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Monday, May 11, 2009

Pandan Layer Cake 香兰蛋糕





Made this cake for my Mother in Law (MIL) for mother's day.

I first made this cake by experiment many many years ago, using green bean flour for the jelly and a packaged sponge mix for the cake. The green bean flour solidifies way too quickly for me to spread this evenly. So, this time I changed it to agar-agar with cornstarch. I think I put in too little cornflour as the mixture wasn't thick enough, and my cake floated (I assembled it upside down). Do double** the cornstarch if u want to try making this cake.

The result.... taste, yummy.
Looks.. decieving! Cos the floated cake was hidden by the curve of the plate. kekekeke!!!!
BTW, my daisies are ugly! I seriously am thinking to take up a cake decorating course!

Sponge:4 large eggs (250gm shells on)
130gm sugar
100gm flour + 1/2 tsp baking powder, sifted
50gm coconut milk
80gm corn oil
1/2 tsp pandan paste.
Green food colouring

1. Preheat oven to 170/180C.
2. Beat eggs and sugar until thick and pale.
3. In a seperate bowl, combine coconut milk, pandan paste/green colour and corn oil. Put in sifted flour and mix.
4. Put a few table spoonsful of beaten eggs into (3) and fold. Repeat 3X.
5. Pour (4) into remaining beaten eggs and fold. Take care not to deflate the eggs.
6. Pour into prepare mould and bake for 30 minutes.
7. Remove cake from mould immediately when baked. Leave to cool (cake will shrink tremendously, but uniformly) and slice into 3 layers. Freeze (air tight and separate layers with baking paper) until use.

Pandan Layer
1. 2 cups water + 200gm sugar. Cook sugar until dissolved. Leave to cool down. Do this in advance.
2. Mix 50gm cornstarch (update : 75gm gives better results) and 1 tsp pandan paste into 150gm coconut milk. Set aside
3. Bring 2 cups water + 1 tbsp agar-agar powder to a simmer.
4. Pour in (2) into (3) and cook until mixture thickens and boils. Remove from heat.
5. Pour (1) into (4) and combine well.

To assemble:
It depends on the mould u use. If u want to assemble it upside down, then put 1/3 of the pandan layer in first, then cake, then another 1/3, then 2nd layer cake and the last 1/3 of pandan layer and last layer of cake.

If u want to do it upright, then cake in first, then 1/3 pandan, then 2nd cake and pandan and cake again and pandan layer.

Chill in fridge til cold and set. Decorate with some icing and dessicated coconut.








** I tried doubling, but it was too thick instead. 50% more will be good enough.

117 comments:

  1. Hey, I love this cake so much. I don't understand some of the ingredient, some words. What is Pandan Paste? (100gm flour + 1/2 tsp baking powder, sifted)-- what is the meaning of "sifted"? What is beat eggs and sugar until thick and pale? If got pictures to show me, would be great. Thanks.


    Yuan Horng (Iris)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Pandan flavouring comes in 2 forms - paste or emulco and essence, u can use either one, but pandan paste taste better. I've bought some for mom to bring to u.

    Thick n pale:
    Thick: The eggs will triple in volume, with very fine bubbles like marshmallows. The trail of egg should only dissapear at the count of 3 when u lift the beaters.
    Pale: the colour of the eggs after being beaten should be beige in colour, or something like the colour of ur compact powder.

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  3. May I know how do you unmould the assembled cake? Cuppie

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  4. Agar-agar is easily unmoulded by running a skewer or knife around the edges. Unlike gelatin based jellies where u need to apply heat.
    Sometimes just by pushing down the edges of the agar-agar from the mould will loosen it for removal.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Cool! I made a similar cake but didn't use the cake ring nor cake pan. Thanks for sharing the tip to assemble in a cake pan!

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  6. Hi, I am a newbie in baking.. gotta know ur blog from a friend.. u have a very beautiful and informative blog.. you're so talented!!
    Btw, I would like to have a try to bake this cake. It looks so lovely and yummy. But I do have a question here.. What is dessicated coconut? May I know where I can get some of this? Thank you.. =)
    May

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  7. May,
    Thanks for your compliments
    Dessicated coconut is dried coconut flakes. I do NOT recommend King's brand. Just buy the cheap ones,like Tesco's, I feel those are better.
    You can easily get that at any supermarket's baking division or any baking supply shops.

