Bien Me Sabe (venezuelan Coconut Layer Cake)

Total Time: 24 hrs 15 mins Preparation Time: 24 hrs Cook Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 12
• 8 ounces evaporated milk
• 6 egg yolks
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 (8 1/2 ounce) cans coco lopez (cream of coconut)
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 24 ladyfingers or 1/4 lb sponge cakes or 1 lb poundcake
• 4 tablespoons brandy or 4 tablespoons rum
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 cup cold water
• 1 cup frozen coconut, thawed
• ground cinnamon (for garnish)
• 6 egg whites
• 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Recipe

• 1 make coconut cream filling:.
• 2 mix milk, yolks, and sugar in a saucepan and heat until mixture starts to thicken.
• 3 add coco lópez and corn starch and continue to cook until the cream is thick and smooth.
• 4 cool to room temperature.
• 5 cut cake pieces:.
• 6 if using ladyfingers, go to next step.
• 7 if using sponge cake or pound cake, cut the cake into slices 1/2-inch thick.
• 8 prepare brandy and coconut:.
• 9 mix brandy with sugar and water.
• 10 layer cake (at least 2 layers):.
• 11 cover bottom of 13 x 9 glass baking dish with some of the coconut cream filling, and layer ladyfingers or cake slices to cover.
• 12 pour some brandy/sugar/water over cake layer. sprinkle a little ground cinnamon on top, then some coconut.
• 13 repeat in layers.
• 14 refrigerate overnight.
• 15 prepare meringue when ready to serve:.
• 16 preheat broiler.
• 17 in a large bowl, beat egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy.
• 18 beat in 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tablesoon at a time.
• 19 beat in vanilla extract with the last tablespoon of sugar.
• 20 continue beating until egg whites hold a soft peak.
• 21 top the bien me sabe with the meringue, sprinkle on a little cinnamon and coconut, and broil it a few seconds or 1 minute until the meringue is golden brown. (a culinary torch could be used instead of the broiler.).