Bienmesabe (something like: I like the taste) is a dessert which name says it all. It is the result of combining the heavenly sweet flavor of coconut and eggs made into a cream, with a sponge cake bathed in fine liquor and topped with meringue. Its history takes us to the yesteryear Caracas, a woman named Contemplacion who was an expert just because she did it in those hours when everyone is asleep and she could concentrate calmly, with great patience and finesse. The moral tells us that the bienmesabe must be the product of a lot of calm and care in its preparation.

Ingredients

For the cake
	5 Eggs
	300g Sugar
	1 teaspoon Rum (optional)
	250g of Wheat flour
For the cream
	3 large Coconuts
	3 cups warm Water
	18 Egg yolks
	A pinch of Salt
	3 ½ cups Sugar
	½ cup Sweet Sherry
For the meringue
	3 Egg whites
	½ cup Sugar
	Cinnamon to taste

Utensils

Cutting board

Knife

Bowl

Glass tray

Hand strainer

Blender

Colander

Spoon

Pastry bag

Hammer

Pot

Baking tray

Glass

Preparation

For the cake

1. Preheat oven to 180°C / 350°F.

2. In a large bowl beat the egg whites until stiff.

3. Incorporate the egg yolks, sugar and rum. Finally incorporate the flour.

4. Butter the mold and pour the mixture.

5. Bake for 35 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out dry.

For the cream

1. With the help of a hammer split coconuts and remove the pulp.

2. In a blender process the pulp of coconuts and 2 cups of warm water.

3. Through a fine strainer extract the coconut milk, pressing the pulp processed into the walls of the strainer. You can use a clean towel over the strainer so as to ensure that any coconut fiber is not seep.

4. Add the egg yolks, salt, whisk until well blended and book.

5. In a saucepan over medium heat, place the sugar with one cup of water without stirring until syrup to form a point of thread.

6. Turn off heat and add the mixture of coconut milk and eggs whisking vigorously to form the cream.

7. Incorporate to fire again, stirring until boil.

8. Remove and let cool slightly.

For the meringue

1. In a bowl, with the help of a beater or robot whisk the egg whites until stiff and add sugar gradually until a homogeneous and consistent mixture is achieved.

Mounting

1. Cut the cake into thin slices and arrange them in a mold preferably glass and bathe with wine.

2. Cover with a layer of cream, then another layer of cake and wine. Thus ending with a layer of cream.

3. With a pastry sleeve make peaks to cover the entire surface (you can do it rustically with a spoon).

4. Sprinkle cinnamon to taste and serve cold.