South East Asian Pandan (Dairy Free)

 

Pandan has a delicate taste usually described as grassy vanilla with notes of rose, almond and coconut. Pandan cake with its characteristic and delightful green color, is made all over Southeast Asia, usually as a chiffon cake.  This is our version of that cake, made with olive oil and a hint of lime. 

 

 

The Cake 🎥

YOU WILL NEED

VANILLA CAKE MIX

2 tablespoons white rice flour or potato starch (20g)
WET INGREDIENTS

4 large eggs (about 252g, weighed with shell)
1 cup mild extra-virgin olive oil (200g)
⅔ cup milk or unsweetened coconut milk (160g)
1 teaspoon juice and zest from one lime
¾ teaspoon pandan extract (with coloring, if preferred)

TOPPING

1 tablespoon superfine or castor sugar


INSTRUCTIONS
  • Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease a 9 or 10-inch tube pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
  • Mix vanilla cake mix and white rice flour (or potato starch) together until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
  • Beat eggs at high speed for 3-5 minutes until light and fluffy. With the mixer still running, gradually add the olive oil in a thin drizzle and beat until thick and creamy.
  • Add the milk, lime juice and extract, pandan extract (or pandan milk, see below) and vanilla cake mix-rice flour blend, then mix on low speed for one minute or until well combined.
  • Pour batter into prepared pan and sprinkle evenly with sugar.
  • Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Cool in baking pan for 5-10 minutes before unmolding.
    • Pandan Milk: If you have fresh or frozen pandan leaves, those can be used instead of the pandan extract. Simply blend five washed and chopped pandan leaves (about 100g, using only the dark green parts) with 3 tablespoons of the milk and strain the resulting mixture to extract the juice (discard the blended leaves).
    • Pandan Paste: Alternatively, substitute the pandan extract for ½ teaspoon pandan paste stirred into the milk.

 

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Tips & Methods

Baking Tips

General Baking Tips

  • Preheat your oven to 325ºF.
  • Prepare the pan: Grease the recommended pan and line it with parchment paper. If using a Bundt pan, apply a baking spray that contains flour.
  • For best results: Weigh all ingredients and bring them to room temperature.
  • Avoid opening the oven door until the cake has set, unless the recipe instructs otherwise.
  • Check for doneness: Your cake is done when it begins to shrink from the sides of the pan, springs back when touched or when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  • Cooling: Let the cake cool for 5–10 minutes before removing it from the pan.

Alternative Baking Options (for all cake recipes except for vegan recipes)

Cupcakes:

  • Bake at 325ºF for 18–21 minutes in a cupcake pan with liners.
  • Fill each cavity about two-thirds full.
  • Yields about 24 cupcakes.

Mini Bundt Cakes:

  • Bake at 325ºF for 18–21 minutes in a mini Bundt pan.
  • Fill each cavity about two-thirds full.
  • Yields about 24 mini Bundt cakes.

Bite-Sized Mini Muffins:

  • Bake at 325ºF for 13–16 minutes in a mini muffin pan with liners (1.25 inch diameter).
  • Fill each cavity about two-thirds full.
  • Yields about 72 mini muffins.

Storage Guidelines

  • Frosted cakes or cakes with pastry cream: Refrigerate for up to 3 days.
  • Plain or glazed cakes (without frosting or pastry cream):
  • Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.
  • For extended storage, double-wrap cooled cake in cling film and aluminum foil and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
  • Freezing plain cakes: Double-wrap in cling film and aluminum foil and freeze for up to 3 months.
  • Defrosting frozen cakes: Keep the wrapped cake in the refrigerator for 24 hours before serving.

Olive Oil Cake Method

  • Pre-heat your oven to 325ºF.
  • Grease the recommended cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
    If using a Bundt pan, apply a baking spray made with flour.
  • In a separate bowl, beat room temperature eggs at high speed for 3-5 minutes, then add mild extra virgin olive oil in a slow, steady drizzle until thick and creamy.
  • Add remaining wet ingredients and the cake mix to the egg mixture and mix until combined, stopping to scrape down the bowl. Do not overmix.
  • Gently mix stir ins into batter until well combined.
  • Scrape batter into prepared pan(s) and sprinkle with toppings.
  • Bake immediately following the guidelines in the recipe. Cool in baking pan for 5-10 minutes before unmolding.
  • Cool cake completely before frosting.

Butter Cake Method

You can substitute butter for olive oil in our recipes at a 1:1 ratio—no complicated conversions needed!

  • Preheat your oven to 325ºF. Grease the recommended cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
  • Whisk wet ingredients (eggs, milk, dairy products, etc.) together on medium speed until well blended.
  • In a separate bowl, beat softened butter, cake mix, and dry ingredients on low speed until combined and sandy in texture (about 30 seconds).
  • With the mixer still on, slowly add wet ingredients, scraping the bowl down from time to time. Increase speed to medium-high and beat for two minutes. Do not overmix.
  • Fold in stir-ins (nuts, berries, chopped fruit, chocolate chips, etc.) until just blended.
  • Scrape batter into prepared pan(s) and evenly sprinkle with toppings (e.g., sliced almonds).
  • Bake immediately following the guidelines in the recipe.
  • Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before unmolding.
  • Cool completely before frosting.