Lapis Legit (Many-Layered Spiced Cake)
Photo: Pudding4brains, Public domain
Lapis legit is the Indonesian spice cake built from dozens of paper-thin layers, each baked golden before the next is added. It comes from the Dutch colonial era, where it is known as spekkoek, and it is served at Eid ul-Fitr and Christmas. The batter is rich with butter, egg yolks, cloves, cardamom and nutmeg, and the firm, dense crumb resembles baumkuchen. It takes patience, but the striped slices show it.
Instructions
Mix the ground cloves, cardamom, nutmeg and cinnamon together and sift them to remove any coarse bits.
Beat the butter until it is smooth and creamy. In a separate bowl, whip the egg yolks with the sugar until fluffy.
Whip the egg whites in a clean bowl until fluffy, then combine them with the egg yolk mixture.
Add the sifted spices, condensed milk, flour and beaten butter to the eggs and mix into a batter. Grease a cake pan.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Use a small cup to spread 30 to 35 ml of batter over the base of the pan in a thin layer.
Bake with the heat coming from the top of the oven until the layer is golden, which takes 4 to 5 minutes.
Take the pan out, brush the layer with butter, and spread another 30 to 35 ml of batter over it.
Bake again until golden, then repeat the brushing, layering and baking until you have around 30 to 40 layers. Slice the cake once it is built.
Make it personal.
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