Kuih lapis

Step 1: Simmer 8 oz sugar, 1 ¼ cups water and 4 pandan leaves in a pan over a medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring until the sugar dissolves and the syrup smells of pandan. Leave to cool until just warm; take out the leaves.

Step 2: Whisk 5 ½ oz rice flour, 7 oz tapioca starch and ½ tsp salt in a big bowl. Gradually whisk in 2 ½ cups coconut milk, then the syrup, until completely smooth. Strain through a sieve to catch any lumps.

Step 3: Divide the batter between two jugs (weigh them so they're even). Stir 3 tbsp pandan juice into one and 3 drops red food colouring into the other, to a soft pink.

Step 4: Brush a 20 cm square cake tin with 1 tsp vegetable oil. Set it in a steamer over boiling water, cover and heat for 5 minutes. Wrap the steamer lid in a tea towel so drips don't fall on the cake.

Step 5: Stir the green batter well and pour about 100 ml into the hot tin, tilting to cover the base. Steam over a high heat for 5–6 minutes, until the layer is set, glossy and no longer liquid when you touch the middle. The usual mistake is pouring without stirring: the starch sinks fast, and the layers turn out thick on one side and thin on the other.

Step 6: Stir the pink batter and pour the next 100 ml layer over the set one. Steam 5–6 minutes. Keep alternating, stirring before every pour, until all the batter is used, about nine layers.

Step 7: Steam the final layer for 20 minutes, until the whole cake is firm and springy.

Step 8: Cool completely, at least 4 hours at room temperature, before cutting. Warm kuih lapis is gummy and smears. Loosen the edges, turn out and cut into diamonds or bars with an oiled knife or a plastic scraper.