Pandan Pukis Cake (Pandan Coconut Milk Cake)
Pandan Pukis Cake is often found as a street food snack in Indonesia, but you can also make it easily at home. Eat them plain or put some toppings on top for the ultimate indulgence.
Soft, fluffy, and chewy Kue Pukis is an Indonesian traditional sweet snack. It is made from a simple batter of wheat flour, sugar, eggs, butter, yeast, and coconut milk. It has a similar texture to pancakes but with a chewier and fluffier texture and subtle coconut flavor.
Kue Pukis can come in various flavors and toppings. Pandan is one of the most popular flavors after the vanilla one. A few drops of pandan extract add the signature pandan taste, color, and soft aroma to Pandan Pukis Cake. Or you can also blend fresh pandan leaves if you prefer.
Serve plain to enjoy the pandan taste to the fullest or serve with some toppings if you like. Indonesians love the sweet and salty combinations, so try adding grated cheddar cheese on top!
What is Kue Pukis?
Kue Pukis or simply called pukis is an Indonesian kue or traditional snack from Central Java, Indonesia. It is basically a bite-sized coconut milk cake made with a wheat flour-based batter and cooked in a special mold pan.
Special Molds to Make Kue Pukis
You definitely need a pukis pan to make the signature shape of Kue Pukis. Similar to a muffin tin, pukis pan has a row of rectangular cavities instead of rounded ones. Each cavity has a rounded semi-circle bottom, thus creating half-moon or boat-shaped cakes.
The pan can easily be bought in Indonesia online or offline. If you can’t find any, the best substitute is to use a takoyaki pan or appam pan. Make sure to purchase the pan with a lid.
Ingredients for Pandan Pukis Cake
- Eggs. Use room-temperature eggs because they blend more evenly in the batter.
- Granulated sugar. To sweeten.
- Salt. To taste.
- All-purpose flour. You can use all-purpose flour or bread flour or the mix for this recipe.
- Coconut milk. You can use either fresh, canned, or carton coconut milk.
- Yeast. The raising agent in this recipe.
- Unsalted butter. To make the cake richer and moist.
- Pandan paste. To add the pandan aroma and taste.
How to Make Pandan Pukis Cake
- In a small bowl, combine a little bit of warm coconut milk, yeast, and a little bit of granulated sugar to activate the yeast. Rest for 10 minutes or until the mixture is foamy and frothy. Beat eggs and the remaining sugar until thick, pale, and fluffy. While the mixer is still running, add the flour, coconut milk, yeast mixture, melted butter, and pandan paste. Beat until well incorporated.
- Cover the batter with cling wrap and rest for 1 hour or until the batter is double in size. Mix the batter to remove the air bubbles until the batter becomes smooth.
- Heat a pukis pan on low heat over a stovetop. Grease the molds with butter. Fill the molds 3/4 full.
- Close the lid and cook until the sides are golden brown, for about 3-4 minutes.
- You can also add toppings if preferred. Brush butter on top when still hot and press with grated cheddar cheese.
- Enjoy!
How to Store
Pandan Pukis Cake must be eaten on the same day they are made. The cake is made with coconut milk, which can easily go bad.
Pandan Pukis Cake (Pandan Coconut Milk Cake)
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 13 tbsp (163 gr) granulated sugar, divided
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 cups (250 gr) all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp instant or active dry yeast
- 1 1/2 cups (360 ml) coconut milk, divided
- 1/3 cup (75 gr) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tsp pandan paste, or more
Topping
- Butter
- Grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Warm milk – Heat 1/4 cup (60 ml) coconut milk until lukewarm.
- Activate yeast – In a small bowl, combine warm coconut milk, yeast, and 1 tbsp granulated sugar to activate the yeast. Rest for 10 minutes or until the mixture is foamy and frothy. Set aside.
- Beat eggs and sugar – Using a standing mixer with a whisk attachment or hand mixer, beat eggs, the remaining granulated sugar, and salt on high speed until thick, pale, and fluffy, for about 10 minutes.
- Add flour and coconut milk – Reduce the speed to low-medium speed. While the mixer is still running, add half of the flour and then half of the coconut milk. After the mixture is combined, add the remaining flour and coconut milk.
- Add the yeast mixture and beat until combined.
- Add melted butter and pandan paste. Beat until well incorporated.
- Rest – Cover the batter with cling wrap and rest for 1 hour or until the batter is double in size.
- Mix the batter to remove the air bubbles until the batter becomes smooth.
- Cook – Heat a pukis pan on low heat over a stovetop. Grease the molds with butter. Fill the molds 3/4 full. Close the lid and cook until the sides are golden brown, for about 3-4 minutes. You can also add toppings when the cakes are half done if preferred.
- Add toppings – Remove the cakes from the pan. When still hot, brush the top with butter and press with grated cheddar cheese.
