Malaysian Cake Recipe

Malaysian cakes draw on Malay, Chinese, Indian and Peranakan kitchens, so there is no single “Malaysian cake.” Some are baked, some are steamed, and many lean on pandan, coconut milk and palm sugar rather than butter and vanilla. This guide explains the main styles and gives you one dependable recipe to start with: a pandan coconut chiffon cake.

What counts as a Malaysian cake

In Malaysia, the word “kek” usually refers to baked, Western-style cakes, while “kuih” (also spelled “kueh”) covers a wide range of bite-sized steamed, fried or baked sweets, many of them made from rice flour, tapioca starch and coconut milk. Both show up at tea time, festivals and family gatherings, so a guide to Malaysian cakes naturally covers both.

Popular Malaysian cakes and sweets

There is no official list, but these come up again and again:

• Pandan chiffon cake. A light, airy sponge tinted green and scented with pandan leaf, often made with coconut milk. It is common across Malaysia and Singapore.
• Kuih lapis. A steamed, chewy layered kuih made with rice flour, tapioca starch and coconut milk, usually in two alternating colors. Each layer is steamed before the next is poured. See our notes on the Indonesian cousin in Indonesian lapis cake.
• Ma lai go. A Cantonese-style steamed sponge cake with a honeycomb-like texture, popular at dim sum restaurants and in Malaysian Chinese households.
• Kek lapis (layer cake). A rich, buttery cake built from many thin layers that are baked one at a time. It is especially associated with festive seasons and with Sarawak, where colorful patterned versions are well known.
• Banana cake. Made with ripe local bananas, sometimes steamed. For a related style from next door, read about Indonesian banana cake.
• Kek batik. A no-bake chocolate and biscuit cake that is chilled until firm, popular as a party and festive treat. A similar idea from Italy is our Italian biscuit cake.

Common flavors and ingredients

• Pandan (screwpine leaf) gives a grassy, vanilla-like aroma. Leaves are blended with water and strained, or you can use extract.
• Coconut milk adds richness and a tender crumb to cakes and chewiness to kuih. For a coconut cake with a different approach, see our sugar-free coconut cake.
• Palm sugar (gula melaka) brings a caramel note to many kuih and syrups.
• Rice flour and tapioca starch give steamed kuih their bouncy, chewy texture.
• Ripe bananas show up in both baked and steamed cakes.

Pandan coconut chiffon cake recipe

This is a gentle introduction to Malaysian-style baking. It makes one 20 cm (8 inch) chiffon cake, enough for about 8 slices.

Ingredients

Yolk batter

• 5 large egg yolks
• 50 g (1/4 cup) sugar
• 50 ml neutral oil
• 60 ml coconut milk
• 40 ml pandan juice (see below) or 1 to 2 teaspoons pandan extract plus water to make 40 ml
• 100 g (3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons) cake flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• Pinch of salt

Meringue

• 5 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 60 g (1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon) sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar

Pandan juice: blend 8 to 10 pandan leaves, cut small, with about 80 ml water and strain through a fine sieve. Squeeze the pulp well.

Method

1. Heat the oven to 160°C (320°F). Use an ungreased 20 cm (8 inch) tube pan with a removable bottom. Chiffon batter climbs the pan walls, so do not grease it.
2. Whisk the yolks and 50 g sugar until smooth, then whisk in the oil, coconut milk and pandan juice.
3. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt. Whisk until the batter is smooth with no lumps.
4. In a clean, dry bowl, whip the egg whites with the lemon juice until foamy. Add the 60 g sugar gradually and continue until the meringue holds firm, glossy peaks.
5. Fold in a third of the meringue to loosen the batter, then fold in the rest in two additions, taking care not to deflate it.
6. Pour into the pan and tap gently on the counter to release large bubbles.
7. Bake for about 40 to 45 minutes, until a skewer comes out clean and the top springs back lightly. Ovens vary, so start checking near the lower end.
8. Invert the pan immediately onto a bottle neck or a cooling rack with feet and let the cake cool completely upside down. This keeps it from collapsing.
9. Run a thin knife around the pan and the center tube, then release the cake.

Tips

• Even a trace of egg yolk or grease in the whites can prevent them from whipping properly, so use clean bowls.
• Folding gently matters more than speed.
• Pandan extract can taste stronger and more artificial than fresh juice. Add it gradually and taste the batter.
• If the cake shrinks a lot after baking, it may have been underbaked or the meringue may have been deflated while folding.

Which one to make first

If you like baking, the chiffon above is a good first project. If you prefer something chewy and colorful, try a steamed layered kuih, but expect to be patient because each layer sets before the next goes on. For a flavor many readers also enjoy, sweet taro cake uses a similar light chiffon base.

Storage

Chiffon cake is best within a day or two at room temperature in a covered container. In warm, humid weather, keep it in the refrigerator and let slices come back toward room temperature before serving. Steamed kuih are usually best the day they are made and can harden when chilled.

FAQ

What is the traditional cake in Malaysia?

There is no single traditional cake. Kuih lapis, ma lai go, layered kek lapis and banana cake are all commonly mentioned, depending on the community and the occasion.

What is a popular cake in Malaysia?

Pandan chiffon cake, banana cake and kek lapis are widely loved, along with Western-style cakes such as chocolate and butter cake.

What is Malay cake made of?

It depends on the cake. Baked cakes use flour, eggs, sugar and fat, often with coconut milk and pandan. Many kuih use rice flour, tapioca starch, coconut milk and sugar instead of wheat flour.

What is a popular Malaysian dessert?

Besides cakes and kuih, cendol (shaved ice with coconut milk, palm sugar syrup and green jelly) is a well-known cold dessert.

Related recipes in this cluster

• Indonesian lapis cake for steamed and baked layer cakes
• Indonesian banana cake
• Sweet taro cake
• Japanese banana cake
• Korean lunchbox cake
• Chinese five spice chocolate cake
• Sweet potato ball dessert