Coconut Chiffon Cupcake with Pandan Buttercream

Come to think about it, I have not done any frosted cupcakes for a long time.   When Bake Along published this recipe, I wanted to participate but since upon doctor's instruction, I am not supposed to do prolong standing or walking so I had to abort the thoughts.

Anyway, enough of resting, today I finally get to try it.  This Coconut Chiffon Cupcake with Pandan Buttercream.

Findings: The cupcake texture is soft and cottony.  Unlike many who attempted it, I did not get a smooth top like theirs.  Blessing is that I can cover it up with this delicious pandan buttercream.

I must say that I definitely has lost touch in frosting cupcakes.   As for the buttercream, it is still a tad too sweet for my personal taste bud but it was fine with hub's.

Overall, this is a nice recipe.

Source

What you need:
yield 12 pcs

Cake

80g plain flour

10g corn flour

¼ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

3 egg yolks (large)

1 egg (large)

35g coconut oil (I used grapes seed oil)

80g coconut milk

3 egg white (large)

55g castor sugar

½ tsp lemon juice

Pandan swiss meringue buttercream

160g egg white (4 eggs)

100g castor sugar

200g butter, room temperature

¼ tsp salt

3 tbsp concentrate pandan extract (adjust according to piping consistency)

Gula Melaka Fillings

30g gula Melaka, chopped

1 pandan leave

15ml water

60g swiss meringue buttercream

Method:

Cake

Preheat oven to 160°C.  Line muffin tin with paper cases.

Sift plain flour, corn flour and baking powder.  Mix in salt.  Set aside.

Beat egg yolks, egg, coconut oil and coconut milk until well combined. 

Add in flour mixture in 3 additions. Whisking well in each.

In a clean bowl, whisk egg whites and lemon juice until foamy.  Gradually drizzle in the sugar and whisking it until firm peak.

Fold in ¹/₃ of the meringue into the batter and continue with the rest of the meringue until fully incorporated.

Scoop the batter into the prepared tin to ¾ full.

Bake for 20 – 25 mins or until skewer comes out clean.

Pandan Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Cut the cold butter into cubes and set aside.

Combine egg whites and sugar in a heat proof bowl over a pot of simmering water (base do not touch the water).  Whisk until sugar dissolved (should not be grainy)

Transfer egg white mixture to a mixing bowl, whisk over heat speed until stiff peak.  Let it cool to room temperature before adding in the butter cream.

Lower the speed and add in the butter gradually and then increase speed and beat until mixture comes together.

Once buttercream becomes silky, add in salt and beat until well combined.

Remove 60g of buttercream for the filling.

On low speed, add in concentrated pandan juice at tablespoon at a time.  Add until it reached to a piping consistency.  Transfer to a piping bag with a star tip. 

Gula Melaka filling

Combine gula Melaka, pandan leave and water in a saucepan.  Bring to boil over med heat.  Keep simmering until gula Melaka melts and the syrup thickens.   Strain and set aside to cool completely.

Add 3 tsp of the gula Melaka syrup to the 60g of buttercream and mix well.  Transfer to piping bag with a round tip.  Set aside.

Assemble

Use a small knife to create a hole in the centre of the cupcake.

Pipe in the gula Melaka filling into the hole.

Frost the cupcake with the buttercream.

Enjoy!