Sans Rival is a three-layered cake popular in the Philippines, prepared using French buttercream, meringue and chopped cashews. Three different layers of cashew nut meringue are sandwiched together with buttercream. It is then coated with the leftover buttercream and chopped cashews are sprinkled on top.
There is also a snack version of the dish which is popularly called Silvana or Sylvana. Silvanas are basically frozen cookie sandwiches which are prepared by sandwiching a thick layer of butter cream between two cashew-meringue wafers and it is coated with cashew crumbs.
Origin & Cultural Significance
The name Sans Rival means without rival in French. Sans Rival has its origins in France where the cake is traditionally prepared using either hazelnut or almond meringue.
It is believed that Sans Rival originated somewhere between the 1920s and 1930s. During this period, many Filipinos moved to Europe to study and upon returning to their home country they began to use some of the cooking and patisserie methods that they learned in France.
Filipino Sans Rival Recipe
Sans Rival is a three-layered cake popular in the Philippines, prepared using French buttercream, meringue and chopped cashews.
Ingredients
For Meringue:
- Egg whites - 6
- Finely chopped cashew nuts - 1 ½ cup (210g)
- Sugar - 3/4 cup (150g)
- Vanilla - 1 tsp
For French Buttercream:
- Sugar - 1 cup (200g)
- Butter - 1/2 lb (225g)
- Water - 1/3 cup (160 ml)
- Rum - 2 tbsp
- Eggs yolks - 6
- Chopped cashew nuts (for decoration)
Instructions
- Begin by preparing the meringue. For that, first, take egg whites and start beating them. Keep beating until soft peaks form. Slowly add sugar and beat well after each addition. Make sure that the sugar is mixed properly. Keep beating until the egg whites become rigid. Now, at this point, take cashew nuts and vanilla and fold them in.
- Next, take three 18x15-inch (45x38 cm) cooking sheets and make sure they’re greased and floured properly. Thinly spread the mixture on it. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C) and bake until golden brown. This
should take approximately 20 minutes. Once baked, shift the meringues from the baking sheets to a flat surface and allow them to cool down. - Now for the French buttercream, take a medium-sized saucepan and add water and sugar in it. Boil until a syrup-like consistency is formed. Side by side, take the egg yolks and beat them until they become thick.
- Now, take the hot sugar syrup and pour it into the beaten egg yolk bowl in thin streams. Remember to keep beating constantly while pouring the syrup. Once done, keep it aside to cool.
- Take the butter and cream it. Add it to the prepared egg yolk mixture. Also add rum to it. Make sure all the ingredients are combined properly.
- It’s time to assemble the cake. Start by coating every meringue layer with cream and place them one on top of the other. Once done, gently spread cream on the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle chopped cashew nuts. Chill and serve.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 558Total Fat: 36gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 17gCholesterol: 107mgSodium: 400mgCarbohydrates: 53gFiber: 1gSugar: 45gProtein: 8g