Spicy Indonesian Spices

The world-loved and comforting spices of Indonesia, in a cake.

All the most memorable times coziness, laughter and happiness most often have smells attached to them.  For me, those smells are smells full of spices.  You might even feel that some of these spices are the same for you.  What you might not have known is that many of those spices are spices from the Indonesian islands, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla…mmm!

Indonesian baked goods, as in baking in the Western part of the world knows it, are very different texturally and procedurally.  Most “baked” goods are actually steamed.  It isn’t common for the average Indonesian home to have a gas or electric oven.  While I wanted to stay true to my ancestral flavors, I wanted to use my oven.  This recipe is a combination of techniques, but full of the love of Indonesia.

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I hope you try out this recipe, and if you do tag me in a photo, I would love to see how this creation worked for you.  From the heart of my kitchen to yours, my created version of the Indonesian – Spekkuk.

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[Link to video uploaded here]

Spekkuk

Ingredients

2 cups (8 ¼ ounces/235 grams) sifted cake flour, plus more for dusting

½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

4 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Pinch of kosher salt

1 ½ cups (12 ounces/340 grams) unsalted butter (3 sticks), at room temperature, plus more for greasing

1 2/3 cups (13 ounces/370 grams) granulated sugar

4 large eggs, at room temperature

3 large egg yolks, at room temperature, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 tablespoon powdered sugar (optional)

Instructions

Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Grease and lightly flour a 9-inch (23-centimeter) tube pan/spring form pan with 3 ½ inch (9-centimeter) sides (or, my preference, use a nonstick pan of the same size but don’t grease and flour it).

Sift the flour, then resift the sifted flour with the other dry ingredients: baking powder, nutmeg, clove, cinnamon, and salt.

In another bowl, using an electric mixer on high speed, beat the butter until it’s soft and very pliant, about 1 minute. Gradually add the granulated sugar and beat on high speed until the mixture is pale and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes.

One at a time, add the 4 whole eggs and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture in 3 equal parts, beating on low speed until the batter is smooth and the flour is well combined with the butter mixture.

Add the lightly beaten egg yolks and vanilla and continue to beat or stir until they’re well mixed into the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the surface. Place on the middle oven rack and bake until a toothpick inserted into the thickest part of the cake comes out clean, about 1 hour (though I’d recommend checking it after 45 minutes).

Remove the pan from the oven and let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes. If necessary, carefully run a thin knife around the perimeter and the inner rim of the cake to help loosen it from the pan. Invert the pan onto the rack and lift it off of the cake. Turn the cake right side up and let it cool on the rack.

Transfer the cake to a serving platter. Using a fine-mesh sieve, dust the top with the powdered sugar, if desired.