Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Noodle Cake/Lam Mee/Birthday Noodle Cake

After 3 nights of cake marathon I have to come out with a birthday cake for my son's mother-in-law....who has become a dear friend.  I know many people has made all kinds of noodle cakes but I want mine to be special....a local delicacy for birthday.  In fact it is a must-have for a traditional birthday - to signify long life.  Nyonya Lam Mee or Birthday Mee....or Noodle Cake.


Complete sugar creation of a Birthday Noodle Cake

The idea seems simple enough but the actual making is tedious.  If eyeballs can be taken out to wash I would have done that many times throughout the night till morning.  Yeap...not a blink of sleep from midnight to 7.30am.

I baked the cake in the evening and quickly put in under the fan for 2 hrs then pop it into the fridge to hasten cooling process before I can cover it with fondant.  Had wanted to start early but received an email to change concept for another cake on drawing board!  Eeeeeks!!!

So quickly cover the cake so that at least I can have a drier and harder surface to paint on before I hit on my pc again.  By midnight the painting and molding starts.

The bowl was handpainted without so much as a visual in front of me and my super fine brush, Wilton Royal blue gel color and Volka. Since my China made bowl is not that accurate in their painting....I did mine quite randomly too.  Hmm...I like the effect.  Very original....very arty.  Hehehe.

Handpainted bowl

Realized that I need the spoon dried before I can paint and add in my 'sambal belacan' I quickly molded one before I start on my other 'ingredients'.  Time management is so important when time is so crucial.  Anyway in all haste I crack the spoon slightly when I painted on it.  Normally I would have made a new one...but no time to be so anal this time round coz birthday party is a few hours away.

Handpainted spoon

Below are all the other 'ingredients' to make that bowl of mee!!!

Handmade bean sprout - dusted with petal dust

Drying out the sugar 'chives'

Handmolded  'cooked' prawns - painted with a
mixture of yellow, orange and white dyes

Sugar 'Fried Onions' - painted and drying out

Ahh...the must-have 'sambal belacan' (pounded chillies
with prawn paste) in the sugar spoon

Instead or normal pork - birthday girl loves roasted pork
- so made shredded sugar roasted pork

Shredded sugar 'omelette'

Sugar spring onions




By the time I made all the 'ingredients' the sun was up already.  My eye lids seem to have lost their fight against gravity...I NEED sleep and yet there are still so much to do.  Quickly took a shower and before my head touched the pillow I was asleep.  Slept for less than 3 hours....but it did a world of good ~ enough to see me through until after the party.  Anyway I was all excited to see my Noodle Cake coming into shape....so I guess that 3 hours is enough literally.


Adding in the 'noodles' after I have painted the
inside of my sugar bowl




Assembled! My completed Birthday Noodle Cake!!!

Close up of the sugar molded bean sprout, chives, fried onions

Sugar sliced chillies

Close up of shredded omelette

Sliced 'chicken' and 'prawns'

Sliced 'roasted pork'

Close up of the sugar prawns

Close up of the 'sambal belacan' in the 'spoon'




Want to see how happy the birthday girl is?
Happy birthday girl.

Cut Noodle Cake - sugee cake inside


The chefs in the hotel were so impressed with the cake. One even gave me his card so that I can email him  the links to see all my cakes.  Again...I am happy.  Effort appreciated.