Brazo de Mercedes

A sheet of meringue from the egg whites and a tasty custard filling from the egg yolks, which makes them like a jelly/Swiss roll.

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Aside from Mocha Cake, this dessert has been my favorite for a long time. I am not a fan of a very sweet cake but this really is an exemption. Although this is sweet, the meringue and the custard are so perfect together – match made in heaven as they say. 😉

When I was not yet into baking, I usually buy from sweets shop. When I started baking, I was so hesitant to try this because I was afraid that I can’t do the rolling perfectly. To be honest, the first try was not perfect at all. I meant the taste was perfect but the rolling was a failure. Well, not a total failure; there was a crack on the top of the meringue. The second one was the same. The third one was still the same.

One day, friends visited me at home and I offered them this dessert. They said it was great and they were so amazed because I knew how to make this very delicious dessert. And let me say that this dessert is highly requested! 😉

I am so thankful to Vanjo Merano of Panlasang Pinoy for having a video on this. Because of that, I have ‘mastered’ how to make this divine Brazo de Mercedes.

Difficulty: easy
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Ingredients

10 egg yolks
10 egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup white sugar
6 tbsp powdered sugar, you may need more
1 396g (14 oz) can condensed milk

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a rectangular baking sheet with parchment paper and lightly grease. Set aside.
In a bowl, combine egg whites and cream of tartar. Using an electric mixer, beat together until soft peaks form.
Gradually add the sugar while continue beating until stiff peak.
Using a spatula, