Pandan and coconut butter cake

Name: Pandan and coconut butter cake
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 10
Cuisine: Asian,Malaysian,Singaporean
Ingredients: 170g unsalted butter, cut into roughly 6 pieces, softened, plus extra for brushing tin; 300g plain flour, plus extra for dusting the tin; 55g fresh pandan leaves (about 12 blades); 200ml coconut milk, canned, plus extra if needed, for the icing; 3 large eggs, at room temperature; 1½ tsp vanilla extract or ½ tsp coconut extract; 220g caster sugar; 2¼ tsp baking powder; ¼ tsp fine sea salt; desiccated coconut or small edible flowers, to garnish

Helen Goh

September 5, 2025

The “milk” extracted from pandan leaves gives this cake its bright green hue.William Meppem

Time:1-2 hoursServes:10

Known as the “vanilla of the east”, pandan pairs nicely with coconut. Here, both come together in a tender bundt cake, which has a fine, velvety crumb thanks to the reverse creaming method, where softened butter is blended into the dry ingredients before any liquid is added. It’s perfect with tea or as a light dessert.

Don’t be alarmed if the bright green hue softens by the next day; the flavour holds, and the cake keeps well for up to three days.

Ingredients

170g unsalted butter, cut into roughly 6 pieces, softened, plus extra for brushing tin
300g plain flour, plus extra for dusting the tin
55g fresh pandan leaves (about 12 blades)
200ml coconut milk, canned, plus extra if needed, for the icing
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1½ tsp vanilla extract or ½ tsp coconut extract
220g caster sugar
2¼ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp fine sea salt
desiccated coconut or small edible flowers, to garnish

For the icing

150g icing sugar, sifted
30ml pandan coconut milk (reserved from the extraction for the batter)
pinch of salt

Method

Step 1
Brush the inside of a 23cm bundt tin with the extra softened butter, then sprinkle with the extra flour and rotate to coat the entire inner surface. Turn the tin upside down over a bin and tap to remove the excess flour. Place the tin in the fridge until ready to use.
Step 2
Using kitchen scissors, snip the pandan leaves into 3cm-4cm pieces, then put into a high-speed blender. Add the coconut milk and blitz to a coarse puree, then strain through a fine mesh strainer, squeezing the green fibres to extract as much of the milk as possible. You should have just over 200ml of pandan milk (add extra coconut milk to make it 210ml). Pour 180ml of the pandan milk into a medium jug (reserve the remainder for the icing), add the eggs and vanilla or coconut extract, then whisk to combine. Set aside.
Step 3
Preheat the oven to 170C fan-forced (190C conventional).
Step 4
Put the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt into the bowl of an electric mixer. Use a hand-whisk to stir until combined, then add the softened butter.
Step 5
Attach the bowl to the mixer and mix with the paddle attachment on the lowest speed for 1 minute, after which the mixture should resemble coarse damp crumbs.
Step 6
With the mixer still on low, slowly add the egg and pandan milk mixture in a slow stream. When it has all been added (the batter will look lumpy and curdled), increase the speed to medium-high and beat for 1 minute until smooth.
Step 7
Scrape the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 40-45 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Step 8
Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the tin for 5-10 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely, then transfer to a serving plate.
Step 9
Make the icing by combining all the ingredients in a bowl and whisking until smooth. Spoon over the top of the cake, allowing it to drip naturally down the sides. Decorate with the desiccated coconut and edible flowers.