KUALA LUMPUR, 6 September 2018 – The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre’s (the Centre) Deputy General Manager, John Burke (left) watches on as Executive Pastry Chef, Jamaluddin bin Zainal Abidin (right) explains the Centre’s majestic creation titled ‘Menjunjung Kasih’ (Thank You, Your Majesty) to the Controller of the Royal Household, Dato' Wan Ahmad Dahlan bin Hj. Ab. Aziz (Centre), at the annual cake presentation at Istana Negara, held in conjunction with Yang diPertuan Agong XV Sultan Muhammad V’s official birthday celebration on 9 September 2018.
Chef Jamaluddin shared, “This year, our cake’s theme is based upon our gratitude to the King for all his work over the past year. The Malaysian monarch plays such an important role, not only in fulfilling his constitutional duties as a leader in Malaysia, but also in presenting an elegant and refined image of Malaysia to visitors from overseas. This role is often underappreciated, which is why we have dedicated our cake this year to recognising his efforts.”
“Many people use the term ‘Fit for a King’ to refer to something of superior quality and this what I and my team strive to achieve each year. It is always a challenge to come up with something new, but we pride ourselves on our innovative culinary creations and as such we start brainstorming concepts and themes a month in advance in order to create a cake that is unique and delicious. This year we decided to create a really beautiful cake which reflects the pure elegance of the monarchy. It has been an honour to work on it and a lot of fun too, for both me and my team”.
This year’s royal creation took four team members almost a full week to build and it features 12 compartments, stuffed full of elegant and decadent delights, including chocolate cigars, chocolate pralines, caramel brownies and pate de fruit. Standing at approximately 80cm (h) x 122cm (w) x 122cm (l) and weighing close to 35kg, the sweet confection was intricately handcrafted with modern designs and individually-carved motifs, which were inspired by the country’s rich multicultural heritage and unique flora and fauna.
Joining Chef Jamaluddin at the cake presentation ceremony held at Istana were the Centre’s Executive Chef, Hisham bin Jaafar and Senior Chef de Partie, Mohd Raimarmizan.