Hi, Foodies in the Hive!

How was your Valentine's Day? Did you celebrate it? Me, well, I made my special dessert: Bienmesabe de la casa, or my house bienmesabe. Though I didn't decorated it with red hearts, you must know it's a dessert with a lot of ❤️

Bienmesabe is a traditional dessert that has existed in the western world since medieval times, but it varies from one country to another and, in each country, it varies from one house to another. In Venezuela it is a special cold cake soaked with coconut milk and egg yolk syrup and, sometimes, rum or other liquor. Today I want to share with you a variation of my own bienmesabe, as it also seems to vary according to mood or years 😂

If you like soaked cakes and coconut, but haven't tried Venezuelan bienmesabe, you might want to change that. You'll love our bienmesabe. It's a Genoese sponge cake soaked in coconut milk and egg yolk syrup that separates into two phases to produce a light, unctuous, intensely flavored coconut cream that stays on top while the liquid goes down to soak the cake. It is then coated with a thick layer of light meringue and sprinkled with ground cinnamon on top.

INGREDIENTS

About twenty-five years ago, I spent a lot of time making bienmesabe, because I made a living at it, and so I had to respect all the sanctity of tradition and measure. I was lucky enough that my mother-in-law at the time--may she rest in peace--taught me to prepare typical desserts from eastern Venezuela. Her desserts, especially bienmesabe, were exceptional; so I think I was very, very lucky. However, now that I prepare bienmesabe for my family, I have learned to prepare a version that though less visually stunning, it's as delicious and takes me four times less time.

For the sponge cake:

3 eggs (M)
2/3 cups sugar
2/3 cups self-rising flour
a teaspoon coconut oil to grease the pan (you can use any oil or margarine)

For the syrup & cream:

500 ml coconut milk (I used homemade)
3 egg yolks
1/3 cups water
1/3 cups sugar

For the meringue:

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
4 egg whites
a few drops of freshly squeezed lemon juice
a few drops of vanilla essence
ground cinnamon to sprinkle

Let's Get to Work ❤️

I like to make the sponge cake first. While it bakes, I make the coconut milk and prepare the rest of the ingredients.

SPONGE CAKE

To make the sponge cake, separate the egg whites from the yolks and beat the egg whites until stiff. Easier with fresh eggs and an electric mixer.

Add the sugar and mix well.

Add the egg yolks.

Add the sifted flour...

And fold it with a pastry spoon until the mix turns homogeneous.

Grease the baking pan with the coconut oil. I used a 19 x 28 x 6 cm pyrex.

And pour in all the batter.

With the back of the spoon, distribute the batter as evenly as possible.

Bake in the preheated oven at 300° F x 30 minutes or until you insert a toothpick and it comes out dry.

I had to detach the cake from the walls of the pyrex so it would settle evenly. You can see it has a light crumb.

COCONUT SYRUP AND CREAM

Venezuelan bienmesabe needs fresh coconut milk, so I always start by making some. I used two coconuts (1.5 kg of whole coconut). You can do with one. I have learned that a 750 gr coconut will give you 500 ml of fresh milk thick enough.

Take out the flesh of the coconut. I burn them on the stove for 1-2 minutes to make it easier.

They're ready when they crack. Open the soft pore and take the water out.

Break the coconut by hitting it with a little hammer or do like me. I wrap it inside a old kitchen towel and hit it against the floor in the garage, haha. It's actually exhilarating.

This time, I needed the bagasse for another recipe, so I removed the endocarp and left a white flesh.

As always, I cut the coconut flesh into pieces small enough to help my blender work easier.

As I wasn't going to store the cake for longer than three days, I used the water of the coconuts to make the milk. No risk of unwanted fermentation. I heated the water and poured it into the blender glass along with the coconut pieces and let the blender do its magic.

Finally, I poured the mix in the yogurt dripping bag.

And squeezed!

A pinch of salt and back to the heat for a little cooking while stirring constantly. The milk must not boil.

Pour the water and sugar in the cooking pot and when the mix turns homogeneous and hot, add the 500 ml of coconut milk and the egg yolks while whisking vigorously.

Continue whisking for a couple of minutes until it begins to thicken. Remove from the fire and continue whisking for a minute.

This is going to be both your syrup to soak the cake and the layer of cream you will see between the cake and the meringue, as the liquid comes down and the fine lumps remain up.

FOAMY MERINGUE

Bienmesabe needs a light, foamy meringue. Beging by making a syrup with the sugar and water. Let it cook without stirring until you see lots of bubbles on the surface and you get the right consistency, the thread stage.

While the syrup is cooking, beat the whites until stiff. Then add the hot syrup while beating. Finally, add some drops of lemon and vanilla essence.

Now that the sponge cake, coconut and yolk syrup, and meringue are done, it's time to assemble the bienmesabe. As you can see, it takes you some work. Oh, but it's totally worth the effort 😋

ASSEMBLING THE CAKE

Pierce the cake, pour the syrup while it is still warm and put it in the freezer for one hour. Then cover with the meringue and sprinkle with cinnamon.