Muristek
Phase four delivery: Get the taste of an old fashioned sugee cake from Penang's JaneSugee
This buttery, moist sugee cake from JaneSugee is baked using a family recipe that is more than 100 years old — Pictures by Lee Khang Yi
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GEORGE TOWN, March 25 — I'm a person who just loves cakes. Especially old fashioned ones like sugee cake.
You may think it's easy to whip up a sugee cake since it looks simple but it can take many years to perfect a recipe. With sugee cake, it's all about balance.
Firstly it needs to be buttery but not overly rich until it oozes oil. Then comes the crumb which needs to be moist but grainier. And of course, there's that hint of brandy to give it flavour.
Every family has their own recipe. This makes the cake unique with their different versions. Some have a nuttier bite with more semolina. Others are lighter as they beat in air with the cake mixture.
A friend had recommended JaneSugee which is based in Penang. What grabbed my attention was the story behind it.
Most importantly, the taste of the cake was just what I liked. Moist, buttery with just the right coarseness. You get a hint of brandy with each bite.
The cake is available in one pound loaf sizes and packaged beautifully for giftingI had two thick slices of the cake when I tasted it. This would be perfect with a cup of coffee too.
The woman behind this cake is Jane Yeo who just turned 91. The nonagenarian keeps herself active by baking up a storm at home. The sugee cake uses a family recipe passed down from her mother and it's over a hundred years old.
Jane's family is Peranakan, hence sugee cake was an important element in her life. She fondly remembers how things were done in the old days.
As they didn't own an oven, they used to bake the sugee cake at the neighbourhood bakery. Her family would whip up the batter for the cake at home and send it to the bakery which would help bake the cake for them.
In addition to the sugee cake, her next project is butter cookies. These cookies are incredibly light and flaky that melt in your mouth so that is also something delicious to look forward to when they open orders.
The other item they hope to launch next is their light, ultra flaky butter cookiesThe sugee cake is sold in a one pound (about 500 grams) loaf size for RM33.
Currently the sugee cake is available in Penang. You would need to give them two to three days advance notice as the batter needs time to be prepared.
You can either pick it up from their Pulau Tikus location or they can also send it over to your location in Penang via delivery provided you pay the charges.
If you purchase three cakes, they will waive the delivery charges for those within Penang island.
For those in the Klang Valley, they are currently working out a way to deliver too. You can enquire with them on orders so they can arrange to send it over once they firm up arrangements.
JaneSugee, Pulau Tikus, Penang. You can contact her at +6012-4841898.