pandan cotton soft cheesecake with Kaya filling

This cake is nothing like American New York Style Cheesecake. It’s something entirely different. If you’re not familiar with pandan, also known as screw pine, I strongly recommend you try it, because you’re missing out on something fabulous. Some people compare it to vanilla, but the flavor of this Southeast Asian leaf is unique and not really comparable to anything else. You can find it in Asian markets and online.

Kaya is a Malaysian coconut egg jam flavored with pandan. It’s thick and spreadable and very hard to stop eating. You can buy it, but it’s easy to make it. After you’ve used it as frosting between the two layers of this cake you can save the rest to have for with breakfast. It’s fabulous on toast and biscuits. You’ll find the recipe for Kaya here.

A few notes:

• All cream cheese is not the same, and does not behave the same way. Use only Philadelphia brand full fat (original) cream cheese in this recipe for best results.

• If you have a kitchen scale, use it. It’s the best way to get accurate measurements, assuring consistent results. If you don’t, make sure that you don’t use a measuring cup to scoop the flour. Set the measuring cup on a flat surface and add flour by the spoonful, then level the cup with the flat side of a knife.

• You’ll need 2, 8 inch cake rounds to bake this cake.

• Pay careful attention to the cooling method. This slow cool will keep your layers from collapsing in the middle.

Pandan Cotton Soft Cheesecake

Ingredients:

140g fine granulated sugar (1 cup)

6 eggs, separated

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

50g butter (¼ cup or 2 ounces)

250g (9 oz) cream cheese (1+⅛ cup or 9 ounces)

100 ml milk (¼ +⅛ cups or 3 fluid ounces)

2 teaspoons pandan paste

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

50g all-purpose flour (⅓ cup)

30g cornstarch (¼ cup)

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup kaya

Optional: Fresh berries to decorate the top of the cake

Preheat oven to 325°.

Use the 8 inch cake pans to trace two circles on parchment paper and cut them out. Grease the bottom and sides of the cake pans with butter and line them with the parchment rounds.

Melt the cream cheese, butter and milk over a double boiler, and the set the pot aside to cool. You could also use a microwave safe bowl for this. Start at 1 minute at half power and add more time as needed—every microwave is different. Don’t overheat the mixture.

Use a stand mixer if you have one. A hand-held electric mixer will work, too. Separate the eggs into two mixing bowls. Using the whisk attachment, start beating the whites with the cream of tartar until the mixture is foamy, then slowly pour in the sugar while whisking, and continue to beat until soft peaks form. Set the bowl of beaten whites aside.

Using the paddle attachment, beat the yolks with the  lemon juice, the salt, and the pandan paste and mix well. Add the flour and the cornstarch and beat until smooth.

Use a silicone spatula to scrape the cream cheese mixture into the bowl and beat the mixture until it’s smooth again.

Fold the whites into the egg/flour batter.

Divide the batter between the two prepared cake pans.

Bake the cheesecakes in a water bath for about 50 minutes, or until set, rotating the pans halfway through.

When cakes are set, turn off the oven. Set a timer for 5 minutes, then open the oven door and allow them to cool undisturbed for another 10 minutes.

When the 10 minute timer goes off, remove them from the oven, still in their water bath and let them rest on the countertop for another 15 minutes.

Then, remove the cake pans from the water bath and allow them to rest on the counter top until they’re completely cool.

Turn the cooled cakes out onto two separate flat plates. Cover them tightly with plastic wrap and store the cakes in the refrigerator over night.

The following day, remove the plastic wrap and the parchment. Set one layer on a serving plate.

Spread the surface with a generous portion of the kaya and carefully turn the second layer out over the top.

You can now decorate the cake with berries if you like (check out my photo for inspiration). Make sure the berries are washed and completely dry before putting them on the cake.

The cake is ready to be served. You can also cover it and keep it in the fridge to serve later.