Kek Lapis - Amazingly rich aroma and flavour!
Often found in Malaysia, Kek Lapis is a spiced multilayered cake that comes in a variety of colours and designs. In Malaysian language, Kek literally means cake while lapis means layer. Hence, it is also often known as layered cake.
Originated from Jakarta, Indonesia, Kek Lapis possibly gained it's popularity in Sarawak, Malaysia and quickly spread throughout the country as well as to Singapore and Brunei. During festive seasons or on special occasions in these countries, it is common for hosts to serve Kek Lapis to their guests.
Pictured above: Kek Lapis, baked cake (Source: 1)
Pictured above: Kuih Lapis, steamed cake (Source: 2)
Kek Lapis must not be confused with Kuih (or Kueh) Lapis which is mainly made using tapioca flour and steamed. Translated to English, Kuih or Kueh also means cake but in Malaysian language, kuih and kek are two different thing. The batter for Kek Lapis often consists of butter, vegetable oil, milk, eggs, and flour. There is a high content of eggs and butter in Kek Lapis and spices are added to give it a sweet aroma.
Pictured above: Spreading batter on the baked layer (Source: 3)
The different coloured layers are often achieved by baking different coloured batter one at a time. The next coloured batter is then spread on top of the baked layer and the whole cake is baked again before spreading the next coloured batter. This process is repeated until the desired number of layers is obtained.
Kek Lapis is often handmade, not mass produced by machines thus, making it labour intensive and tedious to bake - requiring roughly two to four hours to bake. The more layers and complex the decorative patterns are, the longer it requires to bake Kek Lapis. It takes a lot of patience, dedication and effort to bake layer by layer, and then re-arranging the patterns. For these reasons, Kek Lapis is often expensive but is definitely a must try for it's amazingly rich aroma and flavour!
Give Kek Lapis a try! Get your hands on our freshly made, authentic Malaysian Kek Lapis - Click HERE!
Check out the video below by Star TV!
References:
http://eatapieceofcake.blogspot.com/2013/01/traditional-kueh-lapis.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarawak_layer_cake
Picture sources:
(1) www.epicureasia.com/food/1001/best-kueh-lapis-in-singapore
(2) www.wlteef.blogspot.com/2015/03/steamed-kuih-lapis_25.html
(3) http://keklapismamabest.blogspot.com