Layered with buttercream, this meringue-based Cake Sans Rival finished off with roasted chopped cashews is pure dessert decadence. Follow the ultimate indulgent recipe to make this Filipino cake. It is gone from a table once it is served! No crumbs left!
I heard about the Sans Rival cake from one of my coworkers (she was from the Philippines) a few years ago. She suggested me to try one of the most famous Filipino cakes – Sans Rival.
Well, I wrote down the name of the cake, did some research in the Internet, trying to find the original recipe of Sans Rival cake. I found it, saved it and forgot about the cake for a while. Today is the time for this gorgeous Cake Sans Rival!
History of Sans Rival Cake
Layer Cashew Cake Sans Rival is a Filipino dessert, but it is decidedly French in origin (it is translated as a “cake without rival” from French).
The story behind the cake if that two sisters from Philippine Milagros Leelin-Yee and Clarita Leelin-Go decided to reveal the guarded secret recipe of the cake Sans Rival and published it in the “Goldilocks Bakebook”. The book is full of delicious Filipino recipes!
I am sharing the authentic recipe of Sans Rival cake, although there are different versions of the cake such as Pistachio Sans Rival, Purple yam Sans Rival, etc.
Why Layer Cashew Cake Sans Rival Recipe Works
- Due to richness of the cake, it could easily feed a crowd.
- This cake is loaded with cashews that are rich in vitamins E, K, B-6 along with minerals such as zinc, iron, selenium and copper.
- Adding roasted chopped cashews between cake layers adds additional crunchiness.
How to Make Layer Cashew Cake Sans Rival – Step by Step
Preheat oven to 300 F/150 C. Butter and flour four 8 inch/20 cm cake ring /s. Place prepared rings on a baking sheet layered with the parchment paper.
To make the meringue, mix ground and chopped cashews and all-purpose flour in a bowl and set aside. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar at the medium speed for 1 minute with the use of an electric mixer, gradually adding the sugar. Then switch the mixer to the high speed and continue to beat egg whites for about 4 to 5 minutes until medium peaks form.
Add the flour/nuts mixture to the beaten egg whites (photo 1) and mix with a rubber spatula, until well combined (photo 2).
Equally distribute the preparation into the prepared cake rings and spread evenly, using a small spatula, or just pipe from a pastry bag (photo 3).
Bake the meringue for 50 to 55 minutes or until dry. Once the meringue disks are baked, immediately flip each of them onto another sheet of the parchment paper. Peel off parchment from the bottom and allow to cool (photo 4).
To make the Sansrival icing, beat egg yolks and vanilla extract for about 8 to 10 minutes at high speed, using an electric mixer (photo 5). Bring water and sugar in a heavy bottom saucepan over low heat and cook the sugar syrup up to 240 F/115 C.
Reset the mixer to low speed and gently pour the sugar syrup over the beaten egg yolks and beat (photo 6). Transfer the ready egg yolks/sugar mixture to another bowl, cover with a plastic film and let it cool.
In a separate bowl, beat the softened butter at low speed until smooth. Switch the mixer to medium speed and continue to beat, until volume increases.
Reset the mixer to low speed again and add the cooled egg yolks/sugar mixture. Whisk until the Sansrival icing is smooth (photo 7).
To assemble the cake, place the first meringue disk on a board. Spread the Sansrival icing on the top of the disk. Sprinkle with roasted chopped cashews. Repeat this operation with the remaining three meringue disks and the Sansrival icing. Cover top of the cake and its edges with the icing. Sprinkle with roasted chopped cashews (photo 8).
Expert Tips to Make Layer Cashew Cake Sans Rival
- Use large eggs to make the cake.
- To roast cashews, heat oven to 300 F/150 C and roast nuts on a baking sheet for 15 minutes.
- Do not over beat the meringue: you should reach medium peaks (not the firm ones).
- Make meringue disks one day ahead and store in an airtight container or simply cover them with a kitchen towel. You might choose to bake two meringue disks at a time, using two cake rings.
- Use a cooking thermometer to check the correct temperature of the sugar syrup.
- Take butter out of the fridge 2 hours before making the Sansrival icing. Then cut butter into small cubes to get 1 ½ cup.
- Try to adjust the baking time of your oven. The recommended baking time is 50 to 55 minutes, but it could be less or longer. The ready meringue disks have to be dry.
