Short answer
Pandan cake is a light chiffon sponge flavoured and coloured with juice from pandan leaves, a tropical plant used across South-East Asia. Oil and whisked egg whites make it tall, soft and springy, and coconut milk often adds richness.
Pandan cake is a light, green chiffon sponge flavoured with the juice of pandan leaves, a fragrant plant used across South-East Asia. The cake is soft, springy and tall because it relies on whisked egg whites and oil rather than creamed butter. Its taste is gently sweet, a little grassy and often compared to vanilla with a hint of coconut.
What is pandan cake?
Pandan cake is a chiffon-style sponge in which pandan leaf juice gives the crumb its pale green colour and its scent. It is popular in Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand, and in Chinese and South-East Asian bakeries in Britain.
Other names include pandan chiffon cake, and in Malay and Indonesian kitchens the leaf is called daun pandan. The plant’s botanical name is Pandanus amaryllifolius, a different plant from the spiky screwpine used for decoration. In many shops the cake is sold as a whole round or as slices, sometimes filled with whipped cream.
What is pandan and what does it taste like?
Pandan is the long, blade-like leaf of a tropical plant, used to flavour rice, desserts, drinks and cakes. Its flavour is sweet, floral and slightly nutty, and many people describe the smell as a mix of vanilla, fresh hay and coconut.
The leaf is not eaten whole. Cooks pound or blend it with a little water, then strain the liquid. That juice is stirred into batter, custards or coconut jam, where it adds both aroma and colour. Because the flavour is gentle, pandan pairs naturally with coconut milk, palm sugar and rice flour.
Why is pandan cake green?
Pandan cake is green because the leaf contains chlorophyll, the same pigment that makes any leaf green, and the juice carries it into the batter. The shade is usually a soft pastel green, since sponge and egg yolk are yellow and the baked colour mellows.
Some bakers add a small amount of green food colouring to make the colour stronger and more even. Pandan paste or essence is also common. If a cake is bright emerald, colouring has probably been added. A pale, slightly yellow-green cake is more likely to rely on the leaf alone.
What makes pandan cake so light and airy?
Pandan cake is light because it is made as a chiffon: egg whites are whisked into a stiff meringue and folded into a batter of yolks, oil, flour and pandan juice. The meringue holds air, and the oil keeps the crumb soft rather than dry.
Three details matter most:
- The whites are whisked to stiff, glossy peaks in a clean, grease-free bowl.
- The meringue is folded in gently in two or three batches so the air stays in the batter.
- The cake is baked in an ungreased tube tin, so the batter can climb the sides, and cooled upside down.
Chiffon was developed in the United States in the early 20th century and spread widely after a recipe was published in the 1940s. Pandan chiffon applies that method to a South-East Asian flavour.
How is pandan chiffon cake made?
Pandan chiffon cake is made by mixing a yolk batter with pandan juice and coconut milk, then folding it into whisked egg whites and baking the mixture in an ungreased tin. The steps below describe the usual method for a 20 cm tube tin.
- Blend about 10 pandan leaves with 100 ml of water, then strain to get roughly 80 ml of juice.
- Whisk 5 egg yolks with 50 g of sugar, 60 ml of oil, 60 ml of coconut milk and the pandan juice.
- Sift in 120 g of plain flour and 1 teaspoon of baking powder and mix until smooth.
- Whisk 5 egg whites with a pinch of cream of tartar and 60 g of sugar to stiff peaks.
- Fold the meringue into the batter in three batches.
- Bake at 160 C (fan 140 C) for about 40 to 45 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean.
- Turn the tin upside down on a bottle neck or rack and cool completely before loosening.
Ovens vary, so start checking a few minutes early. The cake should spring back when touched.
Pandan cake vs matcha cake vs chiffon cake: what is the difference?
Pandan cake is a type of chiffon cake, matcha cake is a differently flavoured sponge, and plain chiffon has no green flavouring at all. The table compares the three at a glance.
| Cake | Flavour source | Colour | Typical taste |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pandan cake | Pandan leaf juice or paste | Soft green | Sweet, grassy, coconut-like |
| Matcha cake | Powdered green tea | Green to olive | Earthy, slightly bitter |
| Plain chiffon | Vanilla or citrus zest | Pale yellow | Mild and buttery |
| Pandan butter cake | Pandan with butter | Green, denser | Rich and sweet |
Pandan is also confused with kaya, the coconut and egg jam flavoured with pandan, which is often spread on toast. Pandan cake can be served with kaya, but the two are separate foods.
What goes with pandan cake?
Pandan cake goes well with coconut, fresh fruit and tea. The sponge is gentle, so partners that are not too sweet usually work best.
- Whipped cream between layers, which is the style of many bakery versions.
- Desiccated or toasted coconut on top.
- Mango, banana or jackfruit on the side.
- Hot jasmine or green tea, or a glass of cold milk.
- A spoon of kaya spread thinly on a slice.
How do you store pandan cake?
Plain pandan chiffon keeps for about two days at room temperature in a sealed container, away from heat and sun. A cake filled or covered with fresh cream belongs in the fridge and is best eaten within a day or two.
Cold air dries out sponge, so bring a refrigerated slice to room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before eating. Whole unfrosted cakes can be wrapped tightly and frozen for a month, then thawed overnight on the counter. Slicing with a serrated knife, using a gentle sawing motion, keeps the airy crumb from squashing.
Is there pandan cake at Uncle Cake?
Yes, the pandan cake is one of the items named in public listings for Uncle Cake in the Arcadian Centre, Birmingham. Google Maps reviewers praise it, and the shop’s own Instagram page shows light Asian-style sponges. This guide is independent and takes no orders.
No price list or ingredient list is published for the pandan cake, as of the November 2026 check. A review also reports that some labels in the shop are not in English, so anyone with an allergy should ask staff before buying. The menu page summarises what is recorded, and the hours and location page gives opening times of 11 AM to 9 PM daily.
Common questions
Is pandan cake the same as matcha cake?
No. Both are green, but pandan cake gets its colour and sweet, grassy scent from pandan leaf juice, while matcha cake uses powdered green tea, which tastes more bitter and earthy. The sponge methods can be similar.
Why did my pandan cake collapse?
A pandan chiffon cake usually collapses when the egg whites were under-whisked, the batter was over-mixed, or the cake was taken out too early. Cooling it upside down helps it keep its height.
Can I use pandan essence instead of leaves?
Yes, many home bakers use pandan paste or essence, and it gives a strong colour and aroma. Fresh leaf juice tastes softer and more natural, though the colour is paler and less reliable.
How long does pandan cake keep?
Plain pandan chiffon keeps for about two days at room temperature in a sealed container. A cake with cream filling should stay in the fridge and is best eaten within one to two days.
Where does pandan cake come from?
Pandan chiffon is closely linked with Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, where pandan leaf is a common flavouring. Chiffon cakes themselves were developed in the United States, so pandan chiffon is a blend of two traditions.
Everything practical is on the home page: Uncle Cake hours, menu and directions.
This article is general information from an independent guide, not from Uncle Cake itself. For the store’s current details see hours and location.