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  8. Hi there,

    First time on your blog...Your blog has some beautiful cakes...I can see uyour love for baking...WHat is PANDAN? you have mentioned it many times in your recipes??/ I live int he US and I have no clue what you are talking about???

    Shobha

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  9. anubhavati/Shoba,
    Pandan is a flavoring derived from a plant.
    It is very popular here in South East Asia, be it Thailand, Philipines, Singapore or Indonesia.
    The other name for pandan will be screwpine.
    You can get artificial pandan paste at Walmart, in a small bottle with a butterfly as logo.

    The colour is always green and the flavour is almost like vanilla, but different. Here, we rarely use the flavouring from a bottle and we always get fresh juice from the leaves.
    You can see a picture of pandan in my Mung Bean Soup recipe filed under desserts

    ReplyDelete
  10. hi ,
    i have been following your blog and i just love all the cakes you have here. I have been trying on your pandan layer cake and have been using 100gm hoen kwe with 2tablespoon instant jelly powder instead of cornflour . But the result was floury taste and hard jelly layer.pls advise as my son really loves this cake.
    Wendysabah

    ReplyDelete
  11. Wendysabah,
    Thanks for reading my blog.

    Did you mean floury taste or grainy feel? Floury taste means can taste raw flour but grainy means it don't feel smooth. HoenKwee even if undercooked should taste floury as it cook really fast like any starch. And green pea flour has a harder consistency than cornstarch. The effect is also grainier than cornstarch. If you choose to use green pea flour, use only 50gm.

    I would advise you not to use instant jelly. Instant jelly hardens way too quickly and I suspect it doesn't have evough

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  12. Hi,i love this recipe and have made it couple of times.. but i always have problem assemble the cake, the cake tends to float on top of the jelly. I just couldnt get the nice layers like yours...pls help! thanks!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous,
    I assembled the cake upside down, so you see the base... there's no jelly.
    I suggested in the post that one should add more starch to it, and that will make the cake sit still and not float.
    Maybe try adding 50% more starch. It worked for me.

    ReplyDelete
  14. hello, I've always thought cakes like this were a complicated business, but... it looks easy enough for me to try out!

    however, when you say flour, do you mean cake, plain or self raising flour? or can I use any of them?

    -marie

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  15. Marie,
    If ever no specific flour is stated, it's all purpose flour. But you can use cake flour here, but not self raising flour.
    If you want to use self raising flour, just omit the baking powder in the recipe.

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi, Wendy! I baked this cake yesterday, feel happy when the cake was baking cause it grow up vry high but when finish baked it was fall down. Why? :( Then for the pandan layer part, i follow your instruction Pour (1) into (4) and combine well, but it can not combine well. Can i cook (1), (2) & (3) together?

    ReplyDelete
  17. Kathy,
    Yes, the cake rises tall, but deflates upon removal from oven. Which is why the instructions for this is to remove the cake from the mould immediately, so that shrinkage should be uniform, but the cake will not be dense like a kuih.

    It will combine if u stir it. Use a whisk.
    The reason why I cook part 1 separately is that, the custard mixture should not be hot when you fill the cake. The cooled syrup acts like a quick coolant for the hot custard.
    If you cook everything together, and leave it to cool down a bit before filling, the agar-agar will start to harden and that is something you do not wish to happen.
    You can cook everything together, but after that, cool it down quickly by stirring the container in a ice bath, stir all the time so that the agar will not harden and it will cool down really quick.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Ok, i will try this again !! Thank you very much for your help... : ) I hope i can make a cake as pretty as your cake show here.... i think need time & heart to do this....

    ReplyDelete
  19. Kathy,
    I sure do hope to hear favourable results from you.
    Making cakes like these shouldn't be done in haste.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Hi Wendy,
    Just wondering is it possible to substitute agar powder w/ unflavor gelatin? Thanks

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  21. Anonymous,
    You may, but the method will be different and please use 1 Tbsp of gelatin for every 2 cups of liquid.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hi Wendy,

