Pistachio sans rival is a mouthwatering variation of the popular Filipino cake, sans rival. Layers of crunchy and chewy pistachio meringue plus luxurious French buttercream, this is absolutely a cake for the ages.
(Looking for more Filipino cake recipes? Try reader-favorites ube cake and ube cheesecake, or try your hand at making Filipino classics brazo de mercedes and taisan cake.)
Sans rival is one of the most popular and the most delicious desserts in the Philippines.
It’s similar to the French dacquoise, meringue made with finely chopped nuts folded into the mixture, piped or spread into shapes and baked until crisp in a low temperature oven.
It’s then layered with buttercream, whipped cream and even ice cream!
Unlike a dacquoise though, sans rival can be crunchy or chewy depending on the recipe.
My sans rival has always been more chewy than crispy, just the way I like it!
We get the crunchy texture from the nuts. So good.
Let’s get to it.
Why you’ll love pistachio sans rival cake
If you think classic sans rival made with toasted cashews is amazing, wait until you taste pistachio sans rival.
- Big pistachio flavor. Using pistachios brings a whole new level of flavor to the sans rival. It’s so delicious!
- Same easy steps. The great thing is, you don’t have to change a thing with how you’re doing it. So if you’ve been making sans rival for a while, just swap the nuts and you’re good to go.
- Celebration cake. If there ever was a celebration cake, this is it! It’s a wonderful way to end any get-together.
How to make
There are 2 components to this recipe: the meringue and the buttercream.
Ingredients
You can find the full ingredient list in the recipe card below. Some things to note:
- Eggs — we use 10 large eggs in this recipe, which we separate. To make it easier, separate the yolks from the whites while they’re still cold then leave on the counter so they can come to room temperature.
- Cream of tartar — this is what helps stabilize the egg whites and what helps us get stiff peaks. I alway use cream of tartar but if you don’t have it, you can use 1 teaspoon of vinegar or lemon juice for every ½ teaspoon of cream of tartar in the recipe.
- Pistachios — You’ll need roasted, salted pistachio nuts in this recipe. I suggest to buy shelled pistachios; it’ll save you lots of time!
- Butter — the quality of the butter you use here will affect the end product profoundly. So try and splurge for the best butter budget allows.
Baking tools
I like using my stand mixer; it just makes the process that much quicker and easier. An electric handheld mixer works great too; it’ll just take a little more time.
You’ll need an instant read thermometer to ensure the egg yolks are cooked properly.
And while not necessary, it’s nice to have decorating tools like piping tips and offset spatulas.
Step-by-step photos
To make the pistachio meringue:
Preheat your oven to 320F. Line a baking pan with parchment paper, trace 4 circles or rectangles on the sheet (to guide you when piping later), grease and set aside.
Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl with a handheld electric mixer, whisk egg whites on low-medium speed…
…until foamy.
Add cream of tartar.
Continue whisking until soft peaks.
Gradually add sugar (about a teaspoon at a time)…
… until stiff peaks form.
Remove the bowl from the mixer and gently fold chopped pistachios…
… until evenly blended.
Transfer your meringue to a piping bag and pipe onto your prepared pan/s. Space out evenly, at least 2 inches apart, and smoothen the tops.
Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the top turns a light golden brown.
Turn the oven off but leave the meringue in the oven with the door closed for another 20 minutes.
Take the meringue out of the oven and leave on the pan until it’s cool enough to handle (don’t leave on the pan for too long or they will become too brittle and break).
Carefully peel the meringue off the parchment and trim the sides if needed so they’re even. Cool completely before assembly.
To make the French buttercream:
While your meringue are baking, you can work on your buttercream. Start by boiling water in a large pot, then bringing it to a simmer.
In a large stainless steel bowl (I like using the bowl of my stand mixer), whisk egg yolks, sugar, vanilla extract and salt…
… until combined.
Place bowl over simmering water and constantly stir and scrape the sides so the egg yolks don’t scramble. You need this egg sugar mixture to reach 155F/68C to make sure the yolks are cooked through.
When it’s ready, transfer the bowl to your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk at high speed until it’s light and smooth (6-8 minutes).
If you touch the bottom of your bowl it should not be hot anymore.
With the mixer still on, start adding your butter one piece at a time and continue whisking…
… until your buttercream is thick and creamy.
If you’re not using the buttercream right away, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate. You’ll need to re-whip before using.
How to assemble:
Place one meringue layer on a cake stand or platter or turntable and spread about ¼ of your buttercream evenly on it.
Sprinkle with pistachios and continue to do the same thing for the rest of your layers.
For your last one, make sure to put the smooth side up so your cake looks nice and even on top.
Then you can go decorate! Frost your entire cake with buttercream and slap on the rest of your pistachios on the sides or top or both.
Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the cake to set.
Leave on the counter at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Expert tips when making meringue
Meringue is a little finicky to make but with lots of practice, you’ll be a meringue master in no time.
Here are some of the things I’ve learned to make meringue successfully every time:
- Make sure your egg whites are room temperature. They whip better and result to a more stable meringue.
- But separate your eggs while still cold. While you need your egg whites at room temperature, it’s easier to separate the eggs while they’re still cold. This way too, you can better avoid getting bits of egg yolks in your egg whites accidentally.
- Everything must be grease-free. You need to make sure that your bowl and whisk are dry, clean and oil-free. So it’s better to use glass, stainless steel, or ceramic bowls because plastic has a tendency to hide traces of oil in it.
- Add sugar gradually. I do about a teaspoon at a time then allow several seconds to pass before adding again. Ideally, you want sugar to dissolve before adding the next teaspoon. A quick test would be to rub some meringue between your fingers. If you still feel significant grains of sugar in there, you should keep going.
- Stay on low-medium speed. Don’t go higher than medium speed (using my KitchenAid stand mixer, I stay on speed 3) when whipping your egg whites. It takes longer to get stiff peaks but this results to a more stable meringue that won’t significantly deflate or collapse after baking.
- Don’t make meringue on a very humid day. Meringue has a tendency to absorb moisture so if it’s humid or rainy, your meringue has a bigger chance of falling apart.
Expert tips when making French buttercream
Traditionally, French buttercream is made by slowly pouring hot sugar syrup (238F/114C) while you whip the egg yolks.
I have two issues with this: one, I’m deathly scared of hot sugar syrup drizzling into a running mixer. And two, I have reservations about the syrup fully cooking the egg yolks.
My favorite frosting is Swiss meringue buttercream and I wondered if French buttercream can be made the same way, i.e. cook the egg yolks with sugar in a double boiler then whip it with butter.
Happy to report that yes, it can be made using the same method!
It’s not the classic, traditional way to make French buttercream but it works for me and I’m confident the yolks are cooked through.
A few things to remember when making French buttercream this way:
- Constantly stir your egg yolk-sugar mixture so it doesn’t turn into scrambled eggs.
- Watch the temperature of the egg yolks — once you reach 155F / 68C the egg yolks should be fully cooked.
- Make sure you use cubed, softened butter. Butter must easily give way when you gently press your thumb onto it. But it should not look greasy or oily like it’s about to melt.
Troubleshooting guide
| Issue | Potential Cause/s | Recommended Solution/s |
| Meringue is puffy | Don’t worry if you see the meringue puffing up in the oven. It will flatten and deflate is it cools. | N/A |
| Meringue is cracking when peeling off parchment | Parchment was not greased enough | Make sure to grease parchment paper adequately |
| Meringue peeled from parchment too soon | What you can do is test it — lift one corner a little at a time. You’ll know when it’s ready because it should give pretty easily. | |
| Meringue is sticky | It’s a humid day and the meringue absorbed the moisture in the air | Try not to make meringue on a humid or rainy day |
| Leave in the oven to dry after baking, or bake for another 5-10 minutes at 200F. Watch that they don’t burn or turn too crispy and break. | ||
| Meringue stuck together | Not enough space between them during baking | Make sure to space the meringue at least 2 inches apart. |
| If they’re already stuck (like in my photos!), gently un-stick them from one another by using a thin sharp knife. Don’t worry about having a perfect circle, we will cover them with buttercream and nobody will ever know. |
Recipe FAQs
A thermometer is necessary in this recipe. It makes sure you cook the egg yolks through. You can easily get one for less than $15.
You can certainly make the French buttercream up to a week ahead, kept in the fridge. You’ll need to re-whip before using.
You can also freeze French buttercream up to 3 months. Make sure it’s in an airtight container and when you’re ready to use, bring down to the fridge to thaw and re-whip to get back that lovely consistency.
