| Alternative names | Breuder, Bloeder |
|---|---|
| Type | Cake |
| Place of origin | Sri Lanka |
| Main ingredients | yeast, eggs, butter, sugar, nutmeg,raisins |
| 100 kcal (420 kJ) |
Breudher, also known asBrueder orBloeder (pronounced asbroo-dhuh), is a traditionalSri LankanDutch Burgher buttery yeastcake, baked in afluted mould.[1][2][3] A variation,Bleuda,Kueh Bleuda orKue Bludder is also found in theMalaccaDutch Eurasian community and inKochi, a city in the south-west ofIndia.[4]
The mould used to bake the Breudher is typically a heavybrass or iron mould with deep groves with a tube in the centre, so that when the cake is baked, it comes out in a grooved ring shape with a central cylindrical hole.[5]
Each family has its own variation, but essentially the recipe for Breudher consists ofbutter, sugar, eggs, bread dough, milk,nutmeg andraisins/sultanas. The end product is a bread like cake with a slight yeasty taste.[6]
Breudher is traditionally served at Christmas breakfast,[7] and New Years Day,[8] cut into slices, spread with butter and topped withDutchEdam cheese or fruit, such as green skinned bananas.[9][10]
The difference in the recipe between the Sri Lanka Dutch Burgher and the Malacca Dutch Eurasian community, is that the Malaccan version usestoddy (fermented sap from the flower of the coconut tree) instead ofyeast.[11][12] It is likely that toddy was used as a local substitute when yeast was difficult to source. In Cochin bakers usemaida flour,ghee (instead of butter), candied orange peel, a blend of ground spices and serve it as a bread loaf. Traditionally the local Anglo-Indian community serve it as part of breakfast during awake, seven days after a funeral.[13][14]
Breudher originated from traditionalDutchBroeder cake. Breudher is a derivate of "the Dutch word,broeder, referring to the bag (broederzak) in which the cake is cooked.
Breudher is most likely to have originated from traditionalDutch breakfast cakes and breads, such asOntbijtkoek or the GermanKugelhupf. Singaporean food writer, Sylvia Tan, inForgotten Foods and Mealtime Memories, published by theNational Library Board believes that breudher is a derivate of "the Dutch word,brood-tulband, referring to the fluted turban-shaped mould used to make it".[13] Brood-tulband literally translates to ‘bread turban’, a description of its peculiar shape. The flute turban shaped Breudher cake, has all the ingredients which were commonly used in Dutch East Indies households: butter, sugar, eggs and spices. The main feature which makes the Breudher cake, particular is its usage of nutmeg, some spices and egg yolks.
The Malacca Portuguese Eurasians claim it as originating from their community, which is said to be a traditional Malacca Portuguese cake. However, there was a significant emigration of Ceylonese Burghers to Malacca in the early 1900s who brought with them their food and customs, assimilating into the local Eurasian community.[15] It is generally concluded that "Breudher" originated from the Dutch and that the Portuguese "Blueda" is derived from the Dutch version.
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| Cheesecakes | |
| Nut cakes | |
| Chocolate cakes | |
| Fruitcakes | |
| Layer cakes |
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| Spit cakes | |
| Sponge cakes |
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| Foam cakes andmeringue | |
| Yeast cakes | |
| Special occasions | |
| By shape | |
| Other |
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