In an article in the Singapore Straits Times in August 2013, Eurasian chef and restaurant owner Quentin Pereira was quoted when celebrating the sugee (or semolina) cake.
"The sugee cake," Pereira noted, "is a common feature in most Eurasian households, and over the years has become more popular to other Singaporeans.
"It thus symbolises the unification of the community. With the tradition and history that comes with it, it is undeniably uniquely Singaporean."
This same sentiment can also be applied to this side of the Causeway, as more Malaysians have come to enjoy consuming (and baking) this Eurasian staple.
The sugee cake in Malaysia has often been associated with birthdays, weddings, baptisms and Christmas among the Eurasian. Its recipe is normally fiercely guarded by families although many generous hearts have always shared or sold their cakes to others.
At the heart of a good sugee cake is the best quality of butter the baker can usually afford. This, teamed with eggs, semolina, rose essence, flour, sugar, almond nibs and brandy generally form the basis of a solid sugee cake although the recipe has been tweaked by other communities who have come to embrace this cake.
In Sri Lanka, the Love Cake is baked especially at Christmas and is rich in cashew nuts and 'puhul-dosi' which is also known as pumpkin preserve. Other Sri Lankan spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, rose water are added to lend the cake richness and flavour.
In Penang, 91-year old Jane Yeo still whips up old-fashioned sugee cakes in her kitchen and is assisted on the technology side of the business by her daughter, Annette.
The Peranakan nonagenarian stays active by offering old-school sugee cakes and does not compromise on the quality of her ingredients.
In Melaka, a Hindu baker is being celebrated for her sugee fruitcake which she mastered by attending baking classes from a professional.
At a recent family heritage sugee cake competition, which was part of the Penang Heritage Eurasian Fiesta 2022, several sugee cakes found their way to the judges' table.
Baking styles differed greatly as recipes from Eurasian families which had been passed from generation to generation, were put to the test.
While the jury is still out on the quality of cakes presented, respect was accorded to the fact that the cakes were baked from recipes reflective of the community and part of Eurasian heritage.
Perhaps the time has come for the Eurasian community to embrace all sugee cake bakers in Malaysia next, and battle it out in a spirit of one Malaysian family, as we celebrate our similarities and differences.
This was reflected at the recent fiesta where the Penang Eurasian Association encouraged home cooks to toil in their respective kitchens with their own resources, and succeeded in forming a temporary community around the event.
Merdeka month sounds like a good time as any to unite sugee cake bakers and consumers across Malaysia to celebrate and enjoy home-baked sugee cakes by locals for locals.
Selamat Hari Merdeka!
Marina Emmanuel was a news editor at the News Straits Times and can never say no to a slice of old-fashioned sugee cake infused with premium butter
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times
