Meike’s Spekkoek

‘My father often travelled with work to Holland, and from the first time he brought back this delicious legacy of the former Dutch East Indies, I was hooked. I remember sneaking thin slivers of this expensive treat with my brother and peeling apart the firmish layers to make the joy last longer. It’s less complicated to make than it looks, but it does take time. So I urge you to relax into the joyful rhythm of creating the layers so you, too, can share the bliss of sneaking a sliver!’

Hands-on time 50min, plus cooling. Cooking time about 35min. Serves 20

FOR THE SPICE MIX  2tsp ground cinnamon  1tsp ground ginger  1tsp ground cardamom, from about 12 fat green pods  ½tsp ground nutmeg  ¼tsp ground cloves FOR THE CAKE  250g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease  250g caster sugar  8 medium eggs, separated  200g plain flour  Icing sugar, to dust TO BRUSH  75g unsalted butter, melted

1 In a small bowl, mix the spice mix ingredients and set aside. Preheat grill

to medium-high. Grease a 20.5cm round springform tin and line the base with baking parchment.

2 For the cake, in a large bowl, using a handheld electric whisk, beat butter and half the sugar until pale and fluffy. Gradually beat in egg yolks, whisking well after each addition. Using a large metal spoon, fold in flour (mix will be fairly stiff).

3 With clean beaters and in a separate bowl, whisk egg whites until they hold stiff peaks. Gradually beat in remaining sugar until meringue is stiff and shiny. Thoroughly mix a large spoonful of the meringue into the butter mixture to loosen it, then fold in the remaining whites in 2 batches. Spoon half the mixture into a separate bowl (weigh for best results), and fold the spice mixture into this bowl.

4 Spread a thin layer of the plain mixture (about 3tbsp) into the base of the prepared tin, spreading to an even layer with the back of a cutlery spoon. Put on rack so the top of the cake tin is about 7.5-10cm under the grill. Grill for 1½-3min, or until the cake layer is just cooked and very lightly golden (keep checking it). Brush cake (not sides of tin) with melted butter. Repeat layer, grilling and brushing, alternating the mixtures (you should end up with about 12 layers, but it doesn’t matter if there are more or less).

5 Cool completely in the tin before transferring to a cake stand, dusting with icing sugar and serving in thin slices. PER SERVING 234cals, 4g protein, 15g fat (9g saturates), 20g carbs (13g total sugars), <1g fibre TO STORE This cake keeps well, and gets better with a little age. Keep well wrapped in clingfilm and store at room temperature for up to 7 days.