WEDDING GIFT CAKES ~ 'HANTARAN' CAKES

These are what kept me busy the past 2 weeks. For a close friend. I'm glad it they turned out all right and that A was very happy with them. She wanted them pink with touches of brown.

I made the simplest of roses. One of the type of roses that I had learnt to make at the sugar craft class ...a few months ago. I am so glad I attended the class. But after a hiatus since the class it took time to get my mojo back and after a few trials I managed to make sense of the process required to make those "simple" roses. They were simple really but like everything else it takes consistent practice not to lose it. 

I wish I had been calm enough to take some photographs to show you how they were made but as usual I just wanted to get on with them and at the time nothing was more important than getting the roses completed satisfactorily. I will show the steps in a future post though. So keep a look out.

The cakes were simple and the ribbon was chosen by A to match the decor for the rest of the wedding gifts. 

The recipe for the fondant is here. I had made a white velvet butter cake by Rose Levy Beranbaum.....my favourite cake master. She, who bakes like a chemist. 

I had coloured the sugar paste for the roses a pale pink and then dusted the edges with coral pink lustre powder. It came to life. Both the leaves and the roses were steamed to seal the lustre colours in. I love steaming them because it gives a sheen and a satiny finish.

The fondant for the cake was a slightly deeper but still light pink and then I piped the brocade design (again).

Decorating cakes is very much like painting for me. I have no clear idea of what I will be doing until I do it. The cake evolves rather than planned. I was pleased. And relieved. My friend A loved it. I hope you like them too :) This is an eye candy post.

A had decided to make six small cakes instead of one large one so that each set of family members could get one complete cake to take home after the ceremony. Instead of cut pieces of cake. How clever :)

Hantaran cakes in a Malay wedding are part of 5 or more trays of gifts exchanged between the bride's and bridegroom's families. Other gifts may include trays of fruits, chocolates, shoes, handbags, Malay dress. Or anything really. It seems that anything goes nowadays. 

The trays are elaborately arranged and decorated with flowers with months of planning and carried to the brides home in a procession, placed and arranged formally on a carpeted floor and the wedding vows are taken while the families watch and witness the occasion.

For more on weddings click here and here. The weddings of my nephews and their lovely brides few years ago. 

PINK ROSES WEDDING CAKE

Colours make the world go round. In my world. 

Two days before the cake was to be picked up was a period of intense focusing, ups and downs, debating, changing of plans and finally, the night before, a feeling of relieved exhilaration. 

I made a brocade design over the fondant covered delicate yet rich velvet butter cake and topped them with  three romantic hues of pink roses.

However the colours did come at a cost. There was plenty of gum paste kneading and mixing of food colours until I was satisfied with each hue. But it will always be my favourite part....creating colours.

I was so relieved the bride loved it. Although she had requested for a replica of the wedding cake that I had made before I couldn't concede to her request. On the last day I had to make a drastic change of plans because I realized that the cake was too large and the roses not large enough. I had also made the roses all of the same size which meant that I did not have the variation of sizes that I did before to enable me to give the arrangement a pleasing natural garden look. Lack of experience made me overlook the fact earlier.

Where once the roses I made would be inconsistent in size due to my inconsistent and unconventional methods this time around each rose was of an almost equal size ever since I had attended the gum paste roses class. I will have to learn to make bigger roses in future. The class was a boon because I can now make very beautiful roses but a bane in my attempt at replicating my last wedding cake. Ignorance was a kind of bliss then.

But when you're at your wits end it helps having loving family rallying around you. Full of helpful suggestions and support I managed not to lose it all. Finally we decided to give the cake a simple topping of roses. I must say, and I say again, colours make all the difference. It brings an otherwise plain and simple cake to a totally different level. I almost didn't want to give the cake away. Perhaps that's how the father of the bride feels when the time comes to give the bride away.

But all is done and over and I now appreciate my pre-wedding cake life more than ever. Yay. 

This time I had dusted the edges of all my roses with two shades of pink petal dust. Particularly Coral Pink. Then I did what my gum paste teacher told me I should not do to gum paste roses. I steamed them. That set and sealed the colour in and the pink did not fade as pinks and purples always tend to even after a mere 24 hours. I was jump-for-joy pleased. Otherwise the pink roses would have been a pale almost pinkish shade of white by the time the bride came to pick the cake up. Lesson learnt. Defy your teacher for a good cause. :)

And I will never again make sugar flowers without brushing on petal dust. It brings the flowers to life. They glow and look so very beautiful. Like a blissful bride on her wedding day.

The leaves I had made the same way and of the same colour when I had made this cake. I resisted buying a rose leaf veiner because it was quite expensive so I used the Wilton veiner that came with an old set I had bought ages ago.

I had also made some tendrils of simply twirled craft wire around a pencil. I loved doing that. And the results were cute. The white filler buds I had made this time around instead of buying them as I usually do. They were so easy and adorable to do.