    Thanks for your prompt reply. Just done baking the cake part seems like I did something wrong w/ the measurements as I have a hard time converting grams to mL and cups. Do you thin you can supply me w/ the correct conversion? Thanks in advance.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Anonymous,
    I'm sorry as I find that rather impossible to do that. Sponges are sensitive to flour amounts. My one cup of flour could be 150gm and your one cup maybe 110gm. A 40gm difference is huge. Therefore, I never like baking with cups, especially when it comes to sponges.
    It's best that you get yourself a weighing scale, I'm sure it's not expensive in US.
    Weighing is the most accurate form of measurement.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Hi Wendy,I have just tried baking the cake but the cake shrink so much after cooling down thus I can only divide the cake in half. Not sure where the problem lies cake taste good thou. I got a problem with the pandan jelly too everything seems ok until I added step 1 to 4 where lumps form. I tried mixing them together but lumps wont go do I need to apply heat on it while stirring? I added 65 grams of starch instead of 50 by the way. Also what type of pan did you use what size? Thanks for any help.

    ReplyDelete
  25. Anonymous,
    Yes, the cake will shrink almost half. But it will not be dense. How many layer of cake you can slice depends on ... skill. Sorry ah. :)
    Not to say you don't have skill, but my slices, are about half inch thick only. So, it may take some caution when doing the slicing, but with some patience, you can do it.

    When you add in the cornstarch mixture, you must stir the pot while you put it in. Put the heat on low when you pour, then return to medium heat and cook until it thickens.
    My pan is a 25cm chiffon pan. A 22cm pan will work just as fine.

    ReplyDelete
  26. Thanks for the advise. One more thing if you wanted to make your jelly tougher as mine is a bit soft do you add more agar powder or cornstarch?

    ReplyDelete
  27. Anonymous,
    The pandan layer should not be too hard. It should be like a soft kuih, in my opinion.
    I think agar will give it better mouthfeel if you want it harder.

    ReplyDelete
  28. Hi Wendy,

    when we assemble the jelly and the cake, shall we wait for the jelly to cold down and form a shape first before topping with another layer of cake?..Sandy

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  29. Sandy,
    Never wait. If not the layers will not stick.
    The thick consistency allows u to assemble all at once.

    ReplyDelete
  30. Hi Wendy,
    correct me if I'm wrong.I saw yr message, u are using 22cm chiffon mould for sponge cake and 25cm for the assembly right? What about if I use 21cm and 23cm?..Sandy

    ReplyDelete
  31. Sandy,
    Use the 23cm one.
    Bake your cake in the same pan, assemble in the same pan after washing

    ReplyDelete
  32. Hi Wendy,
    but with the same size how do we assemble the jelly at the size of the cake? Sandy

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  33. Sandy,
    After you bake the cake then you will know u can.
    The cake will shrink la, at least 1cm from the sides and a whole whole lot from the height.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Hi Wendy, even the hole there also will shrink? I will give it a try. Success already I will let you know..:-)..Sandy

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  35. Hi Wendy, One more question, do we need to invert like chiffon after baking? Or let just let it cool down in the chiffon pan?..Sandy

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  36. Sandy,
    The hole doesn't prevent sinking.
    Its main function if to quicken the baking by adding surface for heating to penetrate.
    Follow the instructions on how to bake it and you'll get a nice cake. I didn't mention invert so, no need to invert. And I mentioned remove immediately from pan, not cool in pan.
    Wish you success in baking this cake.

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  37. Hey! I love this cake and would like to try rhis receipe. Can I substitute the agar-agar powder with instant premix agar-agar powder and can I substitue pandan paste with real pandan leaves if so how much leaves should I use? I appreciate your help :)

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  38. Anonymous,
    Firstly you have to know the contents of your agar-agar premix. How much agar is there in the premix, any sugar in that. Therefore I cannot answer you on this.
    If you want to use real pandan leaves, just blend ur leaves with water, and use the pandan juice to replace the water in the filling. For the cake, replace the coconut milk with pandan juice and add in 25gm of powdered coconut cream

    ReplyDelete
  39. Hi Wendy, may I know how much is the correct amt of conrnstarch to be use? 100g?
    Thank you
    soh

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  40. soh,
    50% more of 50gm will be 75gm.
    Wish you success :)

    ReplyDelete
  41. Hi,

    I attempted this cake yesterday but I failed as the pandan layer is not set and the cake floated up. For step 3 of the pandan layer, must I wait for the agar agar to boil before I proceed to step 4? May I get your advice? Thanks!

    Soh.

