Pandan Pound Cake

Yay!! I finally managed to coincide a post with a celebration before the actual day, not after. :) Something green for St. Patrick’s Day, anyone? This pound cake is flavored with pandan, a flavoring as widely used in Southeast Asia as vanilla extract is used here (for more info on it, check out an old post of mine – Whole Grain Pandan Butter Cupcakes). This recipe is adapted from the Orange Pound Cake recipe from the Barefoot Contessa Family Style cookbook. It is extremely easy to put together and produces a tender, coconut-flavored cake laced with the wonderful light floral fragrance of pandan. It’s not too sweet either – just how I love my cakes. :) Delicious!

½ pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
2 teaspoons pandan paste (Koepoe-Koepoe brand)

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Butter and flour two 8½ x 4½-inch loaf pans, lining the bottoms with parchment paper. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (about 5 minutes). On medium speed, beat in the eggs one at a time. Meanwhile, sift together the rest of the dry ingredients in a large bowl. In a measuring cup, stir to combine the coconut milk and pandan paste. Add the flour and coconut milk mixtures alternately to the batter, beginning and ending with the flour. Divide the batter evenly between the pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until a cake tester comes out clean. When the cakes are done, let them cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Then, remove the cakes from the pans and place them on a baking rack to cool completely.