Steamed pandan cake

cakeA friend gave James the recipe for this cake and James has adapted it and made a it a speciality. It’s easy to do and in great demand when we go to out to supper. Yes, it is supposed to be green!

Ingredients
250g self raising flour
100g butter or (preferably) light vegetable oil
190g sugar
2 eggs
15ml honey
60ml milk
about 30g nuts, e.g. chopped walnut, peanuts, pine nuts
about 30g dried fruit, e.g. chopped dried dates
quarter teaspoon of salt
a small amount of very finely chopped ginger, to taste
a few drops of pandamus extract, to taste.

You will also need:
a 10inch (26cm) bamboo steamer with cover;
large lotus leaves for steaming.

Method:
Soak the lotus leaves in cold water while you are preparing the mixture.
Mix the flour, butter/oil, sugar and eggs in a blender, adding the eggs slowly. Mix well.
Add the remaining ingredients and stir in well with wooden spoon or similar.
Line the steamer with lotus leaves – trim with scissors so the steamer cover will fit.
Pour the mixture into the leaf-lined steamer and cover with bamboo steamer cover.
Decorate with a few extra nuts, such as almond slivers or pine nuts.
Place over rapidly boiling water to steam – a large, covered, soup pot is ideal. Don’t immerse the cake in the water! Check the water level occasionally so it doesn’t boil dry.
Steam for 35-45 minutes. Check with skewer.
Leave the cake in the lotus leaves until serving.