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    Home » Recipes » Cake Recipes

    Pandan Cake (Easiest Pandan Flavored Pound Cake)

    Published: Dec 13, 2021 · Modified: May 11, 2023 by Priya Maha

    Jump to Recipe
    Slices of green loaf cake.

    This pandan cake recipe is probably the easiest and the simplest of all other types of pandan cakes. It does not require fresh pandan leaves, and you can whip it up anytime you want within a short period of time.

    Baked in a loaf pan, this pound cake does not require any frosting and is perfect to be eaten on its own with a cup of tea or coffee.

    Slices of green loaf cake.
    Simple pandan pound cake recipe - Moist and fluffy cake
    Jump to:
    • ❤️Why you will love this recipe
    • What is Pandan?
    • 📋Ingredients
    • 🧾Substitution and variations
    • 👩🏻‍🍳How to make
    • 🍽️Serving & storage
    • 💡Expert tips
    • 💭FAQs
    • ❤️More recipes you will love ❤️
    • 📖Recipe

    ❤️Why you will love this recipe

    • Making the cake is easy. Unlike chiffon cakes where egg whites and egg yolks need to be separated, this cake is very straightforward to make, and perfect for beginner bakers.
    • It requires very simple ingredients and does not require fresh pandan leaves.
    • The cake is great to be eaten on its own, without any topping.
    • The cake is rich and buttery.

    What is Pandan?

    Pandan plant or pandan leaf (also known as screw pine leaves or pandanus amaryllifolius) is a green tropical plant that is commonly found in the Southeast Asia region. It consists of long, blade-like leaves and is often used in Asian cooking for its aroma. It is never eaten on its own and at most, the leaves will be blended with water or other liquid and the pulp is then drained out to make pandan extract. This extract is often used to enhance the taste and for its natural green food color. In most recipes, however, pandan leaves are simply knotted and added into dishes while cooking and often removed and discarded after cooking.

    Since pandan leaves are not readily available in most countries (you can try to find them in Asian markets), the leaves can be substituted with pandan essence and pandan extract in concentrate form that can be found in baking supply stores or in Asian food stores. This pandan cake recipe is made using pandan essense and pandan extract, so if you cannot find fresh pandan leaves and wish to make a pandan cake, this recipe will be perfect for you.

    📋Ingredients

    • Butter - I use salted butter.
    • Granulated sugar (caster sugar) - works best for this cake. Coarse sugar will leave sugar specks on the surface of the cake after baking.
    • Self raising flour + salt + baking powder - mix and sift together before adding into the cake batter.
    • Eggs - use large eggs
    • Milk - use whole milk
    • Pandan essence - adds pandan aroma to the cake.
    • Pandan extract (concentrated pandan paste) - contributes to the green color and pandan taste in the cake.

    *Refer to the recipe card below for exact quantities of the ingredients above. For best results, use a digital kitchen scale where applicable*

    🧾Substitution and variations

    • Butter - can be substituted with unsalted butter, but you may need to increase the salt in the recipe.
    • Self raising flour can be substituted with all purpose flour and baking powder. For every 225g of plain flour, add one and half teaspoons of baking powder to it. Mix both and sift them at least 3 times before using. To make 180g of self raising flour, add one teaspoon plus another one fifth of a teaspoon of baking powder.
    • Whole milk can be substituted with coconut milk.
    • Pandan extract and essence can be substituted with fresh pandan extract. To make your own extract, cut 5 long pandan leaves into small sections (about 4 to 5cm long) and blend them in a food processor with the milk. Strain the milk and add pandan flavored milk alternately with the sifted dry ingredients. For a more prominent green color to the cake, add some green food coloring to the batter.

    This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you do try, please let me know in the comments section below!

