Irenen:

Now that you mentioned she is from Singapore and descibed the cake... I think it's more of this cake which is called Specot or Kuih La Peh (sp?) in Malaysian term. Your friend translated the word into Chinese (as she is a Chinese) so I thought you were looking for the Chinese version. This recipe sounds more like it. However, it's really difficlut to make. I normally just buy it at the fetival time (Muslim New Year.) I hope this is teh correct one. Or else you need to find one under this new term in stead of the Chinese words you typed out earlier... :-) GOOD LUCK~~~

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Specot (Indonesian Layer Cake)

450g butter (use good quality butter)
275g fine castor sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp brandy
20 egg yolks
10 egg whites
85g fine castor sugar
225g Superfine flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
2 1/2 tsp mixed spices

Method:
LINE and grease the base of a 23cm (square) loose-bottomed tin. Preheat oven to 180 °C.
Sift flour, baking powder and mixed spices into a bowl then divide into three equal portions.

Beat egg yolks until creamy with a hand-held electric mixer.

Cream butter, sugar and vanilla essence until light. Add brandy and continue to cream until fluffy. Blend in creamy egg yolk mixture slowly and gradually.

Fold in sifted dry ingredients in three batches, one-third portion at a time. Mix well with a metal spoon.

Whisk egg whites with sugar until stiff. Fold meringue into the creamed mixture until well-combined.

Spoon 4 tablespoons mixture into prepared tin and spread evenly. Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes or till golden brown. Remove cake tin from oven and turn off the oven. Heat up the grill.

Brush each layer of the cake with a little melted butter. Use a skewer to prick the bubbles on the surface of the cake then press lightly with the flat bottom of a glass container. Continue in this manner until all the batter is used up.

Spoon 3 tablespoons of mixture over the first layer and spread evenly. Grill at 220 °C for 2 to 3 minutes or till brown. Repeat layer after layer till all the mixture is used up.

For the final layer, preheat oven at 150 °C and bake the entire cake for about 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Leave cake in tin for a while before turning out onto a wire rack to cool. Cut the cake only when it is completely cooled.

Note: This cake will turn out beautifully only in an oven with two elements--a bottom heating element and a grill element. The flavour of the cake will be further enhanced after a day or two; it keeps well in an air-tight container for up to a week.