Elaborate Sans rival is considered the grande dame of Filipino desserts. Suitably, its French name means ‘without rival’. Over the years, it has inspired diverse flavours, as well as a new generation of soaring layer cakes. I still go for classic rich cashew Sans rival, which for me is one-of-a-kind.
Sans rival is pretty much a French dacquoise. The key and defining difference is cashews, which take the place of traditional almonds or hazelnuts. The meringue is also designed to be crunchy not chewy, so store the assembled cake in the freezer instead of the refrigerator to keep it dry and crisp.