    ReplyDelete
  42. Soh,
    The reason that one shuold wait for the agar to boil before adding the rest is to ensure it has fully melted and to prevent a burnt bottom. Agar has the tendency to settle at the bottom and burn, if not stirred consistently.
    If the agar is not melted, it won't set.

    but even if the agar doesn't set, the amount of cornstarch in the jelly will create a very very soft kuih like texture.

    The pandan jelly mixture must be thick when it's ready, it shouldn't be watery and it shouldn't be hot but only warm when mixed with (1).

    If you have frozen your cake well, the moment it touches the pandan filling, the jelly wouldn've set on its surface, and won't budge.

    ReplyDelete
  43. Thank you for you prompt comment. I will try it immediately and will update you the out-come.
    Soh.

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  44. Hi, I attempted 2nd time, with all your tips the cake turn out successful and texture of the kaya layer feel so smooth not grainy feel, only the colour of mine pandan layer look much darker green than yours, why? can share? my padan paste is with a butterfly as logo on it.
    Once again thank you very much for all your advice.
    Soh

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  45. Soh,
    Oh you used the Kepoe Kepoe brand.
    I have tried a few brands of pandan paste and they all have different shades.
    Use less if you don't like the too strong colour

    Glad your cake turned out well, Hurray!

    ReplyDelete
  46. Oh, if I use less it will affect the aroma of pandan layer? can I substitute with fresh fresh pandan juice? how much to be use?
    Thank you for sharing.
    soh

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  47. soh,
    Just substitute the water with pandan juice.
    Same amount of liquid will work fine.

    But then it's hard to tell EXACTLY how much, to get the same fragrance. As how concentrated it is depends on how many leaves you use, and the leaves comes in different sizes and different location of planting yields different levels of fragrance and colour. Refer to my concentrated pandan juice post. If your 500ml of your juice is at the colour of my 3rd extraction, it will be nice. Any darker, you will have to dilute it.

    ReplyDelete
  48. Sorry where can I get your post of "concentrated pandan juice"
    Thank you.
    Soh

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  49. soh,
    use the search gadget on the right panel

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  50. Appreciated just finish reading it, will take note will try this again. Sorry last question, can boil the pandan juice together with sugar/agar agar,it will not affect the aroma?
    Thank you for all your time.
    soh

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  51. soh,
    If you boil the pandan juice too long, the green colour will separate. Either you make it really concentrated and put it in the coconut milk mixture
    or
    Use it diluted (if you don't have time to wait for it to sink) but mix half the cornstarch witn pandan juice. The cornstarch will prevent the green colour from separating.

    The smell won't be affected la, if not how to boil sweet soups infused with pandan???

    ReplyDelete
  52. Thanks for the wonderful recipe. I miss having this for so many year. The jelly layer is perfect consistency. Made this and enjoyed it.

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  53. Geet,
    thanks for the feedback, glad you liked it

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  54. Hi Wendy, I hv tried using 80g of cornstarch insteads of Huen Kwe, my cake got floated too. However, it is much easier to assembled & smoother. Perhaps to try the mix of cornstarch & Huen Kwe.

    ReplyDelete
  55. Anonymous,
    Is your mixture hot? Is your sponge cake frozen?
    Maybe try chucking the thing into the freezer for 2 minutes between the layering might help.

    ReplyDelete
  56. Hi, I would like to bake a 26cm by 26cm cake, but I not sure how many portion should I use to fixed into the mould? thank you for your time.
    soh

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  57. soh,
    Maybe 25% extra, from 4 egg recipe to 5 egg :)

    ReplyDelete
  58. Good morning, noted and update you later.
    Thank you for you advice.
    soh

    ReplyDelete
  59. Hi good morning, I finish my cake, but this time pandan layer insufficient to cover the whole cake, I was thinking of cook another portion to cover the top? also I work to slow, agar agar set to fast, any advice? this is 1st time making big cake, is difficult for me to handle.
    thank you for all you time and advice.
    soh

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  60. Soh,
    It's ok as this is your first time,Practice makes perfect. Next time you will manage your time better.
    Yeah, cook maybe half portion of the jelly to cover.

