With layers of chewy cashew meringue and luscious French buttercream, this Filipino Sans Rival Cake definitely stands up to its name. Meaning "without rival," it's hard to find a more delicious cake than this!
Even if you've made your share of meringue and layer cakes, I am not kidding when I say that this cake truly is unbeatable and unique. This Sans Rival Cake gets mega crunch from roasted cashews that are paired with the silkiest French buttercream.
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What is Sans Rival Cake Made Of?
I’d hardly call the layers “cake” in the traditional butter, eggs, sugar, and flour kind of way. And that’s okay! You will love the addition of toasted cashews to the meringue layers. They’re chewy, crunchy, and delightful! (they’re also gluten free!)
Oh the frosting! French buttercream is heaven on a spoon. Where Swiss meringue buttercream is made with egg whites, French is made with egg yolks and loads of butter, it is luxurious and decadent with a custard-like, vanilla flavor.
After whipping, French buttercream is still somehow light and silky. Add vanilla bean paste along with a heavy pinch of salt for the best flavor.
Read here to learn how to make the Perfect French Meringue.
Where Did Sans Rival Cake Originate?
While the pastry techniques and name are French, the cake is decidedly Filipino. You can trace back the recipe to the Philippines during the 1920-30’s, but the origins have been disputed.
Some say that the Filipino cake was created after many Filipinos traveled to Europe to work and study around that time. The cake is undoubtedly similar to the French dacquoise. Instead of hazelnuts, the Sans Rival is made with cashews native to the Philippines.
It makes sense that these French cooking techniques would be employed using local ingredients after returning back to the Philippines. However, another journalist claims the dessert took inspiration from the Spanish Tarta Imperial Rusa that has Russian roots - also made with French meringue and ground nuts.
Ingredients in Filipino Sans Rival Cake
- Cashews - you can buy these whole or in pieces. They will be toasted then half ground and half chopped.
- Large eggs - the meringue uses the egg whites while the buttercream uses the yolks - a perfect match!
- Granulated sugar - superfine sugar for the meringue would work too, but it's not necessary.
- Cream of tartar - this acidic ingredient helps strengthen and stabilize whipped egg whites
- Salt - I recommend Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Unsalted butter - butter should be soft but not greasy or melted before heading into the buttercream
- Vanilla bean paste - the vanilla bean seeds really make this frosting so special, but pure vanilla extract is totally fine.
Tools and Equipment
Here are the tools you need to bake and assemble a the best Sans Rival Cake recipe:
- Rimmed baking sheet
- Food processor
- Stand mixer
- Large rubber spatula or metal spoon for folding
- Piping bag
- Saucepan
- Candy thermometer
- Rotating cake stand (helpful)
- General kitchen tools (measuring cups, spoons, offset spatulas)
Steps for Making a Filipino Sans Rival Cake
- Roast the cashews - First, bake the cashews in the oven until lightly toasted; cool.
- Make the meringue - add the sugar to the eggs whites very slowly while whipping.
- Grind the cashews - put some of the toasted cashews in a food processor and grind into small pieces
- Fold the cashew meringue - use a large rubber spatula to fold together the ground cashews and whipped egg whites.
- Bake - pipe the meringue into large disks and bake low and slow.
- Make the French buttercream - cook the sugar syrup before adding to whipped egg yolks. Add butter and mix until silky.
- Assemble the cake - spread thin layers of French buttercream between the baked meringue disks
- Rest in the refrigerator - Lastly, chill for at least a couple hours to soften the meringue cakes and allow the flavors the meld together.
- Eat!
Variations
Pistachio Sans Rival - swap pistachios for the cashews for a stunning green variation.
Silvanas - these meringue pastries are like mini sandwich cookie versions of a Sans Rival Cake rolled in graham cracker crumbs.
Serving and Storage
- Chilling the cake before serving allows all the textures to meld together. The buttercream softens the meringue layers just slightly. Don’t worry, they will be pleasantly chewy with some crunch even a few days later.
- Store the Sans Rival cake in the refrigerator and enjoy within about 3 days of assembling.
- Store in the freezer for a crunchier bite. Let me know if you’d tried it this way!
Tips for Making Meringue
It is important to start with a great meringue made from whipped egg whites and sugar. Stick to these key pointers to make sure the sugar is dissolved and the meringue is strong and won't deflate when folding:
First, make sure the eggs and equipment are free from fat and grease. This means no drips of egg yolks or residual grease left in the mixing bowl or on the whisk.
Start mixing the egg whites on low speed until tons of tiny bubbles form before adding in the sugar. From there, gradually increase the speed of the mixer while slowly adding in the sugar, a tablespoon at a time.
After the sugar is added, whip the egg whites on medium-high speed until they form a meringue that hold stiff, glossy peaks.
Adding an acid like cream of tartar, as well as lemon juice, or vinegar, helps strengthen and stretch the proteins in the egg whites to create a more stable meringue.
Lastly, make big, deliberate folds to combine the meringue with ground cashes. At this time, you do not want to stir or the meringue will deflate.
Sans Rival Cake Recipe FAQs
Sans Rival Cake is made with multiple layers of baked cashew meringue and French buttercream. The whole cake is covered with chopped toasted cashews.
Sans Rival Cake originated in the Philippines in the 1920-30's. The recipe uses French pasty techniques along with cashews native to the Philippines.
