Pandan Chiffon Cake
This heavenly pandan chiffon cake is extremely soft and fluffy with the lovely taste of pandan. It’s easy to make, simple to serve, and super scrumptious!

Why this recipe is so great:
- Cottony-soft texture โ This chiffon cake is soft and fluffy like a cloud. The texture is nice and airy, and just melts in your mouth.
- Superb taste โ This recipe uses pandan extract for convenience and great flavor. The taste is rich and fragrant with notes of matcha, vanilla, cream, and coconut.
- Easy to make – All you have to do is whip up some egg whites with cream of tartar and sugar to make a stiff meringue. Mix everything else together in another bowl. Combine the two mixtures and bake.
If you love chiffon cakes, you must try my Vanilla Chiffon Cake, Lemon Chiffon Cake, and Chocolate Chiffon Cake. And if you are looking for something a little fancier, try my Ube Cake with Coconut Frosting.
Ingredients you’ll need and substitutions:
- cake flour (storebought or DIY)
- granulated sugar
- baking powder & salt
- large eggs
- vegetable oil (or any neutral-tasting oil)
- milk (any kind, dairy or plant-based)
- pandan extract
- cream of tartar (white vinegar or lemon juice works too)
How to make pandan cake:
(the ingredient amounts are listed in the printable recipe card further below)
- Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the center and add the egg yolks, oil, milk, and pandan extract. Set aside.
- In another large bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add in the cream of tartar. Continue mixing and slowly add in the sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
- Using the same beaters, beat the egg yolk mixture until smooth.
- Fold in 1/4 of the egg whites to lighten up the mixture. Then gently fold in the rest in two equal parts until just combined.
- Pour the batter into an ungreased 10โณ tube pan with a removable bottom. Bake at 325F for an hour.
- Invert the pan (to cool the chiffon cake upside down, so that it doesn’t collapse) and let cool completely before removing the cake from the pan.
Expert tips:
- Beating the egg whites โ Take the time to beat your egg whites to stiff peaks. This can take anywhere from 5-10 minutes depending on your mixer speed. Check often and once your whisk or beaters can hold a peak that stands straight up, youโve reached stiff peaks.
- Folding the batter โ Fold in the meringue in batches. Take your spatula and cut down the center of the batter to the bottom of the bowl. Then scoop from the bottom and up, scrape along the sides of the bowl, and rotate the bowl until the meringue is fully incorporated into the egg yolk batter.
- How to tell when the cake is done – A toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean AND the surface of the cake should be golden brown.
Storing & freezing instructions:
Storing – Wrap the pandan chiffon cake in plastic wrap or place it in an airtight container. Store at room temperature for 3-4 days or in the fridge for a week.
Freezing – Wrap in plastic wrap and a layer of aluminum foil or place it in a freezer-safe bag or container. Store the cake or individual slices in the freezer for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight or at room temperature for 1โ2 hours before serving.
Recipe FAQs:
I wouldn’t call it healthy, but it is definitely healthier than most desserts because it’s light and there’s no heavy frosting or buttercream.
Imagine vanilla ice cream, fresh coconut, and a sprinkle of matcha all mixed into a light and fluffy sponge cake – that’s what it tastes like!
It’s great served as is with coffee or tea. If you want to make it more indulgent, you can serve it with regular or coconut whipped cream. It’s also great served alongside some tropical fruit.
You can, but it’s a lot more work as you have to blend the fresh leaves and strain the mixture to essentially make your own extract. The taste is fresher but not as concentrated.
If you’ve tried this Pandan Chiffon Cake Recipe or any other recipe on my blog please leave a ๐ star rating and let me know how it went in the ๐ comments below. Thanks for visiting!

Pandan Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups (235g) cake flour (or 1 & 3/4 cups all-purpose flour mixed with 1/4 cup cornstarch)
- 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 7 large egg yolks, room temperature
- 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup (180ml) milk
- 1 tbsp pandan extract
- 7 large egg white, room temperature
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325F
- Sift the flour, 1 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt into a large mixing bowl.2 cups (235g) cake flour (or 1 & 3/4 cups all-purpose flour mixed with 1/4 cup cornstarch), 1 cup (200g) granulated sugar, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt
- Make a well in the center and add the egg yolks, oil, milk, and pandan extract. Set aside.7 large egg yolks, 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil, 3/4 cup (180ml) milk, 1 tbsp pandan extract
- In another large bowl, beat the egg whites until foamy. Add in the cream of tartar. Continue mixing and slowly add in the sugar. Beat until stiff peaks form. Set aside.7 large egg white, 1/2 tsp cream of tartar, 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- Using the same beaters, beat the egg yolk mixture until smooth. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
- Fold in 1/4 of the egg whites to lighten up the mixture. Then gently fold in the rest in two equal parts until just combined and no white streaks remain.
- Pour the batter into an ungreased 10" tube pan with removable bottom. Bake for 55-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Invert the pan (to cool the chiffon cake upside down, so that it doesn't collapse)and let cool completely before removing the cake from the pan. Slice with a serrated knife using a gentle sawing motion.
I did not know what pandan was, however I’ve seen the leaves many times. So excited to learn and try something new. This cake is incredible, it is light and flavourful with these subtle tropical hints.
what’s better than chiffon cake ? pandan chiffon cake !! i love the subtle tropical flavours. Definitely will make again
The colour on this cake is stunning and I can only imagine how great it smells. Pandan is such a unique flavouring and I’d love to use it more in baking. Any tips on making my own Pandan extract? Sometimes T & T has pandan leaves and I’d love to try!
Thank you and yes, here’s a great post on how to make pandan extract at home https://whattocooktoday.com/how-to-make-pandan-juice-and-pandan-extract.html Just note that the taste is fresher but not as concentrated as the commercial extracts so you might have to use more.
Didn’t know about Pandan! I love to learn new stuff and the texture of that cake is simply fantastic. Gonna try your technique soon. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome and I hope you like it!
Never heard about pandan until you posted the recipe, great color and delicious cake.
Thank you and glad you like it!