?
Chiffon cake is a type of cake that is characterized by its significantly soft and light texture. It is mainly structured with eggs, a little amount of flour, and oil. The key to success is to whip up the egg whites perfectly, creating the airy batter with a nice volume.
What is pandan?
Pandan is a tropical plant with fragrant, strap-like leaves used often in Southeast Asian cuisine for flavoring. It is described as having a sweet, nutty, and grassy aroma.
Which flour should I use?
In this recipe, rice flour is used. Rice flour is made by milling white rice, most commonly from medium or long grain type of rice. The rice can be stone ground either dry or wet, and the wet milling is what makes the flour super fine and silky.
Especially for chiffon cake making, the finer the rice flour is, the softer and fluffier the cake will be. I highly recommend using wet milled, super fine rice flour such as this Thai brand that is also accessible online.
I have tried baking with stone ground rice flour, but the texture came out slightly grittier and denser. Glutinous rice flour (also known as mochiko, or sweet rice flour) does not work for this recipe.
Tips for making perfect meringue
A good meringue (whipped egg whites) consists of fine air bubbles and stiffness that helps to structure the chiffon cake. It needs to be smooth, glossy, and thick but not over beaten. Here are some tips.
- Keep the egg whites chilled until ready to use. Many baking recipes call for room temperature eggs, but that’s not the case here! Chilled egg whites make a finer meringue that stays stable without cream of tartar, or vinegar.
- Never let the egg yolk get into the whites. Fat in egg yolk can deflate the meringue.
- Use a clean, dry bowl. Again, oil or water will prevent the egg whites from whipping up properly.
- Add sugar in batches. Adding the sugar all at once will slow down the whipping, and it causes the meringue to deflate quickly. I like to work in 3-4 batches to incorporate the sugar gradually.
Ingredients for this recipe
- Large eggs - Whites and yolks seperated
- Organic cane sugar
- Avocado oil - Or any neutral tasting oil such as canola
- Unsweetened oat milk - Or any non dairy milk
- Pandan extract
- Salt
- Rice flour
- Cornstarch
- Baking powder
Toppings (optional)
- Coconut flakes
- Powdered sugar
How to make pandan chiffon cake
1. Mix the egg yolks and sugar. Place the egg yolks and half of the sugar in a large bowl. Whisk well until pale and creamy.
2. Add liquids. MIx in the avocado oil, oat milk, and pandan extract.
3. Add dry ingredients. Add in the salt, rice flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Mix until just combined.
4. Make the meringue. In a different large bowl, place the egg whites and lightly whip up with a hand mixer or stand mixer for about 30 seconds. Add in the rest of the sugar in 3 portions, and whip up the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
5. Combine the meringue and flour mix. Add the whipped egg whites into the flour mix in three portions. Mix gently but thoroughly every time you add egg whites.
6. Bake. Pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 40 - 50 minutes.
7. Serve. Cool the cake upside down, resting the pan over a wine bottle, or a wired rack. To remove from the pan, run a knife along the wall of the pan. Slice and sprinkle powdered sugar and coconut flakes (optional).
Tips
- Make sure not to grease or line the sides of the pan. Chiffon cake batter needs to stick to the sides as it rises.
- Make sure to mix the yolk mix and meringue well. You may be afraid of deflating the foam, but under mixed batter will not bake evenly and create unnecessary air pockets.
- After the pandan chiffon cake is baked, do not forget to rest the cake upside down. This helps to keep the cake fluffy without the bottom being dense and wet.
FAQ
Yes you can. Perfectly whipped egg whites will be stiff but flossy and smooth looking. When you over beat, it starts to separate and look grainy. Over-beaten meringue speeds up the air bubbles breaking, and prevents the cake from baking tall.
If an inserted toothpick (or skewer) comes out clean, that is when the cake is ready. Also, when you touch the top surface, it should spring back immediately.
Room temperature: Pandan chiffon cake can be stored at room temperature for up to 3 days, tightly covered.
Refrigerating: Wrap individual pieces and refrigerate for up to 1 week. Bring up to room temperature upon serving.
Freezing: Store frozen for up to 1 month. Wrap individual pieces and store in an airtight bag to prevent drying. Thaw in the fridge, or microwave for 10-20 seconds.
You may also like...
- Gluten-free Dairy-free Carrot Cake (Easy and Moist)
- Orange Honey Upside Down Cake
- Matcha Banana Bread
Recipe
Pandan Chiffon Cake
Equipment
- 1 x 7" tube pan (also called angel food cake pan)
- 1 x hand mixer or stand mixer
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs yolks and whites separated
- ½ cup organic cane sugar split into two
- 4 tablespoons avocado oil or any neutral tasting oil
- ¼ cup oat milk or any non dairy milk
- 1 teaspoon pandan extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup rice flour I use superfine Thai rice flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Toppings (optional)
- Coconut flakes
- Powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 340°F/ 171°C.
- Place the egg yolks and half of the sugar in a large bowl. Whisk well until pale and creamy.
- Add in the avocado oil, oat milk, pandan extract and mix well.
- Add in the salt, rice flour, cornstarch, and baking powder. Mix until just combined.
- In a different large bowl, place the egg whites and lightly whip up with a hand mixer or stand mixer for about 30 seconds. Add in the rest of the sugar in 3 portions, and whip up the egg whites until stiff peaks form.
- Add the whipped egg whites into the flour mix in three portions. Mix gently but thoroughly every time you add egg whites.
- Pour the batter into the pan. Bake for 40 - 50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown.
- Cool the cake upside down, resting the pan over a wine bottle, or a wired rack. To remove from the pan, run a knife along the wall of the pan. Slice and sprinkle powdered sugar and coconut flakes (optional).
Nutrition
The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Leave a Reply