Cookbook:Coconut Cream Filled Cake with Meringue (Bienmesabe)

This popular and tasty dessert recipe is from the original contributor's grandmother.

Cake

 * 3 large eggs
 * ½ cup white granulated sugar
 * ½ cup self-rising flour
 * 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Coconut cream filling

 * 2 cups milk
 * 1 ½ cups white granulated sugar
 * 2 cups coconut milk
 * 4 large yolks (reserve whites for meringue)
 * ¾ cup sweetened, shredded coconut
 * ⅓ cup cornstarch

Cake syrup

 * ½ cup coconut milk
 * ¼ cup coconut rum

Meringue

 * 4 large egg whites
 * 12 tablespoons white granulated sugar

Cake

 * 1) Preheat the oven to 350°F. Butter a 9 x 13-inch cake pan.
 * 2) In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until pale and fluffy.
 * 3) Add the flour, baking powder, and vanilla extract; mix until just combined.
 * 4) Transfer the batter to the prepared pan. Bake 30–35 minutes at 350°F or until a toothpick inserted in the center tests clean.
 * 5) Cool cake completely on a wire rack. Meanwhile, make coconut cream filling.

Coconut cream filling

 * 1) In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, coconut milk, yolks, shredded coconut, and cornstarch.
 * 2) In a large saucepan, combine milk and remaining 1 cup sugar; heat over medium until sugar dissolves and milk is steaming.
 * 3) Gradually whisk the hot milk into egg mixture; return the custard mixture to the saucepan.
 * 4) Cook, stirring, until custard thickens, 3 to 4 minutes.
 * 5) Pour the custard into a heat-proof bowl. Cover the surface directly with plastic wrap. Set aside to cool completely, about 1 hour (or up to overnight in the refrigerator).
 * 6) While coconut cream and cake cool, make cake syrup.

Simple syrup

 * 1) Combine water and sugar in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil.
 * 2) Transfer to a bowl with coconut milk and rum; stir to combine.

Meringue

 * 1) Combine sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, for 4 minutes.
 * 2) In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the egg whites and remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
 * 3) With the motor running, gradually beat in the syrup mixture in a slow, steady stream.

Assembly

 * 1) Preheat the oven to 400°F.
 * 2) Use a serrated knife to cut cake horizontally into 2 layers.
 * 3) Brush the bottom layer with syrup and spread with coconut cream.
 * 4) Add the second cake layer and repeat with syrup and coconut cream.
 * 5) Spread the meringue over the cake.
 * 6) Transfer the cake to the oven for 2 to 3 minutes or until the meringue is toasted.