- Switch cashews with other nuts such as peanuts or pistachios.
More Delicious Cake Recipes You’ll Love
- Plum And Almond Meringue Cake
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- Super Moist & Easy Carrot Cake
- Browse all the Cake Recipes
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Please, note that the recipe was primarily developed using gram measurements for the high precision and then converted to the US volume and weight measurements. I recommend using a kitchen scale for accuracy and the best results.
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Layer Cashew Cake Sans Rival
Layered with buttercream, this meringue-based Cake Sans Rival finished off with roasted chopped cashews is pure dessert decadence. Follow the ultimate indulgent recipe to make this Filipino cake. It is gone from a table once it is served! No crumbs left!
- Total Time: 3 hours
- Yield: 12 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Filipino
Ingredients
For the meringue:
- ¾ cup (95 g) ground cashews
- ½ cup (70 g) chopped cashews
- ¼ cup (30 g) all-purpose flour
- 6 egg whites
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- 1 cup (225 g) granulated sugar
For the Sansrival icing:
- ¾ cup (170 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (55 ml) water
- 6 egg yolks
- ⅛ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (235 g) butter, unsalted
For the decoration:
- 1 ½ cups (105 g) roasted chopped cashews
*Don’t you have the correct baking pan on hand right now? Try this simple Cake Pan Converter!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 F/150 C. Butter and flour four 8-inch/20 cm cake ring /s. Place prepared rings on a baking sheet layered with parchment paper.
-
To make the meringue, mix ground and chopped cashews and all-purpose flour in a bowl and set aside. Beat egg whites with cream of tartar at medium speed for 1 minute using an electric mixer, gradually adding the sugar. Then switch the mixer to the high speed and beat egg whites for about 4 to 5 minutes until medium peaks form. Add flour/nuts mixture to the beaten egg whites and mix with a rubber spatula until well combined.
- Equally, distribute the preparation into the prepared cake rings and spread evenly, using a small spatula, or just pipe from a pastry bag. Bake the meringue for 50 to 55 minutes or until dry. Once the meringue disks are baked, immediately flip each of them onto another parchment paper sheet. Peel off parchment from the bottom and allow it to cool.
- To make Sansrival icing, beat egg yolks and vanilla extract for about 8 to 10 minutes at high speed, using an electric mixer. Bring water and sugar in a heavy bottom saucepan over low heat and cook sugar syrup up to 240 F/115 C. Reset the mixer to low speed and gently pour sugar syrup over the beaten egg yolks and beat. Transfer the ready egg yolks/sugar mixture to another bowl, cover with plastic film and let it cool. In a separate bowl, beat the softened butter at low speed until smooth. Switch the mixer to medium speed and continue to beat until volume increases. Reset the mixer to low speed again and add the cooled egg yolks/sugar mixture. Whisk until the Sansrival icing is smooth.
-
To assemble the cake, place the first meringue disk on a serving board. Spread the Sansrival icing on top of the disk. Sprinkle with roasted chopped cashews. Repeat this operation with the remaining three meringue disks and Sansrival icing. Cover the top of the cake and its edges with icing. Sprinkle with roasted chopped cashews.
Notes
- Use large eggs to make the cake.
- To roast cashews yourself, heat oven to 300 F/150 C and roast nuts on a baking sheet for 15 minutes.
- Do not overbeat the meringue: you should reach medium peaks (not the firm ones).
- Make meringue disks one day ahead and store in an airtight container or simply cover them with a kitchen towel. You might choose to bake two meringue disks at a time, using two cake rings.
- Use a cooking thermometer to check the correct temperature of the sugar syrup.
- Take butter out of the fridge 2 hours before making the Sansrival icing. Then cut butter into small cubes to get 1 ½ cup.
- Try to adjust the baking time of your oven. The recommended baking time is 50 to 55 minutes, but it could be less or longer. The ready meringue disks have to be dry.
- Switch cashews with other nuts such as peanuts or pistachios. To unlock the recipe for Pistachio Sans Rival, join our Club.
