But when it comes to baking kuih baulu or bahulu – the delectable sponge cake traditionally served during festive seasons such as Hari Raya – she prefers to do it the traditional way.
Most entrepreneurs would opt to use an oven to bake baulu, as it would certainly be faster and simpler. The 33-year-old, however, relies on the time-honoured method of using coconut husks, copper moulds, and charcoal fire.
It’s not a speedy process by any means; for one batch of baulu cermai, the popular star-shaped variety, it takes 20 minutes. For a singular baulu lapis, or layered cake, it takes two hours.
Lily – who runs her business Bahulu Sabut in Kampung Sijangkang, Telok Panglima Garang, Selangor – said those who consider themselves “baulu connoisseurs” would prefer it baked with coconut husks for the fluffy texture and distinct aroma.
Fondly referred to as “Akak Bahulu” on social media, Lily loves to see the reaction of her customers when they take a whiff of her freshly baked baulu.
“Some say they can smell the fragrance of the husk,” she said warmly, adding that customers from as far as East Malaysia and Brunei tell her the same.
Business was brisk during the recent Ramadan and Raya period, but Lily also makes kuih baulu year-round, catering to the demand of her customers.
Apart from layered baulu, Lily also bakes baulu rolls; baulu kemboja, which looks like a mooncake; and, of course, baulu cermai, akin to a local version of a Madeleine.
And despite being an adherent of the traditional approach, Lily adds her own creative flair to her products. Among her innovations is kuih baulu infused with chocolate or berries.
As it turns out, Lily’s foray into baking was somewhat accidental: it came about during the movement restrictions imposed nationwide to curb the spread of Covid-19.
Wanting to make the most out of her time spent in lockdown, she decided to help her husband, 41-year-old Ridzuan Tamel, expand his baulu business.
So Lily’s mother-in-law, Rohidah Ahmad, guided her through the process, which, Lily would be the first to admit, isn’t an easy one.
“Not everyone is skilled at controlling the temperature; you need to be experienced,” Lily said, explaining that the moulds need to be heated for an hour before baking can commence.
Otherwise, a novice might see their kuih burnt to a crisp – although thankfully, Lily was and continues to be an apt pupil.
For Rohidah, she is just happy to have been able to impart a valuable skill to the next generation.
“I learnt how to bake baulu from my mother,” she told FMT. “We didn’t have measuring tools back then; it was literally a bowl of eggs, a bowl of flour, and a bowl of sugar.
“We would use our hands to stir the mixture.”
She is also grateful for her daughter-in-law’s perseverance in picking up the culinary art form, saying one must be hardworking and alert while cooking baulu or it will all come to naught.
When done right, however – as in the capable hands of Lily and Ridzuan – “my baulu is beautiful!” Rohidah declared with a laugh.
To learn more or to order your own batch of kuih baulu, visit Bahulu Sabut’s Instagram profile or contact Lily at 012-375 6046.