    👩🏻‍🍳How to make

    Mixing the cake batter

    A poster of 4 images showing how to cream butter, sugar and eggs.
    1. Measure the sugar and butter into a medium sized mixing bowl.
    2. Cream both until light and fluffy on medium speed with an electric mixer (hand mixer or stand mixer). This should take approximately 2 minutes on medium to high speed. Scrape the sides of the bowl at about one minute interval.
    3. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Each time, beat until all the traces of the egg are no longer visible.
    4. Scrape the sides of the bowl after all the eggs have been added and beat again to ensure the ingredients are well creamed.
    A poster of 4 images showing how to fold flour and milk into a cake batter and how to add pandan extract to it.
    1. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Fold these dry ingredients into the creamed mixture in 3 batches.
    2. Alternate each batch of flour with milk, starting and end with flour.
    3. Finally, add the pandan essence and pandan extract (pandan flavoring). Mix until well combined.
    4. Pour batter into a well greased and floured or parchment paper lined loaf cake pan. Level the top of the cake.
    • Bake the cake in a preheated oven at 170 degrees Celsius oven temperature for 40 minutes. Test the cake for doneness by inserting a skewer in the center of the cake. If there is wet batter sticking to the skewer, let the cake bake for another 5 minutes.
    Front view of a cut cake loaf.
    Moist and fragrant pandan cake using pandan essence and pandan extract

    🍽️Serving & storage

    • Once baked, remove the cake from the oven. Let it stand in the baking tin for 2 minutes. Loosen the sides of the cake from pan with a jam knife and invert cake onto a wire rack. Turn it over so that it is faces upwards and let the cake cool completely to room temperature before serving.
    • This moist pandan loaf cake lasts well, at least for 4 to 5 days, provided it does not come into contact into any moisture. If you wish to keep it longer (for up to 1 week), keep it covered in the refrigerator.

    💡Expert tips

    • This recipe makes a wonderfully moist pandan loaf cake. It is however, possible for your cake to turn out dry if you overbake it. To ensure your cake remains moist, keep to the baking time. Check for doneness at least 5 minutes before the baking time is up. To test for doneness poke a long skewer in the center of the cake. If there is no wet batter sticking to it, the cake is done and can be removed from the oven.
    • When cooling the cake, keep it covered with a kitchen towel. That will prevent it from becoming dry too.
    • And when the cake has cooled down to a warm temperature, wrap it in cling wrap and refrigerate it. Wrapping and refrigerating it while it is still warm will ensure the moisture in the cake remains inside and that keeps the cake moist.

    💭FAQs

    Can you make this cake with fresh pandan leaves?

    Yes, you can.
    Make your own natural pandan extract (pandan juice) by cutting 5 long pandan leaves into small sections (about 4 to 5cm long) and blend them in a food processor with the milk.
    Strain the milk and add the pandan flavored milk alternately with the sifted dry ingredients as mentioned in the recipe. If you want a more prominent green color to your cake, add some green food coloring to your cake batter.

    Can you bake this cake as a birthday cake or for special occasions?

    This recipe makes a pandan loaf cake measuring 8 inches by 4 inches. You can also bake this cake in a round tin and turn it into a delicious pandan birthday cake. Simply double the recipe provided in the recipe card below and bake it in 2 separate 7 inches round cake tins.
    Once baked, sandwich the cooled cake layers with buttercream and decorate it as you wish for a birthday cake.

    ❤️More recipes you will love ❤️

    • A few green cupcakes on a grey plate.
      Pandan Cupcakes with Pandan Buttercream
    • A slice of pandan cheesecake on a white plate.
      Pandan Cheesecake (Perfectly Baked & The Creamiest Ever!)
    • A loaf of bread with raisins.
      Pandan Bread - Homemade Milk Loaf with Raisins
    • A plate of green pandan cookies against a marble background.
      Pandan Cookies with Coconut and Gula Melaka

    Do you like this recipe? Please leave a 5-star ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐rating in the recipe card below and consider a review further down this page. I would love to hear from you. Thank you!

    📖Recipe

    Front view of a cut pandan cake loaf

    Pandan Cake (Easiest Pandan Flavored Pound Cake)

    This pandan cake is a simple and easy loaf cake. Made using pandan essence and extract, this recipe makes a really moist and fluffy cake.
    4.95 from 17 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Dessert
    Cuisine: Asian
    Keyword: Pandan Cake
    Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 40 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes minutes
    Yield: 1 Eight inches by four inches loaf cake
    Author: Priya Maha
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Metric - US Customary

    For best results, use the metrics measurements. US customary measurements have not been tested and are only meant for guide.

