Pandan Chiffon Cake

Looking for that iconic, bakery-style Asian chiffon cake with an ultra-airy, pillowy crumb? This classic pandan chiffon cake recipe yields an incredibly soft, cottony-soft crumb infused with the tropical fragrance of fresh pandan leaves and rich coconut milk. It is a timeless family favourite dessert that delivers light-as-air texture every single time, making it ideal for afternoon teas or weekend family gatherings.

I originally shared this Asian chiffon cake after watching a Masterchef Australia pressure test episode featuring Dan Hong's famous pandan cake. Sharing delicious food with loved ones is one of life's simplest graces, and baking a fresh, homemade chiffon cake brings warmth and joy to any table.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Cottony-soft texture: Whisked egg whites create a tender, airy structure that stays moist for days.
• Authentic tropical flavor: Freshly squeezed pandan juice combined with coconut milk offers a delightful natural aroma.
• Straightforward home baking: Simple techniques make achieving a bakery-quality tube cake completely stress-free.

Key Tips for Success

• Use grease-free utensils: Ensure your mixing bowl and beaters are completely dry and oil-free before whipping egg whites to stiff peaks.
• Fold delicate batter gently: Fold the meringue in three batches using a light hand to preserve incorporated air.
• Invert to cool: Immediately invert the ungreased tube pan right out of the oven to prevent the cake structure from collapsing.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Q: Why did my chiffon cake shrink or fall out of the pan?
• A: Never grease your chiffon tube pan! The batter requires an ungreased surface to climb and cling to as it expands.

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Bubur Cha Cha (摩摩喳喳)

Bubur Cha Cha is a classic Malaysian sweet potato coconut dessert filled with chewy tapioca pearls, tender yam, and fragrant pandan infusion. This colorful comfort food brings warmth to your table and offers a beautiful, nourishing sweet treat to share with loved ones after a satisfying home-cooked meal.

Making this authentic Nyonya dessert at home is a wonderful way to embrace quality living with simple, wholesome ingredients. With its rich coconut soup and medley of soft root vegetables, it satisfies sweet cravings while nourishing both body and mind with wholesome, balanced comfort.

Why You'll Love This Recipe

• Colorful and Inviting: Combining golden sweet potato, purple sweet potato, and yam creates a visually stunning bowl.
• Versatile Serving Temperature: Enjoy this dessert soothingly hot on cool days or refreshingly chilled during warmer seasons.
• Delightful Texture Contrast: Soft root vegetables paired with tender black-eyed beans and springy sago pearls deliver a memorable mouthfeel.

Key Tips for Success

• Steam Root Vegetables: Steam your sweet potatoes and yam instead of boiling to keep the vibrant purple color from bleeding into your coconut soup.
• Soak Chopped Potatoes: Place cut sweet potato cubes in a bowl of cold water immediately after dicing to prevent oxidation and discoloration.
• Residual Heat Cooking: Allow the tapioca pearls to sit covered off the heat after boiling so they cook through to translucent perfection without turning mushy.

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Bubur Cha Cha Recipe

(Printable recipe)
By Christine’s Recipes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Chinese, Asian
Prep time: 20 mins
Cook time: 60 mins
Yield: 3 to 4 serves

Ingredients:

• 150 gm yam (taro), peeled and diced
• 150 gm golden sweet potato
• 150 gm purple sweet potato
• 50 gm black-eyed beans (black-eyed peas)
• 50 gm tapioca pearls (sago pearls)
• 1 liter boiling water, plus more to cook beans and tapioca pearls
• 120 gm rock sugar or coconut sugar, finely chopped, or to tast
• 1½ cup coconut cream, or to taste
• 3 pandan leaves

Method :

• Rinse the black-eyed beans and drain well. Soak in boiling water with cover for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain and put into a large pot of boiling water. The water should cover the beans up to at least 2 inches. Bring it to boil. Reduce heat to simmer over medium-slow heat until softened, but not mushy, about 20 to 30 minutes. Drain well and set aside.
• Soak tapioca pearls for 10 minutes. Drain and transfer into a pot of boiling water. Cover and cook over medium heat until it boils again. Immediately remove from heat. Don’t remove the pot lid. Let the residual heat inside to cook for further 10 minutes. Drain through a fine sieve. Rinse with running cold water. Drain well. The tapioca pearls should be translucent and retain their shapes. If some of them still have a white spot in the middle, they are not cooked through completely. It’s fine because you need to cook them with coconut milk later.
• Steam diced yam, golden and purple sweet potato in a wok over high heat, until softened, about 20 minutes. Test with a sharp knife or toothpick. They should be very easy to prick through.
• Use a large deep pot. Add 1 liter of boiling water with the rock sugar. Bring it to boil. Add pandan leaves. Reduce heat to simmer for 10 minutes. Pour in coconut cream. Once it boils again, drain up and discard the pandan leaves. Add the sweet potatoes, black-eyed beans, tapioca pearls. The rock sugar should be dissolved completely. Taste and add more sugar if needed. Served hot. Or let it cool down and chill in fridge if you like it served cold.

Notes:

• The consistency of every brand of coconut cream is very different. You can adjust the amount to your liking.
• Choose different colours of sweet potato to make this dish more colourful and attractive. The diced sweet potatoes will turn black if they are not cooked immediately. Soak them in water to avoid from turning black in colour.
• You can put the diced sweet potato in water to cook until softened instead of steaming. But beware that the purple sweet potato will turn your sweet coconut soup into purple. That’s why I used steaming.

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