8 eggs, separated
10oz/280g sugar
6 fluid oz/175ml oil (I like using coconut oil, but any unflavoured cooking oil will be OK)
6 fluid oz/175ml Coconut milk (again, you can substitute, although this will change the taste of the cake)
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon of pandan paste or essence (depends what you can lay your hands on - skip entirely if you can't find this)
4 1/2 oz/125g self-raising flour
1/2 teaspoon of cream of tartar (or a squeeze of lemon juice)
Pinch of salt
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees C/350 F/Gas Mark 4
- Beat the egg yolks, sugar and oil together
- Add the coconut milk and pandan mixturepandan extract and mix together well. In my world, pandan chiffon cake is green, so if the extract isn't green I add a few drops of green food colouring too.
- In a second bowl, sift the flour and salt from a height to ensure plenty of air. Make a well (push the flour out to the sides to make a hole) and pour in the egg mixture. Whisk this together, slowly incorporating the flour from the sides until it's all mixed.
- In yet another bowl, whisk the egg whites until they are foamy (soft peak stage - ie. they hold a rough shape, but you wouldn't be happy to turn the bowl upside down over your head). I advise using an electic mixer for this!
- Add the cream of tartar or squeeze of lemon juice to the mix, and continue to beat until the mixture forms stiff peaks (ie. it holds a shape well, and you're a lot more confident about upending the bowl over your head)
- Fold the half the beaten egg whites into the flour and egg yolk mixture carefully (this is called loosening the mixture), then add the second half and fold that in.
- Spoon or pour the mixture 25cm/10-inch ungreased ring cake tin.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until the cake is cooked
- Wait until the cake is completely cooled before turning out.
This cake will keep in a sealed container for about 3 days, it's light and spongy and absolutely beautiful.
If you don't like coconut flavours, skip the pandan flavouring, and use corn oil or similar rather than coconut oil. You could always add lemon or orange flavouring instead and turn it into lemon chiffon or orange chiffon cake.