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Lapis Surabaya – Layer Cake

Lapis Surabaya is a traditional butter cake dating back to the Dutch colonial era. It features three moist, fluffy layers, held together with strawberry jam. The layers are baked separately and assembled with jam or buttercream. Its rich texture and unique flavor make it a favorite for special occasions like Idul Fitri, Chinese New Year, and Christmas.

photo of lapis surabaya slices on glass plate.

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Lapis Surabaya

Lapis Surabaya is a rich, buttery Indonesian cake with three layers—two yellow and one chocolate. Originating from the Dutch colonial era, it’s also known as ‘spiku,’ derived from the Dutch word ‘spekoek,’ meaning layer cake. Despite the name, it contains no pork fat; the term refers to its layered appearance.

Popular in Surabaya, ‘Spiku’ is considered a symbol of good luck, especially during Chinese New Year, similar to Lapis Legit, which also represents luck with its multiple thin layers.

Why You Will Love This Recipe


  • Soft and moist – This recipe calls for lots of egg yolks and butter, which makes the cafe super soft and moist.
  • Simple ingredients – The ingredients are all very simple, they only consists of three groups: eggs, sugar, flour, and butter.
  • Great for special occassions – This classic and elegant dessert that represents prosperity is perfect for special occasions and is sure to impress your guests! 
  • Allows for variations – You can use your favorite fruit jam to stick the three layers together. Buttercream, peanut butter, or Nutella can be great options, too.

Recipe Ingredients

a photo of lapis surabaya ingredients.

Ingredient Notes

Eggs – Use organic, omega or range chicken eggs. You will be using the egg yolks mostly. Do not discard the egg whites. Keep it in a closed container in the fridge. You can use it to make other good bakery products, like Cat Tongue Cookies (Lidah Kucing).

Butter – The more premium the butter, the better the outcome. If you have been baking for some time, you must know which brand is the best in your area.

Indonesians are really excited about Wijsman butter, and it’s the top choice for making Lapis Surabaya cake. For the best results, mix it with another brand of unsalted butter in a 6:4 ratio, with Wijsman being the majority. Most premium baking recipes use this brand, and it never disappoints.

Confectionery sugar – Confectionery sugar is powdered sugar. Using this sugar will make the cake very smooth and soft. Grind regular white sugar if you don’t have confectionery sugar.

Cornstarch – Cornstarch will make the cake more bouncy and fluffy.

How to Make

  1. In a mixing bowl, mix the egg yolk, whole eggs, and powdered sugar with low speed, gradually to high speed for 10-15 minutes. (image 1, 2)
  2. The batter should be pale and thick (image 3). Pour in the dry ingredients: corn starch, milk powder, cake flour. Sieve the dry ingredients first.
  3. Prepare the butter in room temperature. When it softens, mix it with low speed for a while, gradually turn it up to high speed until pale and light. (image 4, 5)
photo collage of mixing the eggs, sugar, and flour.
  1. Mix the butter into the egg mixture with a spatula. Fold the batter and make sure you see the pale butter blend well with the egg batter. (image 7, 8)
  2. Once you are done mixing and folding, divide the whole batter into 3 parts. (image 9)
  3. Keep 2 parts as they are (yellow), put in cocoa powder and 1 tsp of chocolate paste in the other one (image 10, 11, 12). Mix well.
  4. Pour the batter in the greased 24×24 cm pan, already lined with baking paper.
  5. Bake in the preheated oven 180°C for 20 minutes.
photo collage of mixing the butter and egg mixture together.
  1. Take out the pan from the oven, and take out the cake from the pan. Let it cool on the cooling rack. (image 13)
  2. Spread some jam on one side of the yellow cake and 2 sides on the chocolate cake. Assemble the cake together, yellow, chocolate, yellow accordingly. (image 14, 15, 16, 17)
  3. Let the cake set for an hour at least (image 18). You can slice the cake and wrap each slices with a nice packaging. Enjoy!
photo collage of spreading the jam on the cake and assembling the three layers.

