Spekkoek – Thousand Layer Cake (Lapis Legit)
Spekkoek is a Dutch-Indonesian layered cake. It’s also known as spekkuk and kue lapis legit. Another name is ‘Thousand Layer Cake’ due to the many layers the cake is made of. I personally think they should also nickname this cake ‘Patience cake’ cause of the time it takes to bake this cake. Depending on the amount of layers you’re creating it can take awhile before you’re finished. A proper spekkoek should have more than 18 layers. Each layer is baked individually by grilling/broiling it. This cake is truly a labor of love. That’s probably why even a small piece is pretty expensive to buy in the shops in the Netherlands.
Where Does Spekkoek Come From?
Spekkoek is a Dutch term and literally translated it means bacon cake. The dark and light layers of cake resemble bacon. The Indonesian name Lapis Legit means sweet layer cake. In English people often call the cake Thousand Layer cake. A special blend of spekkoek spices is used in this cake. The cake was developed during colonial times in the Dutch East Indies.
In the Netherlands we usually see two versions of spekkoek, the traditional brown and yellow layered version and a green version where pandan has been added to the yellow layers to make them green. Come to think of it, I think I’ve seen a chocolate version sold as well. In Indonesia there are many variations of lapis legit, with almonds, cashew nuts, prunes, raisins to name a few, but I haven’t been fortunate enough to taste those yet. (Source: Wikipedia). I based my recipe on a recipe I found in an old Albert Heijn cookbook in my mums cupboard.
How To Make Spekkoek (Thousand Layer Cake)
To make this delicious spekkoek, you’ll need butter, sugar, flour, eggs, spekkoek spice, liquid coffee creamer, vanilla extract and salt. (The full list of ingredients including measurements can be found in the recipe card below.)
First start with separating the egg yolks from the egg whites. Next, cream butter and sugar, add vanilla extract and mix till incorporated and add the egg yolks one at a time until fully incorporated.
In a separate bowl, mix the egg whites till they’re stiff. Fold the egg whites into the butter mixture. Once all of the egg whites are fully incorporated sift flour and salt and fold it in to the butter mixture a little bit at a time.
Keep on adding the sifted flour and salt a little bit at a time till fully incorporated. Next, add the liquid coffee creamer and fold that in until incorporated.
Divide the batter into two equal portions. Add the spekkoek spice to one part and mix till fully incorporated, you’ll end up with a brown and a yellow batter. Take your lined springform and spread on about 2-3 tablespoons of the yellow batter on the bottom.
Make sure you spread the batter evenly. Bake this first layer under the frill for a few minutes. You’ll have to check how long it takes to bake the layer usually about 1-3 minutes, depending on your grill/broiler. Use a cake tester to test if the cake is done. Once the yellow layer is done, take it out of the oven and spread 2-3 tablespoons of the brown batter on the top of the first layer. Bake the second layer under the grill/broiler and spread 2-3 tablespoons of the batter onto the brown layer. Start at the top rack of your oven and as you add more layers move the rack down. This way you ensure that the cake doesn’t just gets grilled/broiled from the top but gets baked on the inside as well.
Keep on repeating the process until all of your batter is finished or until your springform is full. When the last layer is done take the cake out of the oven and cover with aluminum foil for 30 minutes.
If you want, you can trim off the edges to show off the nice layers of the cake.
Spekkoek is served in small slices, a small piece goes a long way.
I love spekkoek and every time I make it I am proud of the result.
| Prep Time | 20 minutes |
| Cook Time | 3 hours |
| Servings |
slices |
- 10 eggs
- 2 1/4 cup butter 500 g
- 2 cups caster sugar 400 g (fine sugar)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour 250 g
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons liquid coffee creamer can be substituted with evaporated milk
- 6 tablespoons spekkoek spice mix
- spring form cake tin 8.6 inch / 22 cm lined with parchment on the bottom
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice to clean the bowl to whip the egg whites in
Ingredients
Spekkoek
Extra tools
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- Line the bottom of your spring form with parchment paper. Clean a bowl with the lemon juice, just wipe it down with a kitchen towel. The lemon juice will remove any fat that's possibly still on the bowl. Use some of the lemon juice to wipe down the whisk you'll be using to whip the egg whites as well.
- Start with separating the egg yolks from the egg whites. Add the egg whites to the cleaned bowl. Next, cream butter and sugar in another bowl, add vanilla extract and mix till incorporated and add the egg yolks one at a time until fully incorporated.
- In a separate bowl (cleaned with the lemon juice), mix the egg whites till they're stiff. Fold the egg whites into the butter mixture. Once all of the egg whites are fully incorporated sift flour and salt and fold it in to the butter mixture a little bit at a time. Keep on adding the sifted flour and salt a little bit at a time till fully incorporated.
- Next, add the liquid coffee creamer and fold that in until incorporated.
- Divide the batter into two equal portions. Add the spekkoek spice to one part and mix till fully incorporated, you'll end up with a brown and a yellow batter.