I recommend making the meringue the same day you’re assembling your cake.
Once frosted and assembled, pistachio sans rival will keep up to 3 days in the fridge. If you want to keep it for longer, keep it in the freezer.
More Filipino desserts
Looking to make more Filipino desserts? Check these out:
You can find all Filipino dessert recipes here.
I love making pistachio sans rival. It’s the perfect way to end epic meals on Easter, Christmas, birthdays and other celebrations.
Hope you love it, too.
Happy baking!
Did you make this pistachio sans rival recipe? I’d love to hear all about it! Leave a comment or a star rating below. You can also tag me on Instagram or Facebook. I’d love to see your creations!
You can also find me on Pinterest, Twitter and YouTube.
The Best Pistachio Sans Rival
Ingredients
For the Pistachio Meringue:
- 10 egg whites from large eggs room temperature
- ¾ tsp cream of tartar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup shelled salted pistachios roughly chopped
For the French Buttercream:
- 10 egg yolks from large eggs
- ⅔ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp vanilla extract
- pinch salt
- 2 cups unsalted butter cubed and softened
Assembly
- 2 cups shelled salted pistachios roughly chopped
Instructions
For the Pistachio Meringue:
- Preheat your oven to 320F. Line baking pan/s with parchment paper, lightly grease and set aside (see notes).
- Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large bowl using a handheld electric mixer, whisk egg whites on low-medium speed until foamy.10 egg whites from large eggs
- Add cream of tartar and continue whisking until soft peaks.¾ tsp cream of tartar
- Gradually (about a teaspoon at a time) add sugar until stiff peaks form.1 cup granulated sugar
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and gently fold chopped pistachios.1 cup shelled salted pistachios
- Transfer your meringue to a piping bag and pipe onto your prepared pan/s. Space out evenly, at least 2 inches apart, and smoothen the tops (see notes).
- Bake for 30-40 minutes or until the top turns a light golden brown.
- Turn the oven off but leave the meringue in the oven with the door closed for another 20 minutes.
- Take the meringue out of the oven and leave on the pan until it's cool enough to handle (don't leave on the pan for too long or they will become too brittle and break).
- Carefully peel the meringue off the parchment and trim the sides if needed so they're even. Cool completely before assembly.
For the French Buttercream:
- While your meringue are baking, you can work on your buttercream. Start by boiling water in a large pot, then bringing it to a simmer.
- In a large stainless steel bowl (I like using the bowl of my stand mixer), whisk egg yolks, sugar, vanilla extract and salt until combined.10 egg yolks from large eggs, ⅔ cup granulated sugar, 1 tbsp vanilla extract, pinch salt
- Place bowl over simmering water and constantly stir and scrape the sides so the egg yolks don’t scramble. You need this egg sugar mixture to reach 155F/68C to make sure the yolks are cooked through.
- When it’s ready, transfer the bowl to your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and whisk at high speed until it’s light and smooth (6-8 minutes). If you touch the bottom of your bowl it should not be hot anymore.
- With the mixer still on, start adding butter one piece at a time and continue whisking until your buttercream is thick and creamy.2 cups unsalted butter
- If you’re not using the buttercream right away, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate. You’ll need to re-whip before using.
For the Assembly:
- Place one meringue layer on a cake stand or platter or turntable and spread about ¼ of your buttercream evenly on it.
- Sprinkle with chopped pistachios and continue to do the same thing for the rest of your layers.2 cups shelled salted pistachios
- For your last one, make sure to put the smooth side up so your cake looks nice and even on top.
- Then you can go decorate! Frost your entire cake with buttercream and slap on the rest of your pistachios on the sides or top or both.
- Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the cake to set. Leave on the counter at room temperature for about 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
- It’s helpful to create a guide or template to help you pipe your meringue later. I sometimes do rectangles, this time I did circles. Simply trace whatever shape you choose on your parchment, invert parchment and use that to line your baking pan. My rectangles are usually 4×6 inches, my circles are usually 6 inches.
- Note that there’s enough meringue to make 4-6 layers depending on how big your shapes are. I usually always make 4 fairly thick meringue pieces. You can make slightly thinner meringues to make a taller layer cake.
- See post for lots of baking tips, a troubleshooting guide, FAQs and step-by-step photos.
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only.
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