A magnificient dragon cake for Berjaya's dragon founder

KUALA LUMPUR: It has become a tradition in Berjaya to celebrate its Founder's Day with a magnificent dragon cake.
This year is also no exception with bakers baking up a 50m long chocolate dragon cake that breathes 'smoke' which can feed up to 15,000 guests at the 5th Berjaya Founder's Day celebration on Saturday, March 28.
Ever since the first Berjaya Founder's Day celebration in 2011, a cake in the form of a dragon is always presented to the founder Tan Sri Vincent Tan, now 63, who was born in the year of the dragon.
The Chinese dragon traditionally represents potent and auspicious powers while signifying influence, strength, and good luck for people who are worthy of it.
"We came up with the idea of a dragon cake as a gift for Tan Sri Vincent Tan. But it has evolved from a gift to a much anticipated tradition," quipped Berjaya Hotels & Resorts' Group Director of Marketing and Communication Abel Nelson Nang during a special preview of the cake today.
This year, he added, the cake's length has almost doubled itself from previous years to a whopping 50m long.
He said this year's cake symbolises the "water dragon" where it (dragon) is alongside a gigantic crystal ball sitting atop blue waves.
In the Chinese Feng Shui context, this can harness positive energy in our surrounding environment, said Abel as he described the cake as more of an art sculpture.
As Tan's birthday has become an occasion dedicated to philanthropy and charity, the last four Founder's Day saw a sum of RM64 million being donated to many needy groups and foundations.
Abel said the cake's design reflects his generosity as the crystal ball which is a source of light marks his devotion and commitment to doing good and giving back to those in need.
The cake was conceptualised and brought to completion by the pastry team of Berjaya Times Square Hotel Kuala Lumpur and took months of planning and three weeks to completion.
The pastry team of 20 people worked in shifts, perfecting each detail for 8 hours a day, under the watchful eye of the hotel's Demi Chef, Chef Andi Sutrisno Hassan.
"Combining 200kg of butter, 3,600 eggs, 90kg of cream cheese, 110kg of rose flour, 50kg of almond paste marzipan and 150kg of premium dark chocolate, the dragon is decorated with delicately carved chocolate fondant scales amounting to 250kg covering its massive length of 50m. To bring the dragon to 'life', edible spray paint in several tones were used to achieve the desired look," Chef Andi said when explaining the creation.
The newly joined head pastry chef, Chef John Wong said that the team is especially proud of the illuminating crystal ball.
"Not many would dare to risk ruining the artistic design, but with a team of skilled professionals we managed to deliver a creatively designed cake," he said about the crystal ball that lights up in few colours and the 'smoke' that the dragon breathes.
This year's theme "Let's Go - Plant a Seed of Love" was chosen as a call of action to all Berjaya staff and member's of the public, especially the youth, to volunteer their time and efforts towards a worthy cause.