Metro

Tuesday June 10, 2008

Lawyer had made and sold cakes since she was 11

By LIM CHIA YING


WONG Su Mene vividly recalls her childhood days when the aroma of freshly-baked cakes wafted from her mother's kitchen to fill the house.

As a young girl, she would hang around the kitchen to help mix the flour or knead the dough, and mum would gladly let her and her brothers have their fun and experiment.

Hours later, they would take out the lovely cakes out of the oven. There were different cakes – like Sugee, Chocolate and Apple Cakes – and each had its own unique taste and aroma, but most importantly, there was the home-baked touch to them!

“I remember how my mum would insist on baking cakes for each birthday in our family. Everyone in the house would get a whiff of the piping hot delicious cakes straight from the oven!” recalled Su, as her family members and close relatives fondly call her.

Online business: Su browsing her website, www.cakesforkicks.com, which details her selection of cakes and allows customers to place their order after seeing the photos and descriptions.

“So, at the age of nine, I baked my first butter cake. After that, I baked it every week, and by the time I was 11, I was even earning some pocket money by baking and selling cakes to my relatives. Looking back, I think they just wanted to encourage me and make me happy since I don't think my cakes were actually good enough to sell!” she said with a laugh.

Many years have passed since those days, and Su, 37, can now proudly call herself a credible baker. She now runs her own home-based cake bakery, still using her mum's time-honoured recipes that are now much loved by her customers.

Su said what was all along a hobby to her had now become “her accidental business”. Many years back, she was a practising lawyer, but then decided to give it up to answer the call of church work.

Following five fulfilling years working for the church, she took the cue to start her own small-scale baking business from home – after all, Su said, it was her favourite pastime and her interest had not waned after all these years.

For four and half years now, her home bakery, called Su's Cakes for Kicks, has been turning out traditional, oven-baked cakes and chilled cheesecakes.

Tantalising: Su's delightful creations (clockwise, from bottom left): Sugee Cake, Carrot Cake with Caramelised Walnut, Moist Chocolate Cake, Durian Cheesecake, White Chocolate Cake, and in the centre, Peach and Banana Crumble.

“People who have ordered my cakes mostly learnt about them through word-of-mouth. I also have friends and relatives who ask for my cakes, so usually I'd just make it for them.

“Baking from home has been immensely rewarding as it allows me to spend time with my 19-month-old daughter,” said Su.

Her popular speciality, she said, was the Durian Cheesecake, which, incidentally, was created after a friend had challenged her to create something that featured a combination of durian and cheese.

“So I did just that and the result, my friends declared, was exquisite! After fine-tuning the taste, it has become a hit for its aroma and smooth, creamy texture.

”Only the pulp of fresh local durians is used; it is whipped with cheese and cream,” Su revealed.

The Durian Cheesecake is one of the several varieties of chilled cheesecakes available. Other options include Lychee Cheesecake and Mango Cheesecake.

The Moist Chocolate Cake is a classic favourite, with its rich velvety chocolate fudge layer in the middle and topping. Then there is the Carrot Cake with Caramelised Walnut, in which naturally sweet shredded carrot enhances the cake's texture while caramelised walnuts give it added crunch.

“I also add a little pineapple to lend it extra zing and flavour,” she smiled.

The White Chocolate Cake makes use of imported white chocolate and is blended with cheese, while Oreo chocolate biscuits make up the base. A layer of cocoa powder is sprinkled on top.

For something different from the typical cake range, Su recommends her vintage specialities, like the Peach and Banana Crumble that contains just bananas and peaches with a crunchy layer of crumb and biscuit topping.

Su's cakes are delivered after an order is placed through the phone, for delivery orders within the Greater Klang Valley. Her husband, she said, helped out with the delivery.

The unique part of her business is the online part of it, with a website at www.cakesforkicks.com.

She said customers could just visit the site to check out the cakes her bakery offered. There is a description along with the photo of each cake.

“We only started this website three months ago so there's still not much traffic yet.”

There are three prices for Su's cakes – RM75 for chilled cheesecakes, RM80 for baked cheesecakes and vintage specialities, and RM85 for all oven-baked cakes.

“Only premium and quality ingredients are used to ensure the fine taste of our cakes. Also, we do free delivery within a certain radius. These areas are stated in our website,” she said. There is a charge for delivery beyond these areas.

A 48-hour order placement is required for the cakes. Chilled cheesecakes are packaged in foam boxes to maintain their quality and texture.

For details or orders, call 012-202 9309 or 016-233 3948.

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