Spekkoek Recipe
Spekkoek is a Dutch Indonesian spice cake also known as Thousand Layer Cake. The cake is rich with butter and eggs and flavored with an intoxicating mix of spices.
servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
- ½ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon ground anise
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- 8 ounces unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 12 ounces granulated sugar (1 ½ cups, divided)
- 10 large eggs (separated)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 7 ½ ounces all purpose flour (1 ½ cups, see note)
- ½ teaspoon table salt
- confectioner sugar (for decoration)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 °F. Butter and flour a 9" springform pan.
- Combine 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, ½ teaspoon ground cardamom, ½ teaspoon ground cloves, ½ teaspoon ground anise and ¼ teaspoon white pepper in a small bowl and stir to combine. Set the spices aside while you make the batter.
- In a large mixing bowl or in a stand mixer, cream 8 ounces unsalted butter with 1 cup of sugar until light and aerated. Scape the sides of the bowl and the beater. With the mixer running on low, add 10 egg yolks in three batches, scraping after each addition. Add 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. Add 7 ½ ounces all purpose flour and mix to combine.
- In a separate bowl, whip 10 egg whites to soft peak. Slowly add the remaining ½ cup sugar the whip to full peak. Fold the whites into the batter in 3 increments. Don't overfold.
- Divide the batter into two equal portions. Sift the spice mixture over one bowl of batter and fold with a whisk to combine.
- Spread a ½ cup of the white batter into the bottom of the prepared pan. Bake this layer for about 8-10 minutes until the center springs back when pressed. Take the pan out of the oven. Turn on the broiler and place the oven rack 8” from the broiler.
- Spread a ½ cup of the spiced batter in an even layer over the baked layer. Slide the pan under the broiler until the spiced layer is set, about 1 ½ minutes. Press the layer to see if the batter is set.
- Continue alternating the white and spiced batters in layers until all the batter is finished. When the last layer is done use a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake to make sure the cake is cooked through. If the center is not done switch the oven back to bake and bake until the center of the cake is done.
- Cool the cake in the pan to room temperature. Release the sides of the pan and slide a spatula under the cake to transfer it to a serving plate.
- Sprinkle the top of the cake with powdered sugar before serving.
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Notes
If measuring the flour by volume use the “dip & sweep” method. That is, dip the measuring cup into the flour bin, overfill it, then sweep away the excess.
The cake will keep several days, covered, at room temperature.
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