Bahulu

Bahulu
باولو
Bahulu cermai (Cermai-shaped bahulu)
Alternative namesBaulu
TypeCake, kue/kuih
CourseSnack, dessert
Place of originMalaysia
Region or stateMalay Peninsula, also found in West Kalimantan and Brunei
Serving temperatureroom temperature
Main ingredientsWheat flour, eggs, sugar, baking powder

Bahulu or baulu (Jawi: باولو) is a traditional Malay cake (kue/kuih). It is similar in concept to the madeleine cake, but is not baked in a shell-shaped mold. There are three versions available, the most common being bahulu cermai (star-shaped) and the less common bahulu gulung (shaped like rolls) and bahulu lapis (layered). Bahulu is believed to be originated in Malay Peninsula during the colonisation era and is the corruption of the Malaccan Kristang (Portuguese-Eurasian people) word, bolu (Portuguese: bolo) which means cake. It is usually served during Eid al-Fitr as well as during the Chinese New Year.

In Indonesia, this cake is quite popular in Kalimantan, especially in Pontianak, Sambas and Singkawang in West Kalimantan. In other parts of Indonesia, bahulu is also called kue bolu kering, an old-fashioned dry bolu cake, and regarded as one of the numerous variant of kue bolu sponge cake.

In professional bakeries, modern oil sprays or butter are used to grease the trays. In a traditional home setting, bakers use a bundle of bruised pandan leaves tied together like a makeshift brush to paint the brass molds with oil. This prevents sticking while imbedding a subtle, aromatic herbal note into the outer crust that you won't get from commercial variants.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Nabsiah Abdul Wahid; Hamdia Mudor (2009). "Evaluating The Perception on Objective Quality of Bahulu Between Local Micro Food Producers and Consumers in Penang". Journal of Agribusiness Marketing. 2 (1).
  2. 1 2 "Kuih Bahulu - Resepi Kuih Bahulu Cermai" (in Malay). Resepi Kuih Tradisional. Archived from the original on 2 February 2014. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  3. 1 2 "12 Snacks We All End up Eating During Chinese New Year No Matter How You Resist". RojakDaily. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  4. ↑ Yusriadi (9 March 2019). Identitas Orang Melayu di Hulu Sungai Sambas (in Indonesian). Elmans' Institute.
  5. ↑ "Mencicipi Kue Bahulu, Bolu Jadul Kering dan Rasanya Gurih". iNews.ID (in Indonesian). 29 November 2019. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  6. ↑ Bloor, Azlin (8 July 2026). "How to use Pandan Leaves in Singapore & Malaysian Cooking". Singaporean and Malaysian Recipes. Retrieved 29 October 2026.