Tan's Tu Tu Coconut Cake [陈家"嘟嘟"糕] @ Block 449, Clementi Avenue 3

I shall spare all of you the torture of reading a long history of the origins for tutu cake in Singapore as i thought the above information sheet has aptly summarised the important points.

The process of making tutu cakes might seem simple for amateurs; maybe a bit of repetitions but didn't appear to have the complications required to cook, for example, a plate of chilli crab.

If only things are indeed that easy - imagine having to do hundreds or maybe thousands of them every day by hand and keeping in mind that you must strike a balance of that initial scoop of rice flour on the mould; not too much (this would reduce the proportion of fillings) and not too little (the tiny cake, once steamed, would break apart even with a light touch).

Furthermore, the steamer was set to a high temperature that would definitely leave a few marks on a newbie's hands! And for an impatient person like me, the haste to churn out as many tutu cakes as possible would likely mean a high chance of screwing things up big time! 

I admit it would not be the job for me. That's why i am always thankful for the existence of decades-old hawkers with numerous awards and accolades who continue to offer us good food using traditional recipe; like the Tan's Family Tu Tu Coconut Cake!

With a history of over eighty long years, i am not sure how traditional or modern this has become. As i mentioned many times in this blog, authenticity is nothing if you don't like it at first bite!

But, i absolutely ADORE these little bundles of delightful kueh! 

The perfectly steamed cakes came in two types of fillings; the crushed peanuts which were traditionally used although i would prefer them better in pancakes (mian jian kueh). Nonetheless, take a bite, compare it with their competitors and you would realise the peanuts were not as sweet and tasted surprisingly light. 

Coconut filling is the one that makes my knees go weak! Instead of frying the coconut shreds with plain sugar like many stalls nowadays, the tan's family maintained having theirs stir-fried with gula melaka! And boy were they lavish with the yummy coconut shreds! 

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Location

Block 449, #01-211, 

Clementi Avenue 3

Price

S$3 for 5 pieces

Opening Hours

3pm to 9.30pm

Any enquiry can be directed to tans.tutu@gmail.com or 9737-2469