Sansrival

INGREDIENTS:

Meringue (Dacquoise):

• 8 egg whites
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 3/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 ½ cups of toasted cashews (chopped)

Buttercream:

• 320g butter (softened)
• 3-4 cups icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 Tbsp milk
• 2 cups toasted cashews (chopped)

INSTRUCTIONS:

Method: Meringue

1. Line and grease 2 cookie trays with baking paper.
2. In a large bowl, using a stand mixer or a hand mixer on high-speed, whisk egg whites until foamy. Add cream of tartar and gradually add sugar. Continue to whisk eggs on high-speed until glossy and stiff peaks form.
3. Fold in the cashews.
4. Pre-heat oven to 160°C. Divide meringue equally into the prepared trays and bake in the oven for 35-40 minutes or until the top has turned a light golden brown. Once baked, leave meringue in the oven for 20-30 minutes if you want it chewy or leave in the oven for 2 hours if you’d like it crunchy.
5. Cut each meringue sheets in half. There should now be 4 sheets of meringue. Trim the sides/edges of the meringue so that they are smooth and even.

Method: Buttercream

1. In a large bowl, using a stand mixer or hand mixer, on medium to high-speed, beat butter until pale and fluffy (about 2-3 minutes).
2. Lower mixer speed and add about 2 cups of icing sugar into the bowl and continue to mix, gradually increasing speed until incorporated.
3. Lower mixer speed and add 1 more cup of icing sugar, vanilla extract and milk. Continue to mix, gradually increasing speed until all ingredients are incorporated. If you want the buttercream to be a little thicker, add more icing sugar (1 Tbsp at a time), if you want it thinner, add milk (1 tsp at a time). The buttercream consistency should not be runny. It should be spreadable and not grainy.
4. Reserve half of the buttercream mixture and place in a separate bowl to use for covering the cake.

Method: Sansrival Assembly

1. Place one meringue sheet on a cake stand/platter and take 1/3 of the buttercream (for filling) and spread a layer on top. Sprinkle with a little bit of cashews.
2. Add the next layer of meringue, spread buttercream and sprinkle with cashews. Repeat for the 3rd meringue.
3. Place your last sheet of meringue on top upside down so you have a smooth surface. Evenly spread the entire cake with the reserved buttercream. It doesn’t have to look pretty but it needs to be even. Then cover the entire cake with the rest of the cashews.
4. Refrigerate for about 2 hours. The cake will not harden inside.

Notes:
--Traditionally, cashews are used for this cake but you can also use peanuts, macadamias, pistachios or almonds.
--I left my meringues in the oven for 30 minutes but I still ended up with crunchy meringues. I suggest to leave it in there for no more than 20 minutes or take it out of the oven as soon as the 35-40 minutes baking time has elapsed.
--Best to slice the cake straight from the fridge and served when the butter has slightly softened.
--Sansrival can be kept in the fridge and still consumable for up to 4 days. The meringue becomes more chewy the longer it stays in the fridge.

Source : much a munch