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  61. Hi Wendy, I finally decorated the whole cake with half portion of the jelly to cover it, I was so worry, the cake turned out so perfect and nice, we all enjoy so much. You are so generous to share with me all the tips and this recipe, thank you so much, have a nice day
    By the way I am have gathering again, I want to make some kuih, which can make one day before, I new in making kuih, I might not be able to handle.
    Thank you so much for all your advice.
    soh

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  62. soh,
    Wowweeee! great to to hear it turned out great!
    Actually the big tray kuihs will be good if made one day ahead, because they need proper cooling before cutting.
    For Kuih tako, you can make the casing few days ahead and then make the filling one day before (but not 2)

    ReplyDelete
  63. Hi do you need a Pan slightly bigger than the cake so the kaya layer can flow to the side.

    ReplyDelete
  64. Anonymous,
    The 'kaya" is already flowing to the sides.
    The cake after being baked, cooled and removed from pan will shrink. After shrinking, you use back the same pan, it'll be just right.

    ReplyDelete
  65. I hv just tried the pandan layer but I used tapioca flour instead of corn starch is that why d kaya was lumpy . Taste and texture wise seems fine (it is still setting in the fridge as I m writing this post :) thanks for your advise.

    ReplyDelete
  66. Anonymous,
    Tapioca starch has high water holding capacity and is needed in a lower quantity. Somehow comparatively, it has a more chewy texture compared to cornstarch.
    Yes, that's the reason to it being lumpy because you can't subtitute both with the same weight.

    ReplyDelete
  67. Thanks much for your advise. I shall try again. Hopefully i will get it right for my mother in law's bday wch we r celebrating in first week april.

    ReplyDelete
  68. Hi Wendy...

    Finally I braved myself to try baking this cake. But I've tried a different sponge cake recipe. I only used your Pandan Layer recipe. So I seek your permission to re-post the recipe in my blog. Thank you for always sharing good recipes with us.

    ReplyDelete
  69. Mamfami,
    Thanks for trying this out. A linkback will do :)

    ReplyDelete
  70. Hi Wendy

    U mentioned "do double the cornstarch ..." So, in ur flwg sentence:

    2. Mix 50gm cornstarch and 1 tsp pandan paste into 150gm coconut milk.

    do I change the 50g cornstarch to 100g and leave the 1 tsp pandan paste (unchange) into 150g coconut milk?

    Thank you.

    Blessings
    Priscilla Poh

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  71. Priscilla,
    I made a note below the post about doubling the starch.
    It was too thick.
    My suggestion will be 75gm and it worked better for me, and the rest remains unchanged.

    ReplyDelete
  72. Thnx Wendy for ur response and the ideal measurement for the cornstarch.

    Will be using ur recipe to make the kaya layered cake this week and will let u know the results once my pastor and friends tasted it.

    Blessings
    Priscilla Poh

    ReplyDelete
  73. Hi Wendy

    Feedback from my pastors, church friends and myself is that the kaya layer was no good. Unlike, the one found in Peng's Kitchen which uses Hoon Kueh flour with more pandan juice, yours used cornflour for the kaya layer which turned out more plastic and jelly. The one at Peng's Kitchen tasted more 'kueh' which tied well with the sponge layer and usage of more pandan juice in the kaya layer made the cake totally 'lemak'.

    Although, I do agree that spreading of kaya layer using Hoon Kueh agar agar was not 'user friendly', nonetheless, the taste complements with the sponge layer well.

    Blessings
    Priscilla Poh

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  74. Priscilla Poh,
    Thank you for the feedback.It's good for troubleshooting when you can provide me with another recipe to compare.

    The pandan layer was never intended to taste like Kaya. Bakeries in Malaysia never call this cake Pandan Kaya Cake, but Pandan Jelly Cake, or Pandan Agar-Agar Cake, or Pandan Layer Cake. Before I started blogging, I never knew it's called differently in Singapore and the versions that we have here are very agar like, rather than kueh like. Maybe the expectations were different, but local readers have given me feedback that it's ok, because it is the version that we have here, of which is Jelly like. Some even told me, they want to make it firmer, saying my recipe is a bit too soft for their liking.

    Some brands of pandan paste have this weird aftertaste that taste/smell like plastic, I hope you got a good one. Peng's recipe called for 50ml natural pandan juice whereas my recipe uses pandan paste is bottled imitation pandan flavour+colour of which is very intense. 1 tsp of pandan paste is sufficient to colour and flavour a cake, just like in the bakeries.

