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Tastiest too I must say! This pandan butter cake is extremely buttery with moist and dense crumbs that most people enjoy about butter cake. It is so easy to make and does not require creaming butter and eggs. This recipe is a keeper for us!
This is probably the easiest and tastiest pandan butter cake I have ever made in my life so far! A while ago I posted this Mrs. Ng. SK pandan butter cake that requires an egg separation method that gives you a light and airy texture. It was good,but a bit more work! The texture of this cake is the opposite of that one! This easiest pandan butter cake has a nice dense texture (in a good way!) and with an amazing aroma of butter!
Why You’ll Love This Pandan Butter Cake
1. No creaming required – You don’t need a handmixer to make this cake. No creaming butter and eggs
2. Super moist & rich – sour cream makes this cake incredibly soft without making it feel heavy. The butter cake has soft, buttery and dense crumbs (dense in a good way if you know what I mean)
3. Crispy sugar crust – A sprinkle of sugar on top creates a delicate crunch that contrasts beautifully with the tender crumb.
4. Delicious pandan flavor – The perfect balance of buttery richness and aromatic pandan essence.
5. Stays fresh for days – Enjoy a perfectly moist cake even after a few days
Easiest Pandan Butter Cake
Ingredients
- 225 g unsalted butter melted and slightly cooled
- 150 g granulated sugar
- 83 g light brown sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 150 g eggs about 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 240 g full-fat sour cream
- ½ tsp pandan essence
- 2 tbsp concentrated pandan extract from homemade pandan juice sediment
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 260 g all-purpose flour
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar for a crispy crust
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 F (180 C) for conventional oven, 330 F (165C) for convection oven. Grease and line a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with parchment paper on the long side of the pan, overhanging on the side. You can also use 9 x 4 x 4 inch small Pullman loaf pan (which is the one I use)
Prepare the cake batter:
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the melted butter, granulated sugar, light brown sugar, and salt until well combined.
- Add the eggs, one at a time and whisk until combine before adding the next. The mixture will emulsify after all eggs are added
- Add sour cream, pandan essence, and concentrated pandan extract. Whisk until smooth.
- Sprinkle in the baking powder and whisk again to combine
- Add the flour into the mixing bowl. Use a spatula to gently fold the flour mixture into the wet mixture until just combined.
- Slightly lumpy batter is fine, but you shouldn't see any dry bits of flour mixture. It's a thick batter
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan. Tap the pan on the counter top a few times to pop any air bubbles. Smooth the top of the batter with spatula. Sprinkle the top of the batter evenly with 1 Tbsp of granulated sugar
Bake the cake:
- Place the pan on the middle rack. Bake for 1 hour 10-15 minutes. Start checking at 1 hour mark. A skewer inserted into the center of the cake should comes out clean with a few crumbs is fine, but it shouldn't be wet. If it is, bake again for 5 minutes and check again. The cake will have crack on top and that's normal
Cool the cake:
- Place the pan on top of a cooling rack. Let the cake cool in the pan completely
- I highly, highly suggest that you wait for at least 12 hours (24 hours if you can wait) before serving this cake. You will be rewarded with amazing texture and flavor!
- Once it has cooled down completely, loosen the edges of the cake with an offset spatula and grab the parchment paper to lift the cake out. Gently peel off the parchment paper
To serve:
- Cut the cake into slices and serve as is. I really don't think this cake needs anything else other than a cup of coffee or tea!
How to store:
- Store the uncut cake in its loaf pan without any cover to preserve the crunchy topping. It can be store in a cool dry place for 3-4 days and stays moist
- I recommend only cutting whatever number of slices you want to serve. I will press a cling wrap against the cut side and press this cut side close to the loaf pan to preserve moisture, but at the same time not covering the top of the cake to preserve that crunchy topping (if that makes any sense!).
- You can read more details on ingredients, substitutions, and other tips in my post that may answer your questions not covered in the recipe card
RECOMMEDED TOOLS
*Nutrition facts are just estimates and calculated using online tools*
Ingredients and substitutions
1. Unsalted butter– Provides a rich, buttery flavor. If needed, substitute with salted butter (reduce added salt) or use a plant-based butter alternative for a dairy-free option.
2. Granulated sugar & light brown sugar – The combination of white and brown sugar enhances the cake’s depth of flavor and moisture. You can use all granulated sugar, but the brown sugar adds a slight caramel note.
3. Salt – Enhances flavors and balances sweetness. Reduce if using salted butter.
4. Eggs (lightly beaten) – Adds structure and moisture. I don’t recommend substituting with anything else for this recipe
5. Full-fat sour cream – Keeps the cake moist and adds richness. Substitute with crème fraîche for a similar texture. If you still can’t find crème fraîche, use whole-milk Greek yogurt.
6. Pandan essence – Boosts the pandan aroma and give it a bit more color
7. Concentrated pandan extract – You can prepare homemade pandan juice and let the juice sit and using the settled sediment. If pandan leaves are unavailable, use store-bought pandan extract (adjust based on strength).
8. Baking powder – Helps the cake rise. Ensure it’s fresh for the best results.
9. All-purpose flour – The base of the cake. It’s not necessary to use cake flour because this is very buttery rich and dense cake and all-purpose flour works well here
10. Sugar (for topping) – Creates a crispy crust. You can skip this, but it adds a delightful texture contrast.
Tips for Success
1. Use full-fat sour cream – This keeps the cake moist and balances the sweetness with a slight richness.
2. Homemade pandan extract – For a natural, intense flavor, let fresh pandan juice sit in the fridge for a few days and use the settled green sediment.
3. Don’t skip the sugar topping – It creates a crispy crust that makes this cake extra special.
How to freeze the cake
Yes, this cake freezes very well. Freezing your Pandan Butter Cake is a great way to keep it fresh for longer! Here’s how you can do it properly:
1. Let the cake cool completely.
Before freezing, make sure the cake has cooled completely at room temperature. Freezing a warm cake can cause excess moisture and make it soggy.
2. Decide how you want to freeze it
You can freeze the cake whole or in individual slices. Simply wrap the whole cake or individual slices tightly in plastic wrap. Then wrap it again in aluminum foil and put it in a large zipper freezer bag for extra protection. For the best result, they can be kept in the freezer for up to 2 months.
3. Thaw and serve
The cake is best thawed at room temperature. Remove the cake from the freezer and unwrap it completely to prevent condensation from making the cake and the top crust soggy. Let it thaw at room temperature for 2-3 hours (for a whole cake) or 30-60 minutes (for slices).
This Pandan Butter Cake is a game-changer for butter cake lovers. It’s easy, packed with flavor, and has the perfect balance of buttery richness and pandan aroma. The simplicity of the recipe makes it ideal for bakers of any level, yet the results are truly bakery-worthy. Try it once, and it’ll become a staple in your baking rotation!
4 comments
Hi! I can’t wait to try this recipe 🙂 Is it possible to use Greek yogurt instead of the sour cream? It’s easier for me to find that in the supermarket than sour cream.
Hello, I haven’t tried it with Greek yogurt, but you can try it with whole milk Greek yogurt or if you see cream Fraiche, that would work too. I highly suggest to use the whole milk (full-cream) version, not the low fat version. I hope that helps
I’ll try it and let you know how it goes! Also, about the Pandan extract – I’ve just bought some Pandan powder online. It’s supposed to be pure Pandan, not artificial. I’ll try that out too and update you 🙂
Pandan powder! That’s interesting! Looking forward to your updates! 🙂