Pandan or Screwpine is widely used in Southeast Asian culinary scene even way back during the colonial times. They are extremely fragrant, naturally pigmented and pairs well with the flavour of coconut milk. This Pandan Hot Milk Cake Recipe captures the essence of that.

Pandan Hot Milk Cake Recipe by Bakeomaniac

It has Coconut Milk added with it along with Pandan paste, while retaining the spongy texture of a Milk Butter Cake, a dream combination that comes true!I shall now elaborate more on the ingredients and the method behind the cake.

First of all, the inspiration for this cake comes from my most popular post on the blog, my Hot Milk Cake Recipe. Due to the huge amount of love and encouragement I received from there through views and praises on my social media, I decided to come out with a Pandan flavoured one in order to incorporate my South East Asian heritage as a Singaporean, into baking. Hence, this recipe is born!

For the Pandan flavouring, you can definitely use Pandan essence or flavouring, if not more, as the amount of the Pandan paste called for in my recipe. Of course, you can definitely add in some green food colouring in order to give that intense green colouration that Pandan brings about.

You can also use Pandan juice that is obtained from the blender. However, I would just tell you honestly upfront that I am not so sure of the amount required but I would say perhaps the same or 1.5 times that of what the recipe is required? I unfortunately do not own a blender and although I really want to make my own homemade Pandan juice, I couldn’t ( at least not for now! ).

Since we are at the topic of the flavouring by the Pandan, I would like to harp here that the amount of flavouring is ultimately up to you. How much you like Pandan. This recipe presents a moderate average amount that people ( or at least my friends and family members ) find acceptable. Ultimately, you know your audience best!

Another modification made from the Hot Milk Cake Recipe, is the addition of Coconut Milk. We all know that Coconut Milk pairs really well with Pandan, don’t we?

However, in this recipe, we are only adding 1/4 cup of Coconut Milk. I mean, the more coconut milk the merrier right? Well you are right. But should you place 1/2 cup of coconut milk instead of the combination of 1/4 cup of milk + 1/4 cup of coconut milk, which I have tried, the cake will turn out really ugly.

The reason for this is simple. Air bubbles trapped in the batter along with those produced by the leavening agent, baking powder, will not be able to escape the batter successfully, and will create a lot of unsightly, ugly small holes on the surface. It does taste good of course, if you are a huge fan of coconut milk ( I have tried numerous variations! ). Ultimately, it is up to you! You can contact me through any of my social media platforms if you would like to see how the one with full coconut milk turns out to be.

The method is just like the original Hot Milk Cake. We are going to add heated butter, milk and coconut milk directly to the batter and we are just going to keep stirring while we add in order to prevent the cooking of our eggs. No one would like scrambled eggs in our cake batter. Am I right or am I right?

Also, we are going to increase the temperature of the oven at the 20 minutes mark in order to create that nice brown crust on top!

Last but not least before proceeding to the recipe, the texture of the Pandan Hot Milk Cake! It is delightfully spongy!

Without further ado, the recipe!

Pandan Hot Milk Cake
by Javier Tan September-2-2017

This recipe show cases the delicious incorporation of South East Asian element of Pandan or Screwpine to make a delectable, spongy cake.

Ingredients

  • 1 Cup or 120g All Purpose Flour, Sifted
  • 150g or 3/4 Cup Granulated White Sugar (Less sugar version at 120g)
  • 5g or 1 and 1/4 Teaspoons Baking Powder
  • 1.4g or 1/4 Teaspoon Table Salt
  • 2 Large Eggs, weighing about 55g, room temperature
  • 113g or 1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter, Cubed
  • 60ml or 1/4 Cup Coconut Milk
  • 60ml or 1/4 Cup Full Cream Milk
  • 2.5ml or 1/2 Teaspoon Pandan Paste
  • 1.25ml or 1/4 Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat your oven to 160 degrees C and line your 8 x 8 inches baking tray with parchment paper.
  2. Beat the eggs until light and frothy for 2 mins. The eggs should be light yellow.
  3. Add in the sugar, pandan paste, vanilla extract and salt to the eggs until all the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.
  4. In a saucepan, mix together the two milks with the butter and heat at medium low, stirring constantly until the butter has dissolved and mixture bubbles slightly at the side.
  5. Using one hand, pour in the butter and milk mixture into the sugar and egg mixture. Use your other hand to constantly stir the sugar and egg mixture to dissipate the heat to prevent the eggs from being cooked.
  6. Combine the baking powder and all purpose flour in a mixing bowl, and sift it in. Whisk until just combined (45s to 2 mins).
  7. Pour into your baking tray. Tap against the counter a few times to release excessive air bubbles that are trapped.
  8. Bake for about 20 minutes at 160 degrees C. At the 20 minutes mark, increase the temperature to 180 degrees C and bake for another 10 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
  9. Cool the cake at a wire tray for about 30 minutes before consuming. You can cool it upside down to get the same density as my cake!

Details

  • Prep time: 20 mins
  • Cook time: 30 mins
  • Total time: 50 mins
  • Yield: 25 1.6 Inches Squares

Notes:

  1. It can store well at room temperature, in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Will be slightly hardened if refrigerated.
  2. It is up to you to alter the amount pandan flavouring added. You can definitely use homemade Pandan Juice and store bought Pandan Essence as well. You might want to add some green food colouring if using colourless essences and flavours.
  3. I prefer to cool the cake upside down to make it denser and deflate any parts that have been raised during baking. Rest it on a clean piece of parchment paper, aluminium foil or a big plate!
  4. Use a black baking tray instead of a silver one to achieve the golden brown colouration on both sides.
  5. If you would like to be updated for more recipes which I am sharing, do check out my Instagram, Facebook Page, or YouTube 🙂 Thank you so much for all of your support! Feel free to tag me or link back here, I welcome and appreciate it very very much!
  6. Please do not copy and paste the recipe without my permission.

Enjoy!
– Bakeomaniac, Javier Tan!