AI-generated image
Sans rival
Cashew meringue buttercream cake
Filipino cashew meringue and buttercream layer cake
Sans rival ('without rival') took its French name in the mid-twentieth century and has become a Filipino celebration cake, most famously from Dumaguete in Negros Oriental, where it is boxed up for visitors. Four or more sheets of chewy-crisp cashew meringue are stacked with rich French buttercream and covered in chopped toasted cashews, then served cold from the fridge in thin slices for fiestas, Christmas and birthdays. There's no flour at all. Adding the butter while the yolk mixture is still warm is the classic disaster; the buttercream turns to soup, so beat until the bowl feels cool to the touch first. Chef's tip: draw rectangles on the baking paper and spread the meringue right to the lines; even layers stack straight and slice cleanly.
- Total time
- 150 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 16
Ingredients
For the cashew meringue
- 9 oz cashewstoasted and finely ground
- 8 egg whitesat room temperature
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- 9 oz caster sugar
For the French buttercream
- 7 oz sugar
- ¼ cup water
- 14 oz buttersoftened but cool, in pieces
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
To finish
- 3 ½ oz cashewstoasted and chopped
Shop this recipe on Amazon
What you'll need
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (4)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/11 doneStep 1: Heat the oven to 300°F (275°F fan). Draw four 20 × 30 cm rectangles on four sheets of baking paper, turn them over and lay them on baking trays.
Step 2: Whisk 8 egg whites with ½ tsp cream of tartar until foamy, then add 9 oz caster sugar a spoonful at a time and whisk to stiff, glossy peaks.
8 minStep 3: Fold in 9 oz cashews gently, in two goes.
Step 4: Spread the meringue evenly inside the four rectangles, right to the lines.
Step 5: Bake for 30–35 minutes, swapping the trays halfway, until the layers are pale golden, dry and crisp on top and lift off the paper easily. Bake in two rounds if they don't all fit.
70 minStep 6: Cool the layers completely on the paper, then peel it away carefully.
Step 7: For the buttercream, whisk 8 egg yolks in a stand mixer until pale. Boil 7 oz sugar and ¼ cup water in a small pan until it reaches 116–250°F, the soft-ball stage.
6 minStep 8: With the mixer running, pour the hot syrup in a thin stream down the side of the bowl onto the yolks. Keep whisking for 8–10 minutes, until thick and the bowl is completely cool.
10 minStep 9: Beat in 14 oz butter a piece at a time, then 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 pinch salt, until smooth and fluffy. If it looks curdled, keep beating; if it's runny, chill for 10 minutes and beat again.
Step 10: Lay one meringue layer on a board, spread with a thin layer of buttercream and repeat, finishing with buttercream over the top and sides.
Step 11: Press 3 ½ oz cashews all over the top and sides. Chill for at least 1 hour before slicing with a hot knife. Keeps for 4 days in the fridge.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 440 kcal
- Protein
- 7 g
- Carbs
- 32 g
- Fat
- 33 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does sans rival take?
- About 150 minutes in total: 75 minutes to prepare and 75 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 16 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of caster sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
- What can I use instead of sugar?
- Caster sugar, same amount.
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Tiyula itumBlack beef soup
Tiyula itum, 'black soup', is the pride of the Tausug people of Sulu in the far south of the Philippines, cooked for weddings, Eid celebrations and when guests come home. Beef (it is a halal, pork-free dish) is simmered with ginger, lemongrass and turmeric, then darkened with pamapa itum, a paste of grated coconut toasted until almost black and pounded with spices. The broth looks dramatic but tastes smoky, earthy and gently peppery, with heat from chillies. Serve it with plain rice. Chef's tip: toast the coconut slowly, stirring all the time, until it is very dark brown but not ashy; burnt-to-ash coconut tastes bitter and ruins the soup.
Lumpiang sariwaFresh vegetable spring rolls
Lumpiang sariwa ('fresh lumpia') is the unfried cousin of the crisp Filipino spring roll, served at fiestas, family gatherings and as a substantial afternoon merienda around Manila and the Tagalog provinces. A thin, soft egg crepe is wrapped around a lettuce leaf and a warm sauté of sweet potato, jicama, carrot, green beans, cabbage and tofu, then covered in a glossy brown garlic sauce and a shower of crushed peanuts. In Negros the filling is heart of palm (ubod) instead. It is eaten with a knife and fork, or carefully by hand. Chef's tip: make the crepes thin enough that you can almost see light through them; thick ones turn rubbery and hide the filling.
Basque burnt cheesecake
This crustless cheesecake was created in the early 1990s at La Viña, a pintxos bar in the old town of San Sebastián (Donostia) in the Basque Country, and is now famous around the world. It's baked very hot so the top caramelises almost black and the sides rise and crack, while the middle stays soft and creamy, almost runny. There's no base and no water bath, and the rough, rustic look is the point: it's lined with crumpled baking paper. La Viña uses a spoonful of wheat flour; cornflour does the same job and keeps it gluten free. Chef's tip: take it out of the oven while the centre still wobbles like a soft set custard; it firms up as it cools, and if it looks set in the oven, the middle will be dry instead of creamy.
Spanish