Expert Tips


  • Let the cake settle, the next day the cake gets moister and it will be more delicious.
  • When mixing the butter mixture and the egg mixture, you need to fold very swiftly. Not too fast and not too slow, either. You can use spatula or a whisk.
  • Remember to beat the egg mixture until pale and light. Check if it leaves trail. It will be around 10-15 minutes, to be safe.

FAQs

Yes, you can. Some people are afraid of the amount of egg yolks used. You can substitute some of the egg yolks with egg white. Just follow the amount in the recipe. However, this will reduce the moistness and make the cake more spongy.You can try the economical version of Lapis Surabaya.

Yes, you can.The best combination for the butter to margarine ratio is 3:1.

Yes, you can. You can assemble the cakes with any jam and peanut butter if you like.

Storage

Keep the cakes wrapped with cling wrap or in a closed container for up to two weeks in a chiller. If you keep it in the freezer, it can stay for up to one month.

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photo of lapis surabaya slices on glass plate.

Lapis Surabaya

This is a traditional and original recipe for Surabaya Layer Cake, a famous old-time cake from Indonesia. It uses lots of eggs and butter, making it very moist and soft!
5 from 1 vote
Print Pin Rate
Course: Cake, Dessert, Desserts
Cuisine: Asian, Indonesian
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Servings: 24 slices
Calories: 328kcal
Author: Claudia

Equipment

  • 3 baking pan 24x24x4 cm
  • 1 standing kitchen mixer
  • 1 hand mixer

Ingredients

  • 800 gr egg yolk around 53-55 eggs
  • 200 gr whole egg 4 eggs
  • 380 gr confectionery sugar
  • 40 gr cornstarch
  • 40 gr milk powder
  • 100 gr flour
  • 600 gr butter
  • Strawberry jam or Chocolate jam

Instructions

  • In a mixing bowl, mix the egg yolk, whole eggs, and powdered sugar with low speed, gradually to high speed for 10-15 minutes.
  • The batter should be pale and thick. Pour in the dry ingredients: corn starch, milk powder, cake flour. Sieve the dry ingredients first.
  • Prepare the butter in room temperature. When it softens, mix it with low speed for a while, gradually turn it up to high speed until pale and light.
  • Mix the butter into the egg mixture with a spatula. Fold the batter and make sure you see the pale butter blend well with the egg batter.
  • Once you are done mixing and folding, divide the whole batter into 3 parts.
  • Keep 2 parts as they are (yellow), put in cocoa powder and 1 tsp of chocolate paste in the other one. Mix well.
  • Pour the batter in the greased 24×24 cm pan, already lined with
    baking paper.
  • Bake in the preheated oven 180°C for 20 minutes.
  • Take out the pan from the oven, and take out the cake from the
    pan. Let it cool on the cooling rack.
  • Spread some jam on one side of the yellow cake and 2 sides on the chocolate cake. Assemble the cake together, yellow, chocolate, yellow accordingly.
  • Let the cake set for an hour at least. You can slice the cake and wrap each slices with a nice packaging. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • Let the cake settle, the next day the cake gets moister and it will be more delicious.
  • When mixing the butter mixture and the egg mixture, you need to fold very swiftly. Not too fast and not too slow, either. You can use spatula or a whisk.
  • Remember to beat the egg mixture until pale and light. Check if it leaves trail. It will be around 10-15 minutes, to be safe.

Nutrition

Serving: 1slice | Calories: 328kcal | Carbohydrates: 22g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 446mg | Sodium: 195mg | Potassium: 81mg | Fiber: 0.1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 1166IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 1mg
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One Comment

  1. 5 stars
    I love this lapis surabaya recipe so much, and so do my customers. Every festivals, orders for this cake will be coming in and I have to limit them. Try it, you will not regret it! 🙂

5 from 1 vote

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