 

The only item I did not make this time around were the white with yellow centre filler flowers because I did not anticipate using them. It was a good thing I had some spare from the  last wedding cake.

I love wedding cakes of colours that take my breath away. Don't you? My best wishes to the lovely bride and groom.

My fondant rolling for a ten inch cake was made so much easier with a lovely inky blue silicone mat that Sarah-Jane of siliconemoulds.com had included in the squishy parcel she sent me with the financier and jumbo cupcake moulds amoung other fun things some weeks ago.  Thank you Sarah. It was such a great help otherwise I would probably have had almost a foot of extra fondant hanging over the base of the cake :P All I had to do was to swipe a teeny bit of vegetable shortening over it for a smooth and effortless job. 

THE WEDDING AT MALACCA

Another son/nephew/cousin/brother, another wedding, another cake, another bride and another post. And this time in lovely Malacca.

I have learnt two things not to do at weddings. One, never to get within a hair's breath of the kompang(drummer) boys unless you want your eardrums vibrating outside of your head and two, never to leave the hotel room without 2 kilos of sunblock smeared on your nose and rest of face in anticipation of the searing, relentless midday sun. Oh, and three sweat and photography are not to be done simultaneously.

Short of good photographs this time around for the lack of photographs taken from my camera I had a hard time filtering some good ones. But I did what I had to do. (Lia dear... I'm still waitingggg....)

It was about time Faisal tied the knot with Lilis because the way I see it he is very very very much loved by his (by now) in laws. He completes them. And with God's will and blessing may the marriage bring more love and laughter into their lives.

Durian Tunggal, the village where Lilis comes from is absolutely charming, quaint and clean and its grass lush and green. In the three houses built several feet away from each other within a large plot of land that slopes gently up towards the back live three families of relatives each within ear shot of the other.

One of the homes built slightly to the back is a lovely old Malaccan house with the typical and unique flight of beautiful steps originally built perhaps about a hundred or more years ago. It is now officially declared a heritage building and is protected by the state government of Malacca just like the 100 year old masjid(mosque) where the official marriage ceremony was held within walking distance from the bride's home.




The cooking for the feast on the first day of the celebrations was done to the left of this beautiful home under the big shade of some large trees. I saw at least 2 large (ultra large) cauldrons and other cooking paraphernalia under those trees in the cool cool shade and how I wish I had taken a picture.

Like all marriages it all begins with the official ceremony under the scrutiny of a religious official at the lovely, bijou and tiny village masjid.

Lovely Lilis looking beautiful and enchanting in white waited, quiet and patient, in a corner....



While strapping, fun and lovable Faisal, the second and youngest son of my husband's younger brother Nasrun and his wife Kartini, younger brother of Fir who got married earlier, had to do what a man had to do. He listened to a long paternal lecture from the official, made his promises, took his vows and signed the marriage contract. That done Lilis joined him, took her vows, signed the contract and kissed her husband's hand. They looked blissfully happy in the union, Faisal and Lilis. May Allah bless them always.

The bride's eldest and loving brother, the head of the family since their father passed on several years ago, and Faisal clasp hands as Faisal promises to be a responsible and faithful husband to his little sister Lilis.



In the cozy crowd, as the midday sun streamed in, its harsh light filtered and subdued by the stained glass that ran along the top edge of the walls, with the room encased in the glow from the midnight blue of the carpet, framed by the dark timber beams that ran across the ceiling and guarded by the stone and wooden pillars that stood like sentinels across the room, sat the cake that I made. Heh. Looking lovely. As lovely as the bride.



The cake.That I made. With blood, love, sweat and tears.



What are weddings without cakes and babies. Before and after.



That evening of the same day fireworks went hissing and shooting off into the hollow of the night sky while we made a lot of noise down below.



Lilis meets and welcomes Faisal at the entrance to her home. Faisal looks fondly and lovingly on. Both of them decked completely and resplendently in a combination of Baba-Nyonya (descendents of the late 18th century Chinese immigrants who have adopted partially or in full Malay customs/food/dress and use the Malay language in their day to day lives) and Malay dress.



The bride and her groom walked to the dais that was ready and waiting in Lilis's home for the customary blessings to begin.

The next day, blessed by a hot and blazing sun, Faisal adjusts his suit before doing the finale of the wedding celebrations, the bersanding (sitting on the dias as a married couple). Making sure he looked spiffy was his best man, my nephew, Fadzli.



The final walk with Dad, Mom ,(in pink at the back) little sis, uncles, brother, aunts and cousins making sure he gets there. No more looking back Faisal! This is it. I have never seen Faisal happier.



The very beautiful bride, Lilis, is as happy as he is. Resplendent in her trailing wedding gown.

The bersanding ceremony against a backdrop of roses. Perhaps life is sometimes a bed of roses after all.......


Yes Dad.... No Dad ....Yes Dad....no more.....they're on their own. Datuk Datu Nasrun blessing his son and daughter-in-law.



