SARIKEI: Sarawak kek lapis is a gastronomic icon which plays a starring role during festive celebrations, including Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
But a housewife here has elevated the dessert to majestic proportions – she creates 16 different flavours of the cake for her open house guests.
Rabiah Sa’ee, 56, from Kampung Seberang here said she takes about four days to complete each special version of the kek lapis.
“I start baking a few days before Hari Raya, and use only quality ingredients to ensure that my relatives and friends can enjoy fresh and delicious cakes. (As a result) many of them consider my house as a ‘must-visit’ due to the wide variety of kek lapis on offer,” she said when met recently.
Rabiah’s home is a veritable kek lapis showcase during Aidilfitri, with an array of the cakes on display. The 16 flavours include cheese, chocolate and watermelon, and the cakes come in various shapes.
“I first started with two flavours. (Over the years, I) slowly developed more flavours and designs,” she said.
Rabiah’s signature product is her kek lapis Songket Brunei, which is created based on her own secret recipe.
She said baking each kek lapis is a challenging task, as it is tedious and time consuming to ensure that each layer is evenly baked.
“In addition, (much effort must be made to) create different patterns and designs, to make each cake presentable and unique,” she explained.
Rabiah said her festive guests include people from all the major races in the state.
“In Sarawak, we celebrate every festive season together, regardless of race. So, there’s no surprise having Chinese, Dayak or Indian guests.
“I welcome everyone, as they make the celebration more meaningful,” she added.
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