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Khanom chan (layered pandan cake)
ขนมชั้น · nine steamed layers of pandan and coconut, peeled apart one by one
Bangkok's old dessert shops in Thonburi and the markets around Ayutthaya stack trays of this cake on their counters, and it turns up at weddings and house blessings because 'chan' also sounds like rising a level in life. Each green or white band is steamed on top of the last, so the finished slice is springy, faintly chewy and scented with pandan and jasmine; children eat it by peeling off one layer at a time. Serve it at room temperature with hot jasmine tea. Chef's tip: the classic mistake is pouring the next layer before the one beneath has turned fully translucent, which blurs the stripes; give each layer its full five minutes.
- Total time
- 120 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the batter
- 8 oz tapioca starch
- 2 ⅛ oz rice flournot glutinous rice flour
- 2 ½ cups coconut milk
- 8 oz caster sugar
- ¼ tsp salt
For the pandan juice
- 12 pandan leavesfresh or frozen, cut into 2 cm pieces
- ½ cup water
- 2 drops jasmine extract (optional)
- 1 tsp neutral oilfor the tin
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Blend 12 pandan leaves with ½ cup water until it is a bright green slush, then squeeze it through a fine cloth or sieve. You need about 100 ml of dark green juice.
5 minStep 2: Whisk 8 oz tapioca starch, 2 ⅛ oz rice flour, 8 oz caster sugar and ¼ tsp salt in a large bowl, then pour in 2 ½ cups coconut milk a little at a time, whisking until completely smooth. Add the 2 drops jasmine extract if using.
5 minStep 3: Divide the batter into two equal bowls. Stir the pandan juice into one bowl; top up the other with 100 ml water so both batters have the same thickness. Leave both to rest for 15 minutes.
15 minStep 4: Brush a 20 cm square tin with 1 tsp neutral oil and set it in a steamer over boiling water on a medium-high heat. Heat the empty tin for 3 minutes.
3 minStep 5: Stir the green batter (the starch sinks), pour in about 90 ml and spread it level. Cover and steam until the layer is set and translucent all the way across, with no milky patches.
5 minStep 6: Stir the white batter and pour about 90 ml over the green layer. Cover and steam for another 5 minutes, until it too turns semi-clear and firm to a light touch. Wipe the lid now and then so drips don't mark the surface.
5 minStep 7: Keep alternating green and white, stirring each bowl before you pour, until you have nine layers and finish with green. Steam the last layer for 10 minutes so the whole cake sets through.
45 minStep 8: Lift out the tin and let the cake cool completely, at least 3 hours, before cutting. It slices cleanly only when fully cold; oil the knife and cut into diamonds or squares.
180 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 290 kcal
- Protein
- 1 g
- Carbs
- 46 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does khanom chan (layered pandan cake) take?
- About 120 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 90 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of coconut milk?
- Single cream, same amount (not dairy free).
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
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