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 I try one of the most famous Filipino cakes - Sans Rival.
Well, I wrote down the name of the cake, did some research on the Internet, trying to find the original recipe for 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" in French).
The story behind the cake is that two sisters from the Philippines, 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 the richness of the cake, it could easily feed a crowd.
- This cake is loaded with cashews that are rich in vitamins E, K, and 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 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 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 parchment paper.
Peel off the parchment from the bottom and allow it 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 the 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 the 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 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 for 2 hours before making the Sansrival icing. Then cut butter into small cubes to get 1 ½ cups.
- 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
- Apple And Olive Oil Cake With Maple Icing
- Super Moist & Easy Carrot Cake
- Browse all the Cake Recipes
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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) unsalted butter (cubed and softened)
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!
* If needed, please refer to Baking Conversion Charts.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees F/150 degrees 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 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 the 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 degrees F or 115 degrees 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.
- Beat the softened butter at low speed until smooth in a separate bowl. 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 the oven to 300 degrees F/150 degrees C and roast nuts on a baking sheet for 15 minutes.
- Do not overbeat the meringue: you should reach medium peaks (not 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 for 2 hours before making the Sansrival icing. Then cut butter into small cubes to get 1 ½ cups.
- 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.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- 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 nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.
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.
SoneeVee says
Good instructions. Great recipe!
★★★★★
Irina says
Thanks for coming back to leave a comment! 🙂
Raquel says
Did anyone try this recipe with peanuts? I asked because I have a whole jar of it that I want to utilize before it gets bad.
Irina says
Hello Raquel, the recipe will work! I made this cake so many times, and I used peanuts by mistake once. But, it was absolutely delicious too! Happy baking!
Michelle says
Can I make the cake in advance? How do I store it?
Irina says
Hi Michelle, thanks for your interest in the recipe. The cake can be made in two days, with the first day of baking and making layers. Store them covered with a tea towel at room temperature. The second day should involve assembling the cake pieces together then refrigerating them to stay fresh until serving time on Day 3. Enjoy your delicious creation!
Marianne says
Hi. I am a bit confused with your butter measurement. It says 1 1/2 cup butter (235 g). I weighed the 1 cup of butter, and it's 227 g. If it's 1 1/2 cup, should it be 340 g?
★★★★
Irina says
Hello Marianne, thank you for your interest in the recipe. Yes, you are right that 1 cup of softened butter equals 226 g. I weighed it myself and checked a conversion tool at traditionaloven.com. The original recipe uses cups of cubed and softened butter (not just a softened butter packed into a cup). I have made this recipe many times using cups' measurement but converted cups into the metric system for readers outside of the US. So, I weighed cubed and softened butter from the cup using a kitchen scale. I have just corrected the recipe that the butter is measured as cubed and softened. I am sorry for this inaccuracy. Happy baking!
Kelsi says
Hi, do I need to let the meringue part dry before baking? Like you do with macarons
Irina says
Hello Kelsi, thanks for your interest in the recipe. No, there is no need for this step. Just bake right away. 🙂
Ily says
Did anyone else have an issue with the wax paper completely sticking to the meringue after baking?
Irina says
Hi Ily, I know that wax paper is a very close substitute for parchment paper, but wax paper is not recommended for meringue and dacquoise baking since they tend to stick to wax paper. I have not had complaints from the readers who used parchment indicated in the recipe.
pinkbearhugs says
Hi, can I put the icing in the fridge because it's too liquid to assemble the cake?
Irina says
Hello, the ready icing/buttercream is of the right consistency to assemble the cake. But, if it is too liquid, it is something wrong. Would it help if you whisk a bit longer? Yes, you can try to chill the cream for a bit, but please read the recipe one more time to discover the probable mistake that occurred at what step. Please, let me know then.
Ashley McC says
Maybe I missed this but should I be using salted cashews or unsalted? I don't see salt anywhere else in the recipe, so I just want to make sure. Thanks!
Irina says
Hello Ashley, the recipe calls for unsalted cashews. Happy baking!!
Hazinda says
Our new family favorite! Thanks so much for the great recipe 💖
★★★★★
Irina says
You are very welcome, Hazinda! Please, stay tuned for more recipes!
JB says
I've made this cake two years in a row as my sister has made this her official birthday cake. The cashews between layers of meringue and buttercream is chewy and rich. Thank you for this recipe; my family, especially my sister, truly enjoy it.
★★★★★
Irina says
Thank you so much for making the recipe annually! I am happy to hear that Sans Rival could become an official birthday cake. It's an exciting idea!!
Danica Antonino says
Hi, can I substitute the ground cashews with almond flour?
Irina says
Hi Danica, thanks for your interest in the recipe. In this case, I would suggest replacing ground cashews with ground almonds (almond flour is too fine). And you can use chopped toasted almonds instead of cashews. So you will end up with Almond Sans Rival. 🙂 Happy baking!!
Cathy says
If I am making multiple Sans Rivals at once (for example, five cakes with four layers each), with a limited number of rings at a time (for example, four rings in the oven), can I combine all ingredients in the meringue and buttercream and let it sit at room temp until ready to pop in the oven or ready to decorate icing? Or should I prepare them one at a time?
Irina says
Hello Cathy, it seems a big baking project to make a few Sans Rivals. 🙂 As for the meringue disks, I recommend making four at a time. Then mix another patch of the nut meringue and bake again. As for the buttercream, it is OK to make one batch.
Cathy says
If I want to lower the sweetness level, do I decrease it from the meringue or the icing? Thank you!
Irina says
Since I have never experimented with the sugar level in Sans Rival cake, it is hard to say. But I would definitely leave the sugar amount in the meringue and maybe try to decrease the sugar in the cream. But again, I am not sure if it works. Everything has to be tested. Happy baking, Cathy!
Glen says
Just finished making this and I’m so glad it went really well.😀 I use salted butter instead and it turned out suppeerrr! Thank you.♥️
Irina says
Hello Glen, I am so happy to hear that!!! Thanks for making the recipe and your comment.
Amara says
Hi, does the nut meringue come out the crispy type or chewy? Someone commented that it is chewy. I just wanted to clarify. Thank you for sharing your time and talent!! ☺️
Irina says
Hello Amara, thank you for your interest in the recipe. Yes, this type of nut meringue is called dacquoise, and it is chewy. Happy baking!!