Speculos Sand Cake is a delicious confection inspired by European culinary traditions, especially popular in the Netherlands and Belgium.
The name “Speculos” comes from a similar cookie that is made with a special blend of spices, most often containing cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg
.
Speculos
sand cake first of all attracts attention
with
its complex flavor
.
The basis for it usually consists of layers of sand dough, which can be supplemented with various creams – from creamy to caramel – and sometimes with fruit.
Ingredients for the biscuit:
- cold butter – 300 g;
- powdered sugar – 250 g
- flour – 500 g
- ground almonds – 200 g
- salt – 1 pinch
- leavening agent – 8 g;
- gingerbread spices – 2 tbsp;
- cinnamon – 1 tbsp;
- white pepper – 1 tsp;
- eggs – 3 pcs.
Ingredients for the cream:
- milk – 300 ml;
- sugar – 420 g;
- vanilla sugar – 16 g;
- eggs – 2 pcs;
- butter – 500 g.
Ingredients for mandarin filling:
- sugar – 120 g;
- cornstarch – 30 g;
- milk – 250 ml;
- mandarin juice – 200 ml;
- eggs – 2 pcs;
- zest of 3 tangerines;
- butter – 50 g.
Preparation of the cake “Speculos”:
For the cream, mix sugar and vanilla sugar with milk, bring to a boil and cook like this for 2 minutes. Stir in the eggs, pour the milk and sugar mixture into the eggs,
then pour the mixture back into the saucepan and stir, cook over medium heat until thickened. Once thickened, pour the cream into a separate bowl and cover with cling film.
Leave the cream to cool to room temperature. For the filling, mix starch with sugar, pour into the milk.
Pour the mandarin juice into the milk mass, mix everything thoroughly. In a saucepan beat eggs and pour the mixture of juice and milk to them.
Add zest to the mixture and cook until thickened. Once thickened, cook the mixture for 30 seconds and then remove from the heat and add the butter. Leave the filling to cool under food wrap until cold.
For the shortcakes, grate the cold butter on a coarse grater. Mix the butter with the powdered sugar. In a separate bowl combine flour with ground almonds, salt, baking powder, gingerbread spices, cinnamon and white pepper.
Pour the bulk products into the butter, beat the eggs and knead a slightly sticky elastic dough, dividing it into 11-12 pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a thin layer and cut out an even circle with a pastry ring.
Bake each cake with the scraps in the oven at 200 degrees for 4-5 minutes. For the cream, beat the butter and gradually add the custard base to it while continuing to beat.
Smear each cake first with cream and then with tangerine filling, thus assembling the cake. Brush the top and sides of the cake with cream, sprinkle with crumbs from cake scraps or decorate the sides with cookies.
Be careful while working, the cakes are very delicate, they can easily fall apart in your hands. The cake does not need additional soaking, it can be served immediately for tea.
