Indonesian Prune Layer Cake (Prune Lapis Cake)

posted by Celia Lim on Jan 26, 2017 (updated Aug 2, 2023) 16 comments »

4.67 from 21 reviews

This post may contain affiliate links. View our disclosure policy.

Indonesian layer cakes are decadently moist, gloriously buttery and wonderfully aromatic. These layered butter cakes have rich spice-infused flavours often tinged with rum or brandy. Here, these cakes are given a fruity twist by layering dried prunes in between.

Just two days to go to the Lunar New Year, and I’m posting this recipe for an Indonesian prune layer cake at the eleventh hour! Oh, the sin! I know, I know!

indonesian prune layer cake (prune lapis cake)

This post should have come days, if not weeks, sooner, but it’s been sheer craziness at home.

That’s because round about this time every year, I take the ritual of spring cleaning to a whole new level. Dare I say, bordering on obsessive-compulsive?

Which meant something just had to give. Either my obsessive house cleaning or compulsive baking of CNY goodies. The former prevailed. So here I am. Last minute.

Save for Later:Indonesian Prune Layer Cake

Pin this on Pinterest

Layer cakes are a labour of love

Now, if you just happened to still have time to squeeze in one more bake, make it this prune layer cake! In fact, you’ll just need 3 hours or so. An afternoon when you can just hover by the oven and build this beauty, one layer at a time.

It’s a simple and repetitive process, only just soooo time consuming. But, it will be enormously fulfilling when you’ve finished one.

In fact, even if you don’t intend to bake one, just go ahead and pin this recipe right now for next time!

The thing is, I only ever get to bake these layer cakes once a year. With more than two dozen egg yolks, almost two full slabs of butter and generous amounts of sugar, it’s really not an everyday cake.

My family enjoys layer cakes occasionally. Only because we just can’t afford the copious amount of calories from all that fat and sugar.

But we’re talking about Chinese New Year! It’s the time of year when we should gleefully abandon all reservation and caution.

Give in to our wanton cravings, and just enjoy getting caught up in this whirlwind of merry feasting over the next 15 days of this festive period. And after, only to launch furiously into hyper-drive on exercise and diet in the weeks to follow!

You know how these days, you’d have to fork out a tidy sum of money just to get a respectable loaf-size lapis cake. And the prices keep inching up every year! So gifting homemade ones are a lovely thought and gesture.

These layer cakes are such a labour of love that they’re always well received and deeply appreciated. But most of all, because these spice-scented cakes taste so rich, moist and buttery. We’d expect nothing less!

What are Indonesian layer cakes?

Indonesian layer cakes are rich butter cakes made with flour, sugar and loads of egg yolks and butter or margarine. They are customarily flavoured with a spice mix of cinnamon, nutmeg, cardomom, cloves, mace and anise.

These extremely rich butter cakes are baked one layer at a time. It is called spekkoek, kue lapis legit or spekuk, in Indonesian.

It is sometimes referred to as a thousand layer cake, most likely to impress how laborious and time-consuming it is to finish this cake, layer by layer. More commonly, spekkoek is made with over 18 layers.

These layer cakes were created by wives of Dutch administrators during the colonial era in Indonesia. This rich, buttery cake is a Dutch-Indonesian version of the European spit cake or baumkuchen.

Each layer is made by pouring a small amount of cake batter into a baking pan, and then grilled under the top heat of an oven until it is baked golden. The tin is then removed from the oven and the process is repeated, adding layer upon layer, until all the batter is used.

Baking layer cakes: Helpful tips to avoid some common pitfalls

Have all your ingredients at room temperature.

Eggs at room temperature will incorporate more air when whipped, than when cold. Butter should be just softened. It should yield slightly when lightly pressed, but not too soft as to feel oily.

The ideal temperature to have butter at is 19 deg C for optimal creaming. Take your time and be sure to cream till the butter feels light and fluffy on your spatula.

Place cake pan right in the centre of the oven.

If cake pan is placed too far down from the top heat, it will take much longer to brown the layers. The extended grilling may dry out the layers. The layers are fairly thin, so it’ll only take a matter of a couple of minutes to cook. It’s the browning that takes up the extra time.

Brown each layer adequately to a nice golden, even deep brown.

Just be careful not to end up burning it. The darker the toasted tops are, the more vivid the layered pattern will be, and also much more flavourful!

Try to achieve a fairly reasonable thickness for each layer.

Too thin and the layers may run the risk of drying out and browning too quickly. You might even risk burning the layers, unless you’re ready to plomp yourself on a stool right in front of your oven door and watch it like a hawk.

Too thick, and you’ll have less layers to your cake, though that’s totally OKAY. I usually try to aim for anywhere between 10 to 12 layers, or about a 5-mm thickness per layer.

Remember to prick each baked layer with a fork.

Prick in just a few places across the layer. This will help minimise, though not necessarily prevent trapped air from ‘ballooning’. If you see air bubbles forming as the layer bakes in the oven, don’t worry! Just open the oven door, quickly yank out the pan, prick those bubbles with a toothpick, and return it to grill.

Pressing lightly with a lapis press or fondant press.

This also helps to prevent air pockets from building up as you add on each layer. It also helps create a nice and tight pattern. But just don’t apply too much pressure, or else the cake will end up shorter and dense.

Adjust your oven rack, moving it down a level, if necessary, for the last 2 to 3 layers.

That’s because as the layers build up, the top gets closer to the top heating element and will brown very, very quickly!

I’d like to take this opportunity to wish each and everyone of you, my dear readers, a Happy Lunar New Year! May your year be smooth sailing, and be blessed with good health, peace and prosperity!

Here are more awesome butter cake recipes to inspire your next bake:

Save this recipe!