1. Pre-heat oven to 170C/325F. Prepare 2x 9 inch round pan or 13×8 rectangle pan or 10 inch round tube pan.

2. Sieve cake flour, baking powder and salt. Mix it well and set aside.

3. In a mixing bowl, combine egg yolks and sugar. Mix on medium speed till light yellow in colour and fluffy. Add oil, food colouring and milk (or coconut milk) then mix it lightly.

4. Add cake flour and mix it till smooth and lump-free then set aside.

5. In a separate mixing bowl and using a clean and oil-free whisk attachment, combine egg whites and cream of tartar and beat on a high speed till bubbly then slowly add the caster sugar and continue beating on a high speed till stiff peak stage.

6. Scoop 1/3 portion of meringue and fold-in with the batter till it loosen a bit. Then continue to add the remaining white egg and fold-in slowly till the colour is even. Remember not to over-mix it or your cake will fail.

7. Transfer into the un-greased pan and bake for 55 to 60 minutes. After 55-60 minutes, check the cake using a stick test. Insert the stick in the centre of the cake and if comes out clear, remove from the cake from the oven. Invert the pan in a cooling rack and let it cool down completely for about an hour.

8. For the buttercream, transfer the softened butter in a mixing bowl. Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, mix the butter till soft and fluffy. Add the icing sugar, 1 tbsp. of milk and pandan essence. Cover the stand mixer with a damped cloth and mix the icing on a low speed till smooth and lump free. If the icing is too dry, add another tbsp. of milk and continue beating till desired consistency is reached. Cover the bowl with damped cloth when not in use to prevent drying up.

9. Once the cake is cooled down, run through a knife around the cake to loosen up. Transfer the cake in a cake board and ready to ice and decorate according to your preference. Note: If your kitchen temperature is warm, you may need to add more drops of milk.

For Pandan juice:

10 pandan leaves

1 1/2 tbsp. water Chop pandan leaves into chunks, pop in a food processor and add about 1 1/2 tablespoons of water. Process to small pieces. Place pandan leaves in a muslin bag and squeeze out the juice. You need about 2 tablespoons of it to make this cake. If you don’t have a muslin bag, just use your clean hand to squeeze out the juice.