- Preheat the grill/broiler of your oven to 350 °F / 175 °C.
- Take your lined springform and spread on about 2-3 tablespoons of the yellow batter on the bottom. Make sure you spread the batter evenly. Bake this first layer under the grill/broiler for a few minutes. You'll have to check how long it takes to bake the layer usually about 1-3 minutes, depending on your grill/broiler. Use a cake tester to test if the cake is done. Once the yellow layer is done, take it out of the oven and spread 2-3 tablespoons of the brown batter on the top of the first layer. Bake the second layer under the grill and spread 2-3 tablespoons of the batter onto the brown layer.
- Start at the top rack of your oven and as you add more layers move the rack down. This way you ensure that the cake doesn't just gets grilled/broiled from the top but gets baked on the inside as well. Keep on repeating the process until all of your batter is finished or until your springform is full. When the last layer is done take the cake out of the oven and cover with aluminum foil for 30 minutes.
- If needed, trim off the edges to show off the nice layers of the cake. Serve the spekkoek in small slices.
Please note that the cup measurements in this recipe are approximate. I have added cups for those that prefer using cups. The recipe is most accurate using weights measurements.
- You can make your own Spekkoek Spice Mix using my Spekkoek Spice Mix recipe on the site.
- You can substitute spekkoek spice with pumpkin pie spice.
- Dutch coffee creamer is different from US coffee creamer and can be substituted with evaporated milk
- Stay close to your oven when grilling/broiling the layers of the cake. Each oven is different, some take longer than others. Check every 1-2 minutes to make sure you don't burn your layers.
- Some grills/broilers just don't have degrees but only the ability to choose between 1, 2, 3. In that case, just start at the lowest and only increase the heat if needed.
- Spekkoek is served in small slices.
same here. I tried 4 times and doesn’t work. my oven has broiler and it will shoot up to 450F, it doesn’t limit how hot the oven gets. my layers are always done or burnt, sticks come out clean when checked, then when I cut the center is definitely not done and batter pour down the side of my cake
It’s important that the broiler stays at a consistent heat otherwise it’ll burn on the outside and won’t be done on the inside. You can also try using oven only and not the broiler.
I saw a very interesting recipe on the British Bake Off show recently. A young man made a similar type cake only he layered it with crepes and a very light filling in between. It really was interesting and tasted good according to the judges. Could be something to play around with for you creative bakers.
I lost a very similar recipe that used cream cheese in the middle of all these layers. The cover of the magazine was red with this cake featured and it was either Good Housekeeping or Better Homes and Gardens approximately in 1993-1994. I absolutely loved this cake and would love to have the recipe again. Does anyone have it? I would be so grateful!
I use to make it with condensed milk, instead of coffee creamer . It tasts better.
Worked great!! The cake was a great success at an International students pot luck dinner! I would also add to your recipe to not only make sure the egg white bowl is greasefree, but also to stress that even the smallest drop of egg yolk will prevent the egg whites from whipping. I had a few streaks of yellow in mine, but tried it anyway, and couldn’t figure out why it wasn’t making peaks until I googled it and found out that the smallest drop of egg yolk can mess it up.
Oops haha, my comments wont make sense, as I accidently reviewed the wrong recipe. I used one from TheSpruceEats. Nevertheless, the recipes are quite similar and the warning about the egg yolk drops in the egg whites is still relevant.
haha, no worries, I always welcome tips 🙂
What are you referring to when you say coffee creamer? What % of fat cream? Otherwise, great recipe. Looking forward to making it.
Hi RC,
I usually use a coffee creamer that has a 4% or higher percentage of fat.
@RC, in case you were asking what it actually is, Coffee creamer is a powder which is used to substitute cream or milk. It’s actually mainly made of oil 😛 An example of coffee creamer is Nestle Coffee-Mate. Google it for more info.
Love this site
I’m glad to hear you like it 🙂
In the US the grill setting of the oven is called the broiler. IN case that helps anyone.
Thanks for the additional info. I’ve incorporated it into the text 🙂
I tried this cake and it didn’t cook through just burned the top layer. I cannot set my broiler to 350, do you mean bake at 350?
I ended up doing layer upon layer and the. Baking like a marble cake. I was disappointed. Thanks
Hi Diane,
I’m sorry to hear the cake didn’t work out for you. You do have to bake the cake one layer at a time under the broiler, if you can’t set a temperature you will have to test it out by adjusting the heat start low and increase the heat if it takes too long. Every oven and every broiler is different so the temperature given in recipes are always an estimate. Between ovens there can be a difference in degrees.
Each layer needs to be baked under the broiler separately to get the distinctive look of the thousand layer cake. If the layer cooks too fast, turn down the heat a bit and lower the rack so it’s not that close to the broiler. It only takes a few minutes to broil one layer.
If your oven doesn’t go up to 350 it could mean your oven is set for Celsius not Fahrenheit. Use the Celsius temperature in the recipe and it should work.