Recipe: Bake your own Pandan Chiffon Cake

MANILA, Philippines — What's not to love about chiffon cakes? They're light, airy, and fluffy, yet so satisfying for the tummy.

Cake lovers might enjoy this Pandan Chiffon Cake recipe which Chef Shirley Santos-Yanga whipped up for manufacturer Peotraco at this year's Bakery Fair.

Peotraco's booth featured daily baking demonstrations, and one had Chef Shirley beneath the spotlight, happily showing how to make a perfect Pandan Chiffon Cake to enjoy with family and friends.  

Pandan Chiffon Cake

Ingredients:

For the cake’s dry ingredients:

• 121 grams cake flour
• 30 grams all-purpose flour
• 105 grams Peotraco Caster Sugar
• 3 grams baking powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt

For the cake’s liquid ingredients:

• 4 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup corn oil
• 1/2 cup pandan water
• 1 tsp. pandan extract (optional)

For the pandan water:

• 8-10 strands pandan leaves
• 160 ml. water or
• 1 tsp. pandan extract
• 1/2 cup water with drops of Peotraco FoodColor Gel green and yellow

For the meringue:                                            

• 4 egg whites    
• 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar                                   
• 66 grams Peotraco Caster Sugar                                              

Procedure:                                            

1. Preheat oven to 325ºF or 160ºC.                                                                      
2. Sift together the dry ingredients — cake flour, all-purpose flour, caster sugar, baking powder, and salt — three times.
3. Add the liquid ingredients — egg yolks, corn oil, pandan water*, and pandan extract. Beat this mixture until smooth. Set aside.
   *To make pandan water, cut pandan leaves into short strands or segments, measure 160 ml. water, and coarsely grind in blender or food processor, then strain. If you don't have pandan leaves, substitute with 1 tsp. pandan extract + 1/2 cup water with drops green and yellow Peotraco FoodColorGel.)
4. Prepare the meringue. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add sugar and beat until stiff but not dry.
5. Fold by hand the egg yolk mixture into egg white mixture (meringue) and blend well.
6. Pour mixture into a parchment-lined 8-inch cake pan.
7. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Baking time will vary depending on the type of oven used.                                                               

For the filling and frosting:                                         

• 130 grams Peotraco Baker's Mate Whipping Cream                                           
• 1/3 cup ice cold water                                     
• 1- 2 tsps. pandan extract                                              
• Drops of green and yellow Peotraco FoodColorGel
• Desiccated coconut (plain and semi-toasted)
• Store-bought macapuno strings (optional)                                                                     

Procedure:                                            

1. Add Baker's Mate Whipping Cream powder to ice cold water.
2. Using a mixer, whip mixture at high speed for 3 minutes.
3. Add pandan extract as well as Peotraco green and yellow food coloring gels.                           
4. To assemble, cut pandan chiffon cake into two layers. Fill the space between cake layers with whipped cream. Add drained macapuno strings if desired.
5. Frost top and sides of chiffon cake with whipped cream. Apply a generous amount of plain and toasted desiccated coconut onto whipped cream frosting.
6. Top with cake topping of choice, such as a sugar Cymbidium Orchid.

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