    I hope you got the measurements correct as Peng's cake has 750ml liquid (3 tsp agar, 6 Tbsp(48gm) hoenkwee), whereas mine has 1150ml liquid, about 50% more(2.5tsp agar, 75gm cornstarch).

    It should be of a POURABLE consistency and not of spreading. If you could compare, in my recipe, the % of agar is lesser and the starch content is similiar, but the texture of mungbean starch is actually firmer than cornstarch (Something I found out when I experimented with Kuih Tako)
    So, the texture of this recipe is definitely softer than of Peng's.

    Of all the times I have made this, it has never been pliable or chewy like plastic, just to let you know. If you can go through some of my other jelly recipes that has homogenous coconut layers, quality cornstarch has always been in use and has never been plasticky. Furthermore, cornstarch definitely has better mouthfeel than hoenkwee that is made using mungbean starch. Therefore this recipe should taste smoother and less kuih like.

    And as to why it's less lemak... you can see, mine only uses 150gm coconut milk, suitable for jellies, but I won't say for kuih.

    I hope I have helped you understand the difference between the 2 recipes.

    I am hoping that your liquid measurements have been accurate as you are the first person who gave me feeback that the outcome is plastic like (I assume it's very chewy?) instead of being too soft.

    ReplyDelete
  75. Dear Wendy

    Thnx for ur response.

    I think my liquid measurement was correct. My only mistake was at Pt 1. u mentioned cook sugar until dissolved.

    I ensured sugar dissolved but I did not wait until sugared liquid boiled. It was later when I read ur Pt 5. Pour (1) into (4) and combine well, I realised I did not ensured Pt 1. reached boiling stage and I quickly mixed everything and let the mixture simmer over fire until I saw mixture started to bubble a little then I stopped the fire.

    Sorry, perhaps, I said it wrongly, the one at Peng's Kitchen I shud not be saying 'kueh' like but do not know how I shud put it. Maybe I shud put it that texture not as 'jelly or agar-agar' like this one which uses cornstarch.

    You see, if u read Blessed Homemaker, she added 80gm of butter to the pandan layer. Maybe, the addition of butter makes the pandan agar agar layer not so 'agar agar'.

    The pandan layer of your recipe which I experienced was not 'chewy' but more towards the 'agar agar', not that pliable like the one I tried at Peng's kitchen.

    Blessings
    Priscilla Poh

    ReplyDelete
  76. Priscilla,
    If you used drinking water to cook (1), it's ok if it didn't boil, just as long as the sugar is dissolved.
    Oh yes, with some butter in, it will definitely taste curd like, like kaya.I've even seen some Singaporean recipes calling for eggs to be used.

    I'm sorry that this recipe wasn't what that was expected, regional differences in taste ;)

    ReplyDelete
  77. Dear Wendy

    Oh ya, you have used the right word, instead of 'plastic' the word used shud be 'not curd like'. I am always having problem lack of better word/vocab to use.

    Blessing with peace
    Priscilla Poh

    ReplyDelete
  78. Hi Wendy,
    I with I can call you right now. I am making the pandan layer mixture now and encounter a problem.
    When mixing in the cornstarch mixture into the agar mixture, the mixture though looks mixes together but there are small little lumps all over. The mixture thickness and started to boil so I presume it's done. So I poured in part (1) into it and start to stir but the lumps refuse to blend well. And no matter how I stir it wouldn't thicken. May I know where did I go wrong?
    Should I add the part 2 bit by bit into part 3 and wait for it to boil? How long should it boil?
    What can I do with my mixture now? Can I sieve out the lumps? But the mixture is not thick. So it won't set right?
    So sorry for my silly questions. This is my first time making a curd. :(
    Thank you for your time.
    Lynn

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  79. Lynn,
    Sieve away the lumps.
    The current jelly won't thicken as much as it should because the cornstarch were in in the lumps.

    You can't help it now, but next time, as your pour the cornstarch mixture in with one hand, you stir with the other hand. Or be quick and pour them in one splosh and immediately gently stir it.

    and use medium low heat if you are worried about not being swift enough.

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  80. Lynn,
    It will still set. But your cake layers will float because the jelly is watery.
    What you can do is, set it layer by layer, put into the freezer for 10 minutes before you pour the next layer. Each layer should be mildly set with a very very thin skin before you pour in the next layer.
    Ok, hope this helps.