Store Sans Rival Cake in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Recipe
Recipe
Sans Rival Cake
Ingredients
For the Cashew Meringues
- 4 ⅓ cups (500g) cashews divided
- 8 large egg whites
- 1 ½ cups (300g) granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
- pinch salt
For the French Buttercream
- 1 ¼ cups (250g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (60ml) water
- 8 egg yolks
- 1 ½ cups (340g) unsalted butter softened
- 2 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract
- pinch salt
Instructions
Make the Cashew Meringues
- Preheat the oven to 300°F. Place cashews on a rimmed baking sheet and toast until golden, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. You will know when they are done when they smell nutty and roasted. Remove from the oven.
- In the meantime, make a template for the meringue disks. Make five, 8-inch round circles by tracing an 8-inch cake pan on a piece of parchment paper. Flip the parchment so that the ink/pencil is on the bottom and line 3 baking sheets. You should be able to fit two 8-inch rounds on one half sheet. Set aside.
- Divide the nuts in half, placing 250g in a food processor. Pulse to grind. The ground nuts should be smaller than gravel but larger than almond meal or nut flour. It’s okay if there are some larger pieces, like a pea, and some sandy bits. Set aside to cool completely.
- Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Begin whipping on low speed until small bubbles form and the mix turns opaque. Over the next minute or two, slowly add in the sugar and cream of tartar while gradually increasing the speed to medium-high.
- Continue to whip on medium-high speed until the meringue holds stiff, glossy peaks.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer. Add about a third of the ground cashews along with a pinch of salt. Use a large rubber spatula to fold the nuts into the meringue. Add another third and keep folding, taking care not to deflate the meringue. Add the last third, and fold until combined.
- Grab a large piping bag with a large-ish opening (½ to 1-inch) and fill with the cashew meringue. Starting in the center, pipe the meringue in large spirals to fill the traced circles on the parchment paper. It’s okay if they aren’t perfect at first and better to err on the smaller/thinner side, as to not run out by the time you get to the 5th circle.
- After the meringue is mostly piped out, go back and evenly spread the meringue circles with an offset spatula, evenly distributing any of the remaining meringue.
- Bake the meringue disks for 40 to 50 minutes, quickly rotating halfway through. When done, the meringues will be slightly browned and dry to the touch.
- Remove the baking sheets from the oven and allow to cool for about 15 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. Gently flip the meringues over and peel the parchment paper off their backs. Set aside until ready to assemble.
To Make the French Buttercream
- Place the sugar and water in a medium saucepan. Swirl to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until it reaches 238°F on a candy thermometer.
- Meanwhile, place the egg yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Whip the egg yolks on high until pale in color and doubled in volume, 2 to 3 minutes.
- When the sugar mixture is ready, turn the mixer to low speed and carefully stream in the boiling sugar into the mixing egg yolks. Once added, turn the mixer back up to high speed. Continue mixing the egg mixture until the outside of the bowl cools to room temperature and no heat is escaping out of the top of the bowl. The mixture will not hold stiff peaks like a meringue made with egg whites.
- With the mixer running on medium-low speed, begin adding in the butter, a couple tablespoons at a time. When done, stop the mixer and swap out the whisk for the paddle attachment.
- Add the vanilla and salt. Mix the buttercream on medium-high speed until smooth and creamy.
To Assemble
- Chop the remaining toasted cashews and set aside.
- Stack the cooled meringue disks and gently trim the edges with a serrated knife so that they are all relatively round and the same size/shape.
- Dab a bit of buttercream on a cake board or serving dish. Place one meringue disk on top and gently press down to secure. Dollop ½ cup buttercream on top and spread to the edges with an offset spatula. It will be a rather thin layer of buttercream.
- Top with the next meringue disk and repeat. Add the last meringue disk on top, flipped upside down so that the flat bottom is the very top of the cake. Frost the cake with the remaining buttercream, giving the top a swirl, if desired.
- It is okay if there is not enough buttercream to completely cover the sides of the cake. Press the chopped cashews all around the sides of the cake.
- Chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve, preferably a couple hours later or the next day.
Notes
- Chilling the cake before serving allows all the textures to meld together. The buttercream softens the meringue layers just slightly. Don’t worry, they will be pleasantly chewy with some crunch even a few days later.
- Unlike Swiss meringue buttercream, I am okay with serving French buttercream with a little chill from the fridge. It helps make for a cleaner slice, too.
- Store the Sans Rival cake in the refrigerator and enjoy within about 3 days of assembling.
- I read that it can also be stored in the freezer for a crunchier bite. Let me know if you’d tried it this way!
Selina
Best sans rival cake recipe I’ve found on the internet. So delicious and easy to make. I’ll be baking this again for my Filipino relatives again next week!
Leo
So delicious. Sans rival is such a unique cake and I intend to make this over and over again.
Jess
I'd never had a Sans Rival cake before and this cake blew my mind. It was so tasty and unlike any cake I've ever eaten. SO GOOD
Akshat kumar
really easy and really tasty.
Can I add banana on it?
stylesweet
Hi! Thank you! You could, but I always recommend serving anything with fresh banana slices within 2 day.
sasha d
i loved this recipe so much I love a good sans rival
Jimmy Boberg
Incredibly tasty. The texture is divine. I ate far too much by myself lol
lupita
really easy and really tasty
Cora
I love Sans Rival cake. I was very excited to try this recipe and it was so good! A bit fussy for really only two ingredients. But will make again for special occasions.
Chloe Lopez
Was so excited to try this recipe. We used to get these for family birthdays. So good! I was nervous about the meringue but it really worked!
Ashley
Really love this recipe, a note that for making the French buttercream you have one step listed twice. My guess was the first step was supposed to be whipping up the egg yolks first, but only because I have done French buttercream before.
stylesweet
Thanks for the note! Glad you enjoy the recipe. Will take a look at those yolks... Appreciate it!