The cake feeding as always.......marking the end of the wedding and the beginning of a new life as husband and wife.



My favourite part, in addition the rest of the wedding.... the wedding favours..The bunga telur (eggs on a stalk) are given to guests. Beautiful crepe paper blossoms in buttercup yellow and moss green leaves.



The main wedding favour that encased more goodies inside. A box in bright tangerine and silver are gifts to their guests from the brides family.



And yet more favours for us!...Beautiful purple butterflies flutter on an opaque box. Inside are little Hershey chocolates...my staple food...YUMMMM!! This gets better and better...



Inside this little black case, extracted from the silver-orange box above ,were 4 pieces of treasure. 4 dainty cones of stretchy, chewy, sweet and heavenly dodol. YUMMMM!!!!!!



I think Faisal and Lilis are going to have lots and lots and lots of babies. At least that was the message Lilis' family seem to be sending. For this pretty, quaint and little yellow case contained yet another egg, in addition to the egg-flower stalk above, symbols of fertility.



Good luck and May Allah bless dear Faisal and Lilis with a long and happy marriage.

THE WEDDING

Marriages are made in heaven and on earth where the sun blazes relentlessly, where plans may go awry, where we never arrive on time, where buses breakdown, where perspiration is a matter of fact, where leaves wilt and wither and where, oddly enough, the modest hotel in Segamat in which we stayed was Greek inspired in name - 'The Neo Pegasus'.

Pegasus, the legendary winged horse from a Greek myth, was borne from the blood of Medusa. When Pegasus was stung by a gadfly sent by Zeus, the king of heaven and earth, he flew to Olympus, the home of the gods. Zeus received him and used him for a while to carry his thunder and lightning and later placed his figure in the night sky amoung the constellations. This hotel and the Greek fable behind its name made Segamat, Labis and this wedding oddly memorable.

The wedding was held in the little town of Labis, 40 kilometers from Segamat a small town along the the northern border of Johor. The oldest child and son of my husband's younger brother and his wife, Nasrun and Kartini, Fir was to end his bachelorhood in Labis and begin married life with his then wife-to-be Liza.

So let's have some fun.

The evening of the 7th, a Saturday, the vows and solemnization of the marraige took place at the bride's home in Labis...Liza had on a beautiful lace bordered head dress and a long trailing dress in white. She was one of the loveliest brides I've seen in a long time.

Fir takes his vows, signs and seals it with the Imam, witnessed by parents, uncles, aunts, family and friends. Finally, bachelorhood is history.



Liza waits, nestled between her parents. I caught Fir stealing a glance at her. Looking pleased. As pleased as only a man could be.



The bride returns the promises and vows that Fir has made to her with the promise of being a good and faithful wife to him and in Malay fashion with a kiss to her husband's hand...



The couple exchange rings whilst suffering some good humoured teasing from the oldies who surrounded them. :)





Fir hands the 'bouquet' of 'mas kahwin' / marraige money to Liza, all of RM 22.50, thus completing the officialization of the marraige vows.



I believe by this time the bride and groom have taken some deep breaths, thanked God and can't wait for the next ceremony to be over and done with because Fir still cannot stay with his bride until the 'bersanding' ceremony is over. That does not take place until 1 o'clock the following day. Patience they say is golden.

When all was done Liza gets a hug and kiss from her mother..



Sitting together as husband and wife I see the 'look' and I read Fir's mind....."Finally...she's mine!"



The next day...............Sunday, 8th March 2009

Firdaus, looking very heroic and very tall, dark and handsome, leaves Pegasus Hotel and making sure he gets to his bride are his father, and his bestman, my son Nik.

Waiting at the other end is the bride, Liza, looking gorgeous and absolutely beautiful in white.



God was kind and gave us a hot, bright day with open skies and a blazing sun. Shielded by a golden umbrella and treated like a sultan on his big day Fir strides towards his wife.



Liza waits to greet him at the entrance to her home.



On the dias at last doing the 'bersanding'. Looking perfect and I'm sure feeling perfectly happy and blessed as well.

Beautiful Bride.........



Now for the messy part! Cake feeding...



Now it's Fir's turn.



All in all this was what they really felt like doing.....



Apparently that was what the bestman had in mind too....."Peace to all !!"........ and........



...may the bestman be replaced by a ...............



The wedding favours and gifts from the brides family....

Beautiful mugs nestled in beautiful boxes! And fresh roses from the 'hantaran' (offering of gifts) trays......although they wilted some by the time we drove the 3 1/2 hours home..and when I took the pictures.









Porcelain 'egg' cases filled with sweets and toffees...



The 'bunga telur'. Stalks of artificial flowers with boiled eggs attached. Probably meant as a symbol of fertility.....it's a wild guess but I don't think I could be far wrong. Each guest gets a stalk.



May Allah bless our dear nephew and his wife and may they have lots and lots of children and live happily ever after! :)