What is Lapis Legit?
Lapis legit is an Indonesian layer cake that was developed during colonial times in the Dutch East Indies. It is the Indonesian version of a European cake called spit cake. In a European spit cake, the cake is baked layer by layer as it rotates on a spit. Luckily you will not need a spit for my version and you can make this in a normal oven. Indonesian lapis legit cake is also often baked with spices like cardamom, cinnamon, clove, mace and anise. This special mix of spices is called spekkoek seasoning. I am omitting these in my recipe.
Lapis legit is very expensive and usually served during the holidays, especially Chinese New Year, Eid, and Christmas. You can also find it given as gifts for birthday parties or weddings. One of my aunts owns a cake shop and sells this cake. So growing up, I was very fortunate that I was able to eat this cake whenever I wanted. You’ll be hard pressed to find this cake for sale in the United States, so this can be a great unique gift or treat.
Lapis Legit with Prunes / Thousand Layer Cake / Spekkoek
Course: DessertCuisine: IndonesianDifficulty: Medium12
servings30
minutes1
hour40
minutesExotic layer cake, very hearty and sweet.
Ingredients
30 egg yolks
400 grams unsalted butter, slightly softened
175 grams sugar
65 grams all purpose flour
50 grams milk powder
100 grams condensed milk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
120 grams prunes, sliced in half and flattened
1 tsp spekkoek spices (optional)
Directions
- Grease the bottom of an 8×8 inch square pan and place a sheet of parchment paper in the bottom of the pan for easy release. Place the pan in the oven and preheat it to 350° F.
- In a stand mixer, beat the high quality butter and condensed milk using a paddle attachment until the butter is light and turns pale. Set aside.
- In another bowl, beat the egg yolks, vanilla extract and sugar until light and airy.
- Gradually add the egg yolk mixture into the butter mixture and beat it at low until just combined.
- Sift the flour, dried milk powder and spekkoek seasoning (optional). Then fold the the dry ingredients into the egg yolk batter until just combined.
- Spoon about 3-5 tablespoons of the batter into the square pan and spread it evenly. This bottom layer should be thicker than the rest since this is the foundation of the cake. Put in the oven for 5 minutes or until it turns golden brown. Remove it from the oven and flatten the cake with fondant smoother. Brush every layer with butter before you pour the batter for the next layer.
- Switch your oven to broil and set it on low heat.
- Pour about 3 tbsp of cake batter and spread it evenly. Bake for about 2.5 minutes or until golden brown. Repeat the process until you finish the cake batter.
- You can add prunes once you have 2-3 layers of cake and repeat it every 2-3 layers. Make sure to add prunes on your very last layer too.
- If you think the cake is not cooked after you have completed adding layers, you can cover the cake with aluminum foil and bake at 350° F for 5-10 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool for about 5 minutes before loosening the edge of the cake with a knife. Then gently take the cake out and let it cool down completely in a cooling rack.
Notes
- Every oven is different so watch that you don’t burn the current layer you are working on.
