Pistachio Sans Rival

Pistachio Sans Rival is a nutty twist on a classic Filipino cake Sans Rival. Made with pistachio dacquoise stacked with rich French buttercream and generously sprinkled with crunchy pistachios, it is the most beautiful Filipino dessert cake.

"This cake tastes as good as it looks," said one of the readers. So, after making cashew Sans Rival, I decided to twist it with a new cake - pistachio Sans Rival.

It is made as a multilayered cake, with meringue layers upon layers of deliciousness. It starts with a signature dacquoise base, which is light and crispy.

Then the French buttercream (aka Sansrival icing) brings an extra creamy texture.

Finally, the cake is topped off with chopped pistachio nuts so that every bite will be full of rich flavor.

This Filipino dessert has all the ingredients needed to become your new favorite.

So you are invited to try the best Sans Rival you have ever had. It is so beautiful - not to mention that it tastes delicious too.

And there is no need to travel to the Philippines to try the authentic Sans Rival where it is served in many cafes, coffee shops, and bakeshops (Goldilocks, Contis).

Since the 1920s and 1930s, when cashew Sans Rival was probably invented, silvanas (a cookie version of the Sans rival) and other cake variations were created.

Here is pistachio Sans Rival, macadamia Sans Rival, coffee Sans Rival, matcha Sans Rival, toffee Sans Rival, ube Sans Rival (also known as purple yam Sans Rival cake), mango Sans Rival, graham Sans Rival... What's next?

If two sisters from the Philippines who first published the Sans Rival recipe in the "Goldilocks Bakebook" knew that the cake recipe would be twisted in so many ways, they would be delighted!

Jump to:

• Why you should try this recipe
• Ingredients
• How to make pistachio Sans Rival
• Recipe variations
• Storage instructions
• Expert tips
• Frequently asked questions
• Love dacquoise cakes? Try these next!
• Need to adjust your baking pan size?
• Recipe card
• Comments

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Why you should try this recipe

1. This cake is a beautiful balance of creaminess and crunch.
2. It is perfect for special occasions like birthdays or other celebrations.
3. The pistachio Sans Rival recipe is easy enough to make if you follow the step-by-step recipe below.

Ingredients

Here is a quick overview of what ingredients you will need. Follow the full recipe below for exact amounts and instructions. I recommend making the recipe as written for the best results.

Large eggs: use an egg separator to separate the raw egg whites from the yolks. It is easier to perform while the eggs are chilled. Then bring both to room temperature.

Cream of tartar: it stabilizes egg whites while whisking. You can replace it with lemon juice or white vinegar. For every ½ teaspoon of cream of tartar, use one teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice.

Sugar: the recipe calls for white sugar: caster sugar or superfine baker's sugar. You can make it yourself if you process granulated sugar in a food processor for a few seconds.

Pistachios: use raw pistachios and toast some of them to decorate the cake (the instructions are below).

Butter: use unsalted butter softened at room temperature. If you measure the butter with cups, first cut it softened into small cubes, then measure.

Dark rum: it brings a beautiful flavor to the buttercream.

How to make pistachio Sans Rival

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F/150 degrees C. Place 1 ¼ cup or 125 g pistachios on a baking sheet and bring them to the oven to toast for 15 minutes. Let the nuts cool, chop and set aside for the decoration.

Decrease oven temperature to 275 degrees F/135 degrees C. Place four 8 inches/20 cm cake rings on a baking sheet layered with parchment.

To make pistachio dacquoise, place egg whites with cream of tartar in the bowl a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.

Beat egg whites at medium speed for 1 minute, gradually adding sugar until soft peaks.

Next, switch the mixer to high speed and whisk the meringue for about 4 to 5 minutes until stiff peaks.

Add chopped raw pistachios and gently mix with a rubber spatula until just combined.

Divide meringue preparation equally into the prepared cake rings and spread evenly with a small spatula.

Instead, you can pipe the pistachio mixture as a spiral using a pastry bag fitted with Ateco plain pastry tip 809.

Bake for 1 hour or until lightly golden brown.

Let cool for 5 minutes, use a small knife to release the edges of the dacquoise discs, and remove the cake rings.

Then flip each of the discs onto another sheet of parchment paper. Finally, peel off the parchment from the bottom and allow it to cool completely.

To make the buttercream, whip egg yolks at high speed, using an electric mixer or stand mixer until pale and doubled in volume, for about 8 to 10 minutes.

Bring water and sugar in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat and cook sugar syrup up to 240 degrees F/115 degrees C.

Use a cooking thermometer (aka candy thermometer) to check the temperature.

Reset the mixer to low speed, and while whisking, pour the hot sugar syrup in thin streams into the beaten egg yolks and beat until the preparation cools down, for about 4 minutes.

Beat the softened butter at low speed until smooth in a separate mixing bowl.

Increase speed to medium, add the egg yolk/sugar mixture, and then dark rum. Beat until smooth and creamy.

To assemble the cake, place a cake board on a flat surface and dot a little bit of the buttercream filling in the center of the board.

Then, place the first dacquoise disc on the board and gently press to fix it. Spread buttercream on the top of the disc. Sprinkle with chopped pistachios.

Repeat the process with the remaining three discs and the buttercream. Cover the top and sides of the torte with the remaining buttercream using a bent spatula.

Sprinkle it all over with chopped toasted pistachios. Refrigerate overnight.

Recipe variations

The original recipe for Filipino Sans Rival is made with cashew nuts. This pistachio Sans Rival is a twist on a classic produced by swapping cashews out for pistachios.

To vary the pleasures, I advise changing the nutty flavors. For example, you can use your favorite nuts, such as peanuts or almonds, to make peanut or almond cake variations.

As for decoration, the cake may be left plain (just covered with buttercream) or garnished with nuts. You can sprinkle chopped nuts over the cake or just coat the sides.

Finally, if you want to make a smaller (mini Sans Rival) or bigger round cake, square or rectangle cake, recalculate amounts of ingredients using this simple Cake Pan Converter.

Storage instructions

Store pistachio Sans Rival cake refrigerated for up to 3 days. It is better to use an airtight container since the buttercream tends to absorb the smells in the fridge.

You can freeze the cake well wrapped for up to 1 week. To thaw, bring the cake to the refrigerator overnight. To serve, let it stay at room temperature for 30 minutes.

As per chef Jill Sandique,

You want it chewy, keep it in the fridge. Want it crunchy, keep it in the freezer.

Expert tips

1. If you don't have cake rings, you can make them yourself. For this easy DIY project, watch the video on the recipe for cashew Sans Rival.
2. Do not over mix the dacquoise mixture when you add chopped nuts. Mix to combine.
3. If you have only two cake rings, you will need to make the dacquoise twice (half and half) and bake two discs at a time.
4. Bake dacquoise one day in advance and store in an airtight container or simply cover them with a tea towel.
5. Bring the cake to the counter 30 minutes before serving for the buttercream to soften. The dessert tastes best at room temperature.

Frequently asked questions

Love dacquoise cakes? Try these next!

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Recipe card

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 was adapted from Heny Sison's recipe for pistachio Sans Rival.