3 Most Popular Types of Indonesian Soft Cake (Kue Basah)

Soft cakes have become a trendy gift to bring home from a trip. Plenty of Indonesian celebrities are racing to open their own bakeries too, among them Nagita Slavina, Luna Maya, Sarwendah, Oki Setiana Dewi and many more. Baking them is actually easy, as long as you know the right measurements and follow the process correctly. Before you learn how to make these moist Indonesian cakes (called roti basah or kue basah, "wet cakes"), take a look at a few delicious, tender varieties:

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Bolu (Sponge Cake)

Bolu is one of the most popular soft cakes. It comes in two kinds, steamed and baked. Most moist sponge cakes are steamed, because no part of the cake gets scorched. Making a steamed sponge cake is very easy. All you need is wheat flour, eggs, water, granulated sugar and a leavening agent. To give the cake a prettier color, add food coloring that has been approved by BPOM (Indonesia's food and drug authority).

Lapis Mandarin

Another popular wet cake, often served as a treat, is lapis mandarin. This cake usually comes in two colors and has just two layers, typically egg-yolk yellow and chocolate brown. Pineapple jam goes in the middle to add flavor, and some versions use sweet butter cream instead. The signature trait of this cake is how soft it is. It is so tender that biting into it feels almost like eating with a spoon.

Lapis Legit

Another famous and popular wet cake is lapis legit. Unlike lapis mandarin, lapis legit has many layers. It is fairly complicated and slow to make, because it has to be built layer by layer so the layers form perfectly.

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To this day, wet cakes have plenty of fans. They are loved not only by children but also by teenagers and older adults. Their hallmark is a moist, soft texture and a mostly sweet taste. Each of the cakes above has its own flavor, but they all share the same tender, soft texture.