An adage said,
every woman should make bread at least once in her lifetime.
I said,
every Indonesian woman should bake Lapis Legit,
once if she’s lucky, many times to polish her layering skill 
Now as Eid Mubarak is approaching in approximately 3 months, a time frame you barely notice to be flying very fast, we all have a perfect reason to sweat ourselves learning to bake this gorgeous rustic looking cake all day. Yes, that’s how long it takes. Along with 60 eggs, that is.
There are many variety of recipes for Lapis Legit (
Lapis = layer; Legit = scrumptious, very tasty). The one that yields densed texture, spongy texture, the one using food coloring to achieve more egg-yellowy tone, the one using egg yolks only, with the whites, and we haven’t even started with its modification. There are Lapis Legit with different toppings: prunes, almond, raisin; different layers and flavors: chocolate, mocha, pandan, cheese; different shape and pattern: rolled, batik, tikar (braided mat), etc.
All comes down to the basic ingredients and technique: abundant butter, abundant eggs, just enough sugar, a little flour, a good teaspoonful of spekkoek spice, baked in an oven using mostly upper heat, layer by layer. This basic formula was used by our great-great-great-… grandmothers when they invented this indulging treat with so very traditional means. They only had firewood, tin oven, some bowls, and wooden spoon. Yet they invented and mastered such a magnificent nibble that combines everything good in life in one single slice: incomparable deliciousness for your tongue, heavenly aroma for your nose, stunning intricate layers for your eyes. And the whole day labor intensive work for the patience in you! Aren’t they incredible, our grandmothers? Let’s send them our most beautiful prayer tonight. For without them, there wouldn’t be a national treasure called Lapis Legit. They certainly deserve a beautiful prayer.
About the magical thing called spekkoek. Spekkoek spice is a blend of everything nice, apparently. Cinnamon, cardamom, clove, ginger, nutmeg,.. God knows what else. The spices growing on our motherland, Nusantara, the land of spices. This spice is the heart of Lapis Legit. The magic dust you put in that makes it fit for a king. To quote
Anthony Bourdain,
“There’s a reason why they fought war over spices, you know.” I know.
Now, onto the recipe. I used the most basic one. The one written by Hadi Tuwendi, one of Indonesian baking maestros, in parallel with Mrs. Liem, or Nyonya Liem as she often be called. He was once the man behind Holland Bakery, a well established bakery in Jakarta with respected reputation throughout the decades. So, you’re in good hand.
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