Directions

Preparing Pandan Sponge Cake

1. Line bottom of an 8-inch cake round pan with 1 layer of parchment paper. Do not grease cake pan. Preheat oven to 180°C. Whisk castor sugar and egg yolks till well combined. Mix in melted butter. Add milk. Whisk thoroughly. Add and mix pandan paste. Add sifted cake flour and baking powder into mixture. Add salt. Whisk till all combined.
2. With an electric mixer, whisk egg whites till frothy. Add cream of tartar. Whisk till thick foam forms. Gradually add castor sugar. Continue to whisk till firm peak stage. Gently fold in egg white mixture to the yolk mixture in 4 batches. Mix till all is well combined.
3. Gently pour batter into the 8-inch cake pan. Shake cake pan from side to side till the batter is level, tapping the pan against table top. Place on lower rack of the oven bake till golden brown, about 20 mins or till a toothpick comes out clean.
4. Remove pan from oven. Leave to cool. Using a butter knife gently slice through the side of the cake pan to loosen it. Unmould cake to a cake board and remove parchment paper. Peel off the top skin layer of the sponge cake.
5. Repeat twice, so you get 3 layers of pandan sponge cakes.

Preparing Pandan Juice

1. Slice off 5cm from the roots. Trim into 4cm lengthways. Grind in a juice blender with 40g of water until fine. Pour through a sieve into a container.
2. Pandan juice can be stored in a refrigerator for 2 weeks.

Preparing Pandan Kaya Layer

1. Use a 8-inch round removable bottom loose cake pan (not spring form pan).
2. Place water in a small pot that retains heat well. Add sugar, unsalted butter, pandan juice and salt till the butter and sugar melts. Turn off heat.
3. Place coconut milk in a bowl. Add hun kwee flour. Stir thoroughly. Add coconut milk mixture to the pandan mixture through a sift and stir thoroughly until there are no lumps. Add pandan paste and mix well. Add agar-agar powder and stir thoroughly.
4. Turn on heat to medium-low. Cook and stir mixture till thick enough to coat sides of pot thinly. Turn off heat. Stir till residual heat dissipates. (Mixture should now be thick enough to coat sides of pot thickly but thin enough to flow smoothly).

Preparing Gula Melaka Kaya Layer

1. In a saucepan, bring water, butter, gula melaka and salt to a boil while stirring until completely dissolved. Turn off heat.
2. Pour coconut milk into a bowl. Add hun kwee flour and stir thoroughly. Add coconut milk mixture to the gula melaka mixture through a sift and stir thoroughly until there are no lumps. Add agar-agar powder and stir thoroughly.
3. Turn on heat to medium-low. Cook and stir mixture till it is thick enough to coat sides of pot thinly. Turn off heat. Stir till residual heat dissipates. (Mixture should now be thick enough to coat sides of pot thickly but thin enough to flow smoothly). This mixture thickens faster than the pandan kaya.

Assembling cake and pandan kaya layer

1. Pour a thin layer of pandan kaya into the base of the cake pan. Tilt pan from side to side and swirl kaya to form even layer. Wait till the kaya layer has cooled slightly, about 60 secs (less if it’s cold where you are).
2. Place 1st layer of sponge cake in the middle of the cake pan. Make sure there is a little space in between the entire edge of the cake and the cake pan to allow the pandan kaya mixture to flow smoothly around the sides.
3. Pour a thicker, even layer of pandan kaya on top of the 1st sponge cake into the sides of the sponge cake. Wait 30 seconds or so.
4. Place 2nd sponge cake layer and pour thick, even layer of pandan kaya on top and into the sides of sponge cake. Wait 30 seconds or so. Place 3rd sponge cake layer. Do not apply any pandan kaya layer for this 3rd layer as it is for the gula melaka layer.
5. Leave assembled cake to cool down.

Assembling Gula Melaka Layer to the 3rd Sponge Cake

1. Pour gula melaka layer onto the 3rd layer of sponge cake, flowing to the sides.
2. Leave the cake to cool to room temperature before storing into the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight.
3. To serve, unmould cake by pushing the base of cake pan upwards carefully. Place a cake board on top of the cake. Flip it over. Now the pandan layer is at the top. Use another cake board. Flip it over again so the gula melaka layer is right back on top.
4. Slice and serve chilled.

Additional Notes:

1. Ensure each kaya mixture is cooked till thick in texture but not overly thick, otherwise it will not set completely even after refrigeration. If kaya is too thin, your sponge layer will start floating. If kaya is too thick it will not flow evenly.