Nutrition
- Calories: 436
- Sugar: 30.1 g
- Sodium: 197 mg
- Fat: 31.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 16.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 36.2 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 5.5 g
- Cholesterol: 143 mg
Keywords: sans rival, sans rival cake, sans rival recipe, sansrival goldilocks, Filipino desserts, Filipino dessert recipes
The recipe is taken from http://usa.inquirer.net/. It is re-written by me, but the authorship of the recipe does not belong to me. All posted pictures are mine.
Jamie says
What a gorgeous cake this is! I love all the layers to this cake. I know this would be a hit at my house!
★★★★★
Irina | Baking Like a Chef says
Thank you Jamie! Happy baking and enjoy!
Dannii says
Loving all the layers on this. Anything with cashews is good with me.
★★★★★
Irina | Baking Like a Chef says
Yes, Dannii, this cake is loaded with these tasty nuts!
Danielle says
Wow! This looks and tastes stunning! Thanks for the recipe.
★★★★★
Irina | Baking Like a Chef says
Thank you Danielle!
Sally says
What a beautiful and delicious-sounding cake!!!!!! Can’t wait to make it. Can you please tell me the sweetness level of this cake? I usually cut sugar by about 20% because my family prefers less sweet.
Is this cake on the sweeter side? Would it ruin the structure if I cut sugar?
Irina says
Hi Sally, the cake is sweet, but it is not over-sweet comparing with other desserts I have ever made. Since you are going to make this cake the first time, I would recommend following the recipe word by word to get the same result as mine and to try the authentic taste. 🙂 I agree that sometimes cutting sugar does not affect the baking, but in most cases, sugar is responsible for sweetness and texture. So, I cannot guarantee the same baking result as mine if you cut the sugar in the recipe. Thank you for your interest in the cake recipe and happy baking!
Tisha says
So many layers!!! This cake sounds incredible and the cashews give it the perfect amount of crunch!!
★★★★★
Irina | Baking Like a Chef says
Thank you Tisha. Layered cakes are my weakness:)
estelle @soulandstreusel.com says
This looks so yummy, I love layered cakes!
★★★★★
Irina | Baking Like a Chef says
Thank you Estelle. The same is here: I am in love with layered cakes!:)
Anita says
What a beautiful looking cake. I love all the layers! This is definitely a dessert that will impress any guest, pretty, and really delicious.
★★★★★
Irina Karulina says
Thank you Anita! I remember the first time when I made this cake and brought to celebrate one of our friend’s birthday. The cake was gone within minutes!
Gavin says
The texture and flavour in this cake is just perfect – it’s a must have/eat/make!!
★★★★★
Irina Karulina says
Thank you Gavin. The cake is SO GOOD! It is true!
Sylvie says
I had never heard of a Sans Rival cake but it looks oh so delicious! The meringue layer make it so much lighter than most layer cakes, and the cashews are the perfect crunchy addition 🙂
★★★★★
Irina Karulina says
Sylvie, this cake is so delicious that I would highly recommend to try. You will love it!
Taylor Kiser says
This is a must make dessert! Love those layers! Looks so delicious!
★★★★★
Irina Karulina says
Thank you so much!!!
Shadi says
I tried your recipe last night and loved it! Can’t wait to make it again!
★★★★★
Irina Karulina says
WOW! Shadi, I am so happy to hear that you loved the recipe! Thanks for letting me know.
Katie says
The best flavor, yummy and delicious! It was a hit at our house.
★★★★★
Irina Karulina says
WOW! I am happy to hear that you loved this cake, Katie! Thanks.
Sharon says
What a special cake recipe this is! It would be so good for a family get together or holidays.
★★★★★
Irina Karulina says
Sharon, this cake is a great option to serve for upcoming holidays! Happy baking and enjoy!
Suzy says
I’m so excited to try this! Looks incredibly good and I bet the flavor is perfect! I’m loving the meringue layer!
★★★★★
Irina Karulina says
Suzy, Sans Rival cake is quite different from well known biscuit cakes. You will love it!
Patty at Spoonabilities says
Indeed this cake is pure decadence! It’s a magnificent dessert. I could make this over and over and over!
★★★★★
Irina Karulina says
Thank you Geoffrey! I really appreciate your comment.
Nicole says
This cashew layered cake is so perfect for a holiday treat! Texture combo is incredible!
★★★★★
Irina Karulina says
Nicole, I have already made this cake a few times. It is amazingly delicious! Thanks for your comment.