Dutch influenced layer cake that Mike and Nina's sister, Cissy, made for us.
This butter-rich spice cake, flavored with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves and known as spekkoek (the Dutch spelling) or spekkuk, is an inheritance from Holland's four-century colonization of Indonesia. The recipe was given to me by Mami, my friend in Bandung, Indonesia, who is an expert in all things sweet. Because butter is a rare commodity in Indonesia, especially outside of big cities, many cooks substitute margarine. Mami wouldn't dream of doing that. "Spekkuk is a special-occasion cake. It deserves a splurge," she says. She usually makes this cake when important guests come calling, or for her berbuka puasa (literally, "opening the fast") feasts during Ramadan. Essentially a pound cake baked in a tube, or Bundt, pan, it has a golden, faintly crisp exterior and a shamelessly rich, velvety interior. There are few things more satisfying than eating a warm slice of spekkuk along with sweetened tea (the traditional accompaniment) or cold milk (my favorite accompaniment).
1. Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 325F (160?C). Grease and lightly flour a 9-inch tube pan with 3 1/2-inch sides (or, my preference, use a nonstick pan of the same size but don''t grease and flour it).
2. Resift the sifted flour along with the baking powder, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, and salt into a bowl. Now, resift the flour mixture and then set it aside. If you are doing the layering process, omit the nutmeg, clove, and cinnamon until the very end. Then divide the batter into two equal parts and only spice one half of the batter.
3. In another bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the butter until it''s soft and very pliant, about 1 minute (or 4 to 6 minutes by hand with a wooden spoon). Gradually add the granulated sugar and beat on high speed until the mixture is pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes (or 6 to 8 minutes by hand).
4. One at time, add the 4 whole eggs and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes (or 5 minutes by hand).
5. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 3 equal parts, beating on low speed or stirring with the wooden spoon until the batter is smooth and the flour is well combined with the butter mixture. Add the egg yolks and vanilla and continue to beat or stir until they''re well mixed into the batter.
6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the surface. Place on the middle oven rack and bake until a toothpick inserted into the thickest part of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour (though I''d recommend checking it after 45 minutes).
7. Remove the pan from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. If necessary, carefully run a thin knife around the perimeter and the inner rim of the cake to help loosen it from the pan. Invert the pan onto the rack and lift it off of the cake. Turn the cake right side up and let it cool on the rack.
8. Transfer the cake to a serving platter. Using a fine-mesh sieve, dust the top with the powdered sugar, if desired.
*Lapis legit (literally, "layered stickiness") is a spekkuk constructed of up to twenty-five layers, each no thicker than 1/8 inch. The more layers you make, the more grand the cake. It''s made by spreading successive thin layers of batter, one layer at a time. As each layer is added, it''s baked until it''s cooked through, usually five to ten minutes, and then another layer is spread on top. The process is repeated until all of the batter is used up. Some cooks alternate white, spice-free batter with golden-brown, spice-laced batter for a variegated effect. Other cooks make lapis legit with ten thicker layers, as opposed to twenty-five thin ones. Though these multilayered cakes are lovely to look at, they taste no different than a single-layered spekkuk. Have all of your ingredients at room temperature and this cake will go together easily.
*Divide batter in half and then add spices to one half if you do the layering process
View line-by-line Nutrition Insights™: Discover which ingredients contribute the calories/sodium/etc.
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Serving Size: 1 Serving (837g) | ||
Recipe Makes: 4 | ||
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Calories: 2382 | ||
Calories from Fat: 1034 (43%) | ||
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Amt Per Serving | % DV | |
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Total Fat 114.9g | 153 % | |
Saturated Fat 57.8g | 289 % | |
Monounsaturated Fat 34.8g | ||
Polyunsanturated Fat 9.5g | ||
Cholesterol 2033.6mg | 626 % | |
Sodium 711.8mg | 25 % | |
Potassium 887.9mg | 23 % | |
Total Carbohydrate 261.4g | 77 % | |
Dietary Fiber 7g | 28 % | |
Sugars, other 254.4g | ||
Protein 75.7g | 108 % | |
Powered by: USDA Nutrition Database Disclaimer: Nutrition facts are derived from linked ingredients (shown at left in colored bullets) and may or may not be complete. Always consult a licensed nutritionist or doctor if you have a nutrition-related medical condition. |
Calories per serving: 2382
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