    ReplyDelete
  81. Thanks so much Wendy for your very fast reply. However I didn't know it will
    Be so fast and although I did sieve out the lumps but i ended up throwing away the whole thing away. I forgot to mention I used Kara brand of coconut cream is it ok? Also, what I did was throw whole cornstarch mixture into the agar agar mixture. But guess my hands are still not as fast. I'm going to try making the pandan layer again tomorrow. Another question, did the lumps occur because it was cooked? It looked cooked to me at the end of my combination of part 1 to 4. What will happen if I put the final mixture back to the stove? Will it help to disperse the lumps?

    ReplyDelete
  82. Lynn,
    Frankly, I never like using packaged coconut milk for desserts, unless they are thoroughly baked. Packaged coconut milk taste weird, except for Ayam brand that I might use to cook curry only. I don't touch other brands due the intense smell.

    No, the lumps shouldn't appear if you have properly combined everything. Mine was smooth and thick. Clumped cooked starch will not disperse with cooking.

    Are ur lumps hard or soft?

    ReplyDelete
  83. Hi Wendy

    I made this cake last nite, and it turn out great even in the process i encountered a problem whereby when i poured the sugar mixture into the cornstarch mixture, it didn't mix well. what i did was i put the mixture in the blender and blended. The mixture became smooth. Thanks Wendy.

    Fadzilah

    ReplyDelete
  84. Hi Wendy,
    I find you an awesome lady and EXTREMELY patience even to silly questions just because some dont read your recipe carefully. Not only sharing your recipe and skill, your patience with Q&A is highly respectful.

    You have displayed an excellent Christianity love and patience.

    I solute
    Shou

    ReplyDelete
  85. Shou,
    Thanks for the kind compliments.
    I am an imperfect human. Still trying to reap the "Patience" fruit of the Spirit :) There are still times when I do lose it. But I try not to.

    ReplyDelete
  86. Hi Wendy! Love ur Blog so much ~ thank you for sharing this recipe~ I actually havent eaten this cake b4, but I have seen it many times on Facebook~ I tried it out last week! Great recipe! Thanks

    ReplyDelete
  87. hi Wendy,
    i love reading yr blog. You r telented..:-)
    May i ask for the pandan layers, 2 cups = how many grams pls?
    I will love to try this cake when i go back to Kuching for holidays.
    thank you
    LH
    Spore

    ReplyDelete
  88. LH,
    Cups mentioned in my blog is standard 250ml. 250ml water is equivalent to 250gm water.
    Maybe you'd like to read my ABOUT just incase you need to know more about my measurements and ingredients used in this blog.

    ReplyDelete
  89. Wendy, I try this but is fail .... The result turn out is the taste is ok, Pandan layer between cake is ok but the base Layer is too thick (I think when I assemble the second & third layer the Jelly still go into the base) & so too think can't really set.... need to try again. (^ ^)

    ReplyDelete
  90. This used to be my favourite cake when I was younger! I was always the odd one coz no one liked this as their birthday cake when we were younger, everyone loved cream cartoon cake. But once my babysitter bought this and I am hooked ! I can only say that people who don't like this is because they have never tried it before. I shall learn to bake this and spread the love ! Thanks for sharing !

    ReplyDelete
  91. Catherine Sang,
    I think you're more of a practical person at your age back then.
    LOL. Good for you!

    ReplyDelete
  92. Thanks for sharing this.successful make Pandan layer cake.really delicious.

    ReplyDelete
  93. Cindy Goh,
    Thanks for sharing with me your success :)

    ReplyDelete
  94. Hi Sis,
    I've been following your blog and trying out your recipes and i must say,there's no disappointments,everytime it turns out great.
    And for this recipe,can i substitute coconut milk for milk?Is that possible...
    Thanks in advance.
    -Pam-

    ReplyDelete
  95. Pam,
    Should be ok, but the taste will be not as rich.
    Maybe evaporated milk will work better.

    ReplyDelete
  96. That's great...so it's evaporated milk then...thanks sis...i've learned a lot from your blog...keep up with your good work...May God Bless You...

