Bienmesabe Cake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spread 1/2 cup dried coconut in a pan and place in the oven to toast until golden brown; set aside.

Prepare cake according to cake mix directions. Line two rectangular pans with parchment paper.

Pour batter into the pans and bake according to directions. Cool completely.

Prepare coconut cream pudding: In a medium saucepan, bring the cream of coconut, milk, and salt to a simmer. While the milk is heating, whisk together the egg yolks, cornstarch, and sugar in a separate bowl until smooth.

When the milk starts to simmer, remove from heat and pour about a cup of the hot milk into the egg mixture, whisking quickly to mix. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan, and return to the stove.

Cook over medium low heat, stirring constantly, until cream mixture starts to thicken and come to a boil. Remove from heat and let cool.

Stir in the vanilla, cover the surface of the coconut cream with a piece of plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour or two.

nce the coconut cream is chilled, whip the heavy whipping cream in a bowl until soft peaks form. Fold the whipped cream into the coconut cream. If you have extra, save it for the top of the cake.

Chill this mixture until ready to assemble cake. Prepare simple syrup: Bring 3/4 cup sugar and 3/4 cup water just to a boil. Remove from heat; let cool.

Prepare meringue: Place egg whites in the (very clean) bowl of an electric mixer, and attach the wire whisk. Place the sugar, 1/3 cup water, corn syrup, and pinch of salt in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil.

When the temperature of the sugar syrup reaches about 240 degrees F, or after about 3 minutes, turn on the mixer and start beating the egg whites.

When the temperature reaches 248 degrees F, remove the syrup from the heat. The total cooking time is about 4 minutes, and the sugar syrup should make thin threads if you drizzle it off of a fork, and will have thickened.

The egg whites should be forming stiff peaks. Slowly and carefully pour the syrup down the side of the mixer bowl, into the beaten egg whites. Continue to beat the meringue until it cools, about 5 minutes. Fold in 1 teaspoon vanilla.

Assemble cake: Remove cakes from pan, and slice each in half horizontally to form four layers. Use a pasty brush to moisten first layer of cake with some of the syrup mixture, then sprinkle cake lightly with cinnamon.

Spread the coconut cream on top of the cake. Cover cream with second cake layer. Repeat this process with the other layers.

Top the last cake layer with meringue mixture and extra whipped cream mixture, using a spoon to swirl meringue decoratively.

Turn on oven broiler and carefully brown the top of the meringue under the broiler (for just a minute or two, not too close). Sprinkle top of cake with toasted coconut. Chill cake several hours before serving.