Spekkoek

Spekkoek(Dutch:[ˈspɛkuk];Indonesian:kue lapis legitorspekuk) is a type ofIndonesianlayer cake. It was developed duringcolonialtimes in theDutch East Indies. The firm-texturedcakeis anIndo(Dutch-Indonesian) version of the multi-layered rice cakes that are usually seen in Southeast Asian desserts but using some Dutch ingredients like flour and butter. It contains a mix of Indonesian spices, such ascardamom,cinnamon,clove,maceandanise. The cake is made offlourandyolkand is rich inbutterormargarine.
Spekkoek is popular inIndonesiaand is served as a holiday treat, especially fornatal,imlek, andlebaran.It is also served or given as gifts during many local festivities such as at birthday parties and weddings. In theNetherlands, the sliced cake can be found in most grocery stores and Asian markets (tokos). It is traditionally served for dessert inrijsttafel.It is also a very popular dessert inHadhramout.
TheDutchterm spekkoek translates literally aspork belly(orbacon) cake, a name derived from its appearance of dark and light layers.ItsIndonesianname, lapis legit, means sweet layer cake. Very similar to a mille feuille, the English translation is often given as thousand layer cake, or thousand layer spice cake.
Spekkoek is thought to have been made by the wives of Dutch administrators inBatavia(modern-day Jakarta) during the colonial period and served during eveningtea.
As a spekkoek commonly has more than 18 layers, baking it requires patience and is a very labour-intensive process. Thebatteris mainly made of butter, flour andsugarwith an approximate ratio of 1:1:2. Each layer is made by pouring a small amount of batter into a baking tin, which is then put into an oven andgrilledfrom above until the layer has turned golden from the heat. The tin is then removed from the oven and the process repeated to build up the remaining layers.Dutch ovenswith acharcoalfire on top of the lid are said to produce the best results, whileelectric ovensare superior togas ovensas cakes bake much faster in the former.
Where clove buds or cardamom seeds are difficult to find, bakers can use spekkoek powder as a replacement.Millingand mixing the spices right before baking produces a cake with an excellent aroma. The ground spices must be sieved into the flour at least three times as the spice powder is very fine and tends to clump in the batter. In Indonesia, there are many varieties oflapis legit, including cakes containingalmonds,cashew nuts,cheese,prunesorraisins, and even cakes flavoured withchocolateandpandan.
Due to the effort required to bake the cake, it is a rather expensive delicacy, costing about€20 per kilogram in 2010 in the Netherlands.In Indonesia, a similar-sizedlapis legitcan cost up toRp400,000 (about €12.50).
Generally, a typical lapis legit cake is sold in a square pan (approx 20x20x6) and costs at least Rp 350,000 for a home-made, and up to Rp 900,000 for a special made (commercialised).
InMalang,East Java,kue lapis malangorspiku malangrefers to a two-layered cake, prepared using a different technique. Two batter mixes are prepared, one with naturally produced yellow colour, the other mixed with cocoa powder to produce a dark brown colour. The batter mixes are poured into two different baking tin and baked in the oven. To assemble, the cake is layered on top of the other with a thin layer of fruit jam in between. Similarly inSurabaya,kue lapis surabayaorspiku surabayarefers to a three-layered cake, prepared using a similar technique to spiku malang. Thekue lapis surabayais commonly used to make abirthday cakeandwedding cakein Indonesia.
Lapis legit is similar to traditional Indonesiankue lapis, the difference being that lapis legit is a puffy layered cake, made of flour and isbaked, whilekue lapisis a moist layeredpudding, made ofrice flourandsago, and issteamed.
Lapis legit has also spread to Malaysia. A form developed inSarawakis called theSarawak layer cakeorkek lapis Sarawakwhich has greater colour and flavour variations.