Pandan chiffon cake

Step 1: Blend 12 pandan leaves with ¼ cup water to a fine green pulp, then squeeze it hard through a muslin cloth. Measure 70 ml of juice (top up with water if short).

Step 2: Heat the oven to 350°F (300°F fan) with a shelf in the lower third. Use a 21–23 cm aluminium chiffon tube pan; do not grease it.

Step 3: Whisk 5 egg yolks and 1 oz caster sugar until pale. Whisk in ¼ cup coconut milk, ¼ cup vegetable oil and the pandan juice until smooth and emulsified.

Step 4: Sift in 3 ⅞ oz cake flour, 1 tsp baking powder and ¼ tsp salt and whisk gently until you have a smooth, glossy green batter with no lumps.

Step 5: In a clean, grease-free bowl, beat 5 egg whites with ½ tsp cream of tartar until foamy. Add 2 ⅞ oz caster sugar a spoonful at a time, beating on medium-high, until the meringue is glossy and holds firm peaks that curl at the tip.

Step 6: Stir a third of the meringue into the yolk batter to loosen it. Fold in the rest in two additions with a large spatula, cutting down through the middle and turning the bowl, until no white streaks remain.

Step 7: Pour into the pan from a low height, then run a skewer round the batter to pop large bubbles and tap the pan once on the worktop.

Step 8: Bake for 45–50 minutes, until well risen, golden on top and springy when pressed; a skewer should come out clean. Don't open the oven in the first 30 minutes.

Step 9: Turn the pan upside down at once onto its feet or over a bottle neck and leave to cool completely, about 1½ hours.

Step 10: Run a thin knife round the sides and the tube, push out the base and release the bottom. Cut with a serrated knife in gentle sawing strokes.