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1
Butter the Tin and Cream the Butter
10 Mins • Hands On
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Grease a 20 cm round tin with the 10 g of butter, line the base with parchment and dust the sides lightly with the 5 g of flour. Beat the 300 g of softened butter in a large bowl until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Butter that is too cold will not cream — it should dent easily with a finger but still hold its shape.
Done when: Butter is pale, fluffy and doubled in volume.
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2
Whisk the Yolks, Whites and Sugar
10 Mins • Hands On
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
In a second large bowl, whisk the 10 egg yolks and 5 egg whites with the 300 g of sugar, the vanilla extract and the salt until pale, thick and doubled in volume, about 5 minutes. Fold the creamed butter into the egg mixture gently until just combined.
Whisk until the mixture falls from the whisk in a thick ribbon that holds its shape for a second — that air is what keeps the thin layers from turning tough.
Done when: Mixture is pale, thick and ribbon-like.
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3
Fold in the Flour and Split the Batter
5 Mins • Hands On
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Sift the 200 g of flour over the batter in two batches, folding gently after each one until no dry flour shows. Divide the batter equally between two bowls. Stir the cinnamon, clove, mace and anise into one bowl — that is the spiced batter; the other stays plain.
Fold, do not stir: cut down the middle of the bowl and lift the batter over itself, or the layers will bake flat and dense.
Done when: Two smooth batters, one plain and one warm brown with spice.
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4
Grill the First Layer
5 Mins • Hands On
Grill (broiler) 220°C (425°F)
Heat the grill to 220°C (425°F) with the rack about 10 cm below the element. Spoon 3–4 tablespoons of the plain batter into the tin and spread it in a thin, even layer with the back of the spoon. Grill for 3–4 minutes until golden and fully set, with no wet batter in the middle.
Spread the batter right to the edges — a thin spot browns first and a thick spot stays raw.
Done when: First layer is golden all over and firm to the touch.
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5
Build the Layers, One by One
70 Mins • Hands On
Grill (broiler) 220°C (425°F)
Spoon 3–4 tablespoons of the spiced batter over the first layer, spread it thin and grill for 3–4 minutes until golden and set. Keep alternating plain and spiced batter — 9 layers of each, 18 in total — grilling each layer fully before adding the next. After every 4 layers, lay a sheet of parchment on the cake, press firmly with the back of a spoon, remove the paper and brush the surface lightly with melted butter. Each thin layer grills well past 74°C (165°F), so the eggs are cooked through.
Patience is the whole technique: if the layer below is still soft when the next batter goes on, the two layers blend and the stripes disappear. Never rush a layer.
Done when: 18 distinct layers, alternating cream and brown, each fully set before the next was added.
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6
Cool, Release and Slice
20 Mins • Hands On + Cooling
Cool to room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Leave the cake in the tin for 20 minutes, then run a knife around the edge and turn it out onto a rack to cool completely. Cut thin slices with a sharp, dry knife, wiping the blade between cuts so the layers stay clean.
The cake tastes best the next day, once the spice has settled into the butter — wrap it tightly and wait if you can.
Done when: Cake is firm and cool, and each thin slice shows clean alternating layers.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Leave the cake in the tin until completely cool, then turn it out and cut thin slices with a sharp, dry knife. Serve at room temperature with black coffee — the cake tastes best the next day, once the spice has settled into the butter.
Netherlands
45m