    -Pam-

    ReplyDelete
  97. so sad...I failed mine! I followed the updated recipe..and I assemble with cake layer first then pandan but..the 2nd layer of the cake floated..1st layer stayed. May I know what might be the possible problem?? ;(

    ReplyDelete
  98. clare,
    the pandan agar layer was too hot. You can wait a short while say about 1-2 minutes before putting the next layer. Assemble this right under the fan ;)

    ReplyDelete
  99. may i know how u 'stick' the dessicated coconut onto the cake?

    ReplyDelete
  100. anonymous,
    slather on some whipped cream and pat the coconut on ;)

    ReplyDelete
  101. Hi wendy
    Can I subsitute cornstarch with other flour? Or any other subsitute for cornstarch? Pls advise, thanks

    Jeslyn

    ReplyDelete
  102. Jeslyn,
    Why? Cornstarch is so common.

    ReplyDelete
  103. Hi Wendy,

    I tried making the cake today. The top layer of the cake floated up when I poured in the pandan layer mixture. I did cooled down the mixture a while before pouring. Do you mind to describe the thickness consistency it should be? Nonetheless, the cake is awesome. It's very well received by family & friends. Thank you for sharing the recipe anyway.

    ReplyDelete
  104. Sally,
    It's a tricky cake, I'd say.
    It's hard to describe the consistency just by mere words. Sorry, but it's hard to be exact to define

    ReplyDelete
  105. Hi Wendy,

    tried this, it was delicious! i sprinkled some salt on the cake before layering it, and ermm.. it was good! did that becuz i find the jelly mixture kinda sweet, but overall, it was a success. hubby brought it for the surau ppl and he came back with a clean plate! :D
    thank u!

    ReplyDelete
  106. Hi Wendy,



    I tried to make the cake yesterday but it didn't make it because the sponge layer turned into a thick and hard layer, like kuih. It didn't rise at all but I did put baking powder and used all-purpose, unbleached and pre-sifted flour. Do I need to use the cake flour? How to make the sponge layer soft ? Please advise, thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  107. Florence,
    The batter on its own before baking is very fluffy.
    There could be 2 reasons,
    1. the egg mixture wasn't beaten correctly. It needs 10mins on hand mixer, full speed
    2. The batter was totally deflated before you baked it
    The flour type isn't that sensitive in this recipe, as long as you don't use bread flour

    ReplyDelete
  108. Hi Wendy,


    Thanks for your reply. I've beaten the eggs and sugar first and set aside Then, I prepared the coconut milk, flour and oil mixture. By the time I finished everything, the beaten eggs turned into liquid. So, should I prepare the coconut milk, flour and oil mixture first before I beat the egg? What do you mean by "not to deflate the beaten egg"? I'm a newbie, I have no idea about baking but your recipe looks so good and make me want to give myself a try :)

    ReplyDelete
  109. Florence,
    eggs turning to liquid----> deflated.
    the incorporated air is what makes it fluffy,once the air is gone, it goes flat

    ReplyDelete
  110. Hi Wendy,



    Awww....so how to prevent it? I used the electric mixer to beat the eggs but it didn't raise up the volume.Only a thin layer of bubbles. How to beat the eggs with lots of bubbles and keep the air in till I bake? Thank you Wendy for answering all the questions.



    Florence

    ReplyDelete
  111. Florence,
    Do step 3 before step 2 if you're using hand mixer. Like I said, you need 10 mins on highest speed with a hand mixer.

    ReplyDelete
  112. Hi Wendy,
    Found ur blog by chance ��
    Being a newbie in baking, each Q's and Tips shared is so precious.. I had read each Q's & Tips carefully just hope I will follow step by step.
    Crossing my fingers and thank u so much for your generous sharing ��

    Have a blessed day ahead
    GBU
    Kym T.

    ReplyDelete
  113. Hi Wendy .i going to make this tonight and will let you know the result. thanks for your recipes and your blog is one of my favorite.

    ReplyDelete
  114. Hi Wendy, thank u for sharing this recipe. Do u sit the cake in a bigger cake pa when u layer it with the kaya? Otherwise the kaya will not be able to cover the sides right? Pl give more details . Thanks again

    ReplyDelete
  115. Hi Wendy, thank u for sharing this recipe. Do u sit the cake in a bigger cake pa when u layer it with the kaya? Otherwise the kaya will not be able to cover the sides right? Pl give more details . Thanks again

    ReplyDelete
  116. Mama Mia,
    I used the same cake pan, the cake will shrink when it cools down.

    ReplyDelete

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