Pontianak. Singkip-singkip cake, one of the culinary legacies of the Kadriah Sultanate of Pontianak, holds a profound philosophy about the journey of human life. Syarifah Fadlon Al Qadrie, a descendant of the Kadriah Palace, explained that singkip-singkip is a layered cake once known only among court nobility.
“The singkip cakes are layered. Their philosophy is like a guideline for our lives from birth, through growth, adolescence, and adulthood. In the past, these cakes were only served at noble events within the royal court,” said Fadlon when met at the Kadriah Palace on Wednesday (October 1, 2025).
Over time, singkip-singkip became well-known among the public when it was served at palace weddings. Typically, this cake is served alongside sherbet drinks in traditional ceremonies, including the traditional jamu besan (in-law’s jamu).
“At weddings, after the rosewater ceremony, the Juada Pahar cake, filled with singkip, comes out. This cake is a palace specialty and is served in a silver dish covered with yellow cloth,” he said.
The uniqueness of singkip-singkip lies in its layers of cake, combined with strawberry jam and drizzled with a custard made with spices like cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom. This recipe, passed down from the time of Sultan Syarif Hamid II, who lived in the Netherlands, was then modified to incorporate Indonesian flavors.
” We use spices for our flan, no chemicals. Nowadays, we sometimes modify it, like adding cheese. But the original is simple: just cake, strawberries, and spiced flan,” said Fadlon.
To maintain sustainability, the royal family actively promotes singkip-singkip through culinary competitions involving the younger generation.
“We want the public to know that Pontianak has delicious traditional cakes from the Sultanate, not just bingke. We hope singkip-singkip will become widely known and become a Pontianak specialty,” he said.
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