What is Sugee Cake?
Sugee cake is essentially the Eastern counterpart of your regular butter cake. It originated from Malaysian and Singaporean ancestry. It is one cake that I am proud of and holds a sweet place in my heart. Also known as suji cake, Eurasians serve this moist, fluffy cake on special occasions such as weddings, birthdays, Christmas, New Year, and even during funerals.
Sugee cake is a buttery, rich, nutty cake that is moist with a coarser texture. The main difference is the use of semolina, which is coarsely grounded durum wheat. Semolina is perhaps more known for making pasta or couscous. But believe me, it makes a mean cake too. If you need extra convincing, semolina also has higher natural mineral content!
The main constituents of a sugee cake are: butter, sugar, eggs, semolina or sugee flour. The addition of ground almonds then further enriches the fragrance of the semolina and adds delicious nuttiness.
The richness of the egg yolks and butter used in this sugee cake recipe is what makes this fluffy cake SO DELICIOUS!
Semolina has a texture that is slightly coarser than the regular all purpose plain flour. Thus the coarser looking batter.
How to achieve the right texture and consistency in my sugee cake?
There are many renditions of sugee cake out there. Some recipe calls for the sugee flour/semolina to be toasted beforehand. Some incorporate brandy into the mix; while others call for the semolina to be left to soak in melted butter overnight etc. We will leave all that for another day. Instead, we’d cream the butter as beating air into the batter would result in a light and fluffy cake.
The original recipe called for egg whites to be beaten on its own, then folded into the egg yolk mixture. But I find that by doing so, there is a chance of the egg white to be over-beaten and may result in lumpy texture. Therefore in my recipe below, I have adjusted to beat the egg whites with some sugar (taken from the recipe) to help stabilize the meringue’s structure.
As you can see from the oily residue on the board above, this is the type of cake that leaves you with greasy fingers, and richly satisfied taste buds. And if you look close enough, you’d notice that the skin on top can be easily peeled off. Honestly, that is what I love best about this cake.
This step-by-step recipe video below will guide you on from start to finish:
Classic Almond Sugee Cake
Ingredients
(A)
- 250 g butter softened at room temp
- 130 g castor sugar
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 40 g superfine cake flour sifted
- 120 g sugee flour
- 120 g ground almond
(B)
- 2 egg whites
- 20 g castor sugar
Instructions
Please note that I have included two methods below – using either conventional mixer or Thermomix so do take note of the sub-headings.
CONVENTIONAL METHOD
- Separate egg yolks and whites. For best results, ensure the bowl that you're using to beat the egg whites is clean, and that there are no traces of yolk in the egg whites as it will ruin the meringue's ability to fluff up.
- Cream softened butter with sugar on med speed until it becomes pale, light and fluffy – this may take up to 3-4 minutes.
- Add in egg yolk, one at a time. Beat well after each addition of egg until creamy.
- Add in vanilla and mix until well incorporated. If using brandy, this is when you would incorporate into the mixture.
- Add flour, sugee flour and ground almond, mix until well combined.
- Cover and leave to soak for 2 hours.
- After 2 hours, preheat oven to 180°C.
- Whisk egg whites on medium low speed until foamy then add in sugar. Beat on high speed for 2 minutes. Reduce speed to medium-high and beat until stiff peak.
- Fold egg white meringue into egg yolk mixture in 2-3 batches until evenly mixed.
- Pour batter into a lined and greased 8" square cake pan and level the top evenly. Bake for 50 minutes or until skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. If cake is browning too fast, cover with foil during the last 10 minutes.
- Remove cake from oven. Let cool for 5 minutes then unmould and leave on wire rack for 20-30 minutes until completely cool before cutting to serve.
THERMOMIX METHOD
- Separate egg yolks and whites. If you have two TM bowls, the egg whites can go into 1 of them. For best results, ensure the bowl that you're using to hold the egg whites is clean, and that there are no traces of yolk in the egg whites as it will ruin the meringue's ability to fluff up.
- Add butter and sugar in the TM bowl and beat for 10 secs/speed 5. Insert butterfly attachment, and whip for 2 mins/speed 3.5. Mixture should be light and fluffy now.
- Over 50 seconds on speed 3.5, while the blade is moving, add egg yolks one at a time through the hole of TM lid. Add vanilla extract and beat 10 seconds/speed 3.5. If using brandy, add it along with the vanilla extract.
- Scrape batter down. Add sifted cake flour and sugee flour, and mix 20 sec/speed 3.5. Scrape batter again, add ground almond, mix 20 sec/speed 3.5. Pour batter into another big bowl and rest for 2 hours.
- After 2 hours, preheat oven to 180°C.
- In your clean and dry TM bowl, insert clean butterfly whisk in and add the egg whites. Whip for 1 min/speed 3.5 with the MC off. Add sugar in, and whip for 2 min/speed 3.5.
- Using a spatula, manually fold egg white meringue into egg yolk mixture in 2-3 batches until evenly mixed.
- Pour batter into a lined and greased 8" square cake pan and level the top evenly. Bake for 50 minutes or until skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. If cake is browning too fast, cover with foil during the last 10 minutes.
- Remove cake from oven. Let cool for 5 minutes then unmould and leave on wire rack for 20-30 minutes until completely cool before cutting to serve.
Notes
Have you tried this recipe?
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Used the Thermomix receipe. Absolutely love the end product! Super easy to follow receipe, and the best compliment from my mother-in-law who said the cake tastes like her own mother’s sugee cake that she hasn’t been able to replicate! Now we can make it whenever we want – mega YAY!
The best homemade sugee cake and I’ve tried many many recipes out there . Thank you so much Miss Bakenista for sharing your fabulous recipe. Do you have a good butter cake recipe (MY/SG not the western style) to share pls? Thanks !
Thanks for your kind words, Nisa! Yes you can check out this marble cake recipe, and omit the marbling batter. https://thebakeanista.com/tricolour-marble-cake/
This was a lovely and delicious recipe. Thank you so much for sharing. Brought back good food memories. 😊
Love hearing that it brought back good memories! 🙂
Hi
Does the mixture have to sit for 2 hours at room temperature. Where I am is warm and humid
Yes where I am is also warm and I leave it at room temp too.
Hi. Where may I find the thermomix recipe for this sugee cake?
Hello, TM steps are in the recipe card.
I tried your Sugee Cake recipe and it was a hit. However, I am planning to make a bigger batch for Christmas, so if I double/triple up the recipe, does the 2 hours waiting time need to be increased too? Your advise will be greatly appreciated. Tq
Hi Magdalene, the waiting time can remain the same.
I am just an occasional baker. For the first time I’ve received an order for this cake for christmas. I made a trial cake using your recipe. Absolutely delightful cake. Thanks for sharing the recipe.