    Ingredients

    • 180 g butter (salted)
    • 180 g granulated sugar
    • 180 g self-raising flour
    • 3 eggs
    • ⅛ teaspoon salt
    • 3 tablespoon milk
    • ½ teaspoon pandan essence
    • ½ teaspoon pandan extract
    • ½ teaspoon baking powder
    Metric - US Customary

    Instructions

    • Preheat oven to 175°Celsius.
    • Grease and flour an 8 inches by 4 inches loaf tin.
    • Measure butter and sugar into a medium-sized bowl. Beat until their turn light and fluffy, approximately 2 minutes.
    • Add the eggs, one at a time, and beat well after each addition.
    • Sift the flour, baking powder, and salt into a bowl.
    • Fold the sifted dry ingredients into the creamed mixture in 3 batches. Alternate each batch with milk.
    • Finally, fold in the pandan essence and pandan extract.
    • Pour the cake batter into the prepared loaf tin. Level the top.
    • Bake the pandan pound cake at 175°Celsius for 40 minutes until a skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out without any wet batter.
    • Remove the cake from the oven. Let it rest in the tin for 2 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

    Video

    Notes

    • This recipe makes a wonderfully moist pandan loaf cake. It is however, possible for your cake to turn out dry if you overbake it. To ensure your cake remains moist, keep to the baking time. Check for doneness at least 5 minutes before the baking time is up. To test for doneness poke a long skewer in the center of the cake. If there is no wet batter sticking to it, the cake is done and can be removed from the oven.
    • When cooling the cake, keep it covered with a kitchen towel. That will prevent it from becoming dry too.
    • And when the cake has cooled down to a warm temperature, wrap it in cling wrap and refrigerate it. Wrapping and refrigerating it while it is still warm will ensure the moisture in the cake remains inside and that keeps the cake moist.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 2853.2kcal | Carbohydrates: 313.7g | Protein: 41.1g | Fat: 163g | Saturated Fat: 97.9g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 43.3g | Trans Fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 882.5mg | Sodium: 1788.1mg | Potassium: 468.4mg | Fiber: 4.3g | Sugar: 183.1g | Vitamin A: 5287.5IU | Calcium: 197mg | Iron: 4.1mg
    Tried this recipe?Mention @decorated_treats or tag #decoratedtreats!

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lilly

      December 14, 2021 at 4:05 am

      5 stars
      Thanks for sharing such detailed instructions and a video! This pandon cake is so delish!

      Reply
    2. Dennis

      December 15, 2021 at 10:20 pm

      5 stars
      Thanks for sharing such detailed instructions and a video! I would love to try this cake!

      Reply
    3. Tamsin

      January 29, 2022 at 3:45 pm

      I can’t find the quantity for milk

      Reply
      • Priya Maha

        January 29, 2022 at 4:29 pm

        Hi Tasmin,
        Thank you for letting me know. I have updated the recipe. It should be 3 tablespoons of milk.

        Reply
    4. Shan

      March 23, 2022 at 1:44 pm

      Hi, can I use a 9x5 loaf tin for this cake?

      Reply
      • Priya Maha

        March 24, 2022 at 10:57 pm

        Yes you can.

        Reply
    5. Jane

      March 25, 2022 at 7:58 am

      Can I still make this cake if I only have pandan essence? I don’t have pandan extract.

      Reply
      • Priya Maha

        March 25, 2022 at 9:28 pm

        Hi Jane,

        Yes you can. If the essence is colorless, your cake will not be green. But the taste should be good nevertheless.

        Reply
    6. Nabihah

      July 29, 2022 at 11:07 pm

      5 stars
      Hi there,
      The cake tasted wonderful 🌟
      But you didn’t mentioned the measurements for the baking powder 😅

      Do you mind updating?

      Reply
      • Priya Maha

        July 29, 2022 at 11:16 pm

        Hi Nabihah,
        Thank you for highlighting. I have updated the recipe to include half a teaspoon of baking powder.
        And I am really glad you like the recipe 🙂

        Reply
    7. Mich

      January 20, 2023 at 3:49 pm

      Is the oven temp you bake the cake in fan force?

      Reply
      • Priya Maha

        January 21, 2023 at 11:41 pm

        Yes

        Reply

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