By Ling Hui
BAU, May 21: It is not uncommon for Blue Berry Cake House at old Bau town here to sell up to 3,000 pieces of its ‘wife cakes’, or ‘lao po bing’ (老婆饼), on public holidays and 800 pieces on normal days.
The cakehouse owner, who would like to be known as Mdm Lai, revealed that her family has been selling the pastries for the past 19 years, five years after they opened the bakery.
“When we first started selling the ‘lao po bing’, it was only popular among the locals in Bau, and six years ago (in 2018) it became famous outside of Bau,” she said.
Customers from Bau, Lundu, Kuching, and Sibu, she said, usually buy the pastry in bulk, from 20 pieces a time for their own consumption, and up to hundreds of pieces to be given as gifts to friends and families.
“Many customers buy it as gifts for friends and families overseas. The furthest they’ve sent them to is Australia,” she told DayakDaily.
The Lai family’s ‘wife cakes’ are baked perfectly using the best butter, giving the pastry its thin, flaky, golden-brown outer layer and an aromatic fragrance.
The overall sweetness is well-balanced, not overly sugary, and the soft, chewy winter melon filling makes each bite a delightful experience of contrasting textures with the crisp exterior.
“We’re very grateful that our cakehouse has gained public attention, especially with wide internet coverage these days.
“Of course, we need to maintain the quality of our baked goods, and we ourselves actively take part in all the preparation and baking,” said 49-year-old Lai.
Other than ‘wife cakes’, Blue Berry Cake House also serves fresh breads and buns, cakes, and local delights such as ‘kuih bahulu’ and ‘kek hati pari’.
The cakehouse is open every day from 6.30am to 7pm, except for major holidays such as Gawai Dayak, Christmas, and Chinese New Year. — DayakDaily
