INGREDIENTS
14 tablespoons butter
1 ¼ cups sugar
8 egg yolks
8 egg whites
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
Spice mix: 2 ½ teaspoon cinnamon,
1 ¼ teaspoon nutmeg,
1 teaspoon ginger,
½ teaspoon cardamom,
¼ teaspoon allspice,
¼ teaspoon cloves,
1/8 teaspoon mace
½ cup sugar
¾ cup melted butter
1 teaspoon cream of tartar (optional)
Confectioners’ sugar for sprinkling
PREPARATION
Grease the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan and line with a fitted parchment paper; grease paper liberally with butter.
Cream the butter and 1 ¼ cup sugar till well-blended. Add the yolks and extract and beat well. Mix in the flour and salt.
Divide the batter in half. Mix the spice mix into the second, the spiced half with the dark batter. The light batter will be without the spice.
In a clean, dry bowl mix the egg whites until frothy then add the cream of tartar. Continue beating until soft peaks. While beating, add the ½ cup sugar slowly until stiff satiny peaks form.
Divide the egg whites in half and fold gently into each half of the batter.
Turn on the oven broiler and let it warm up for a few minutes. Tip: set the rack so the top of the springform pan will be 6 inches away from the broiler heat.
Spoon ½ cup of dark batter on the bottom of the prepared pan. Spread with an offset spatula to form a thin even layer.
Broil for a few minutes until the cake is cooked and golden brown, about 4-5 minutes.
Remove from the oven. Press the baked layer with a weight to ensure it is flat then spread a thin layer of melted butter on top.
Evenly spread ½ cup of light batter over the top of the baked layer, to the edges of the cake. Tap the pan on the counter to remove bubbles and broil again. Press and brush the top with melted butter.
Continue to alternate light and dark layers, brushing with melted butter in between, until all the batter is used. Bake the last layer until an even, golden color.
Remove the sides of the pan and cool completely on a wire rack. Wrap well in foil paper, securing tightly. Store in an air-tight container for 2 days to allow the cake to ripen.
When ready to serve, dust with confectioners’ sugar. Note: Uneaten cake can be stored in an air-tight container for up to 2 weeks.
Serve as soon as possible for the best taste.