Magic Pandan Custard Cake

My darling husband loves to eat nonya kueh and custard. So for his birthday, I've decided to bake him a cake that marries these 2 together to present to him a Magic Pandan Custard Cake.

This cake is a slight adaptation to the Magic Custard Cake to make a pandan version. The outcome...thumbs up!

There are 3 distinct layers to this cake. The bottom layer is denser and kueh-like probably due to the flour batter, the middle is a custard layer from the egg yolks while the top and fluffy layer is from the egg meringue floating to the top. 

The cake surface was cracked and I think it's because I've over beaten my egg whites but the cake was still delicious and everyone enjoyed it. 

Most importantly, the birthday boy loved it! 

Happy Birthday, dear!

Magic Pandan Custard Cake

makes a 8" square pan 

Ingredients:

113g unsalted butter

285g milk
200ml coconut milk (I use kara brand)
1 tbspn water

4 eggs, separated

115g plain flour

145g confectioner sugar

2 tbspn sugar

1 tsp pandan paste
Extra confectioner sugar for dusting

Method:

1. Lightly grease and line a 8"x8" square pan.

2. Preheat the oven to 160ºC.

3. Melt the butter and set aside to cool slightly. Warm the milk, coconut milk and pandan paste to lukewarm. Set aside.

4. In a separate bowl, sieve flour and set aside.

5. In a clean mixing bowl, whisk egg whites till foamy. Add 2 tablespoon sugar and continue to whisk to stiff peaks.

6. In another bowl, beat the egg yolks and confectioner sugar until light and fluffy.

7. Beat in the melted butter and the tablespoon of water for about 2 minutes or until evenly incorporated.

8. Mix in flour until evenly incorporated.

9. Gently stir in the coconut-milk mixture and pandan paste until everything is well mixed. You can use a handwhisk to do this as it is a very liquid batter to avoid splattering.

10. Fold in the egg whites, 1/3 at a time. Repeat until all of the egg whites are folded in.

11. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake in preheated oven at 160C for 50-55 minutes or until the top is golden.

12. Allow cake to completely cool together with the parchment paper on a wire rack before cutting and serving. (You can remove the cake together with the parchment paper from the cake pan and let cool completely on the wire rack)

13. Trim the sides of the cakes, decorate as desired and serve. (As I prefer the cake chilled, I will place the cake in the fridge for at least 2 hours before serving)

Some important pointers: 

- Temperature of the ingredients are important. The milk should only be lukewarm so that it does not cook the eggs.

- As the batter is very liquid, it is better to use a hand whisk rather than an electric whisk. Otherwise, you'll end up having to clean up all the splatters.

- When folding in the meringue to the egg yolk mixture, I prefer to use a hand whisk. The mixture is very liquid and curdly. Have no fear, this is normal. Just fold in the whites gently till there's not big chunks of whites left.

- For ease of removal from the cake pan, line with parchment paper. Have about 1 1/2 - 2 inches of parchment paper hanging outside the pan so that the cake can be easily lifted up the cake pan.

- As the cake from the oven will be wobbly and jiggery, I will chill it in the fridge after it is completely cooled on wire rack. I find it easier to remove from the cake pan and cut the cake after it has been chilled in the fridge.

- The cake will shrink after it is cooled, so do not be too alarmed.

- Trim the sides of the cake so that you can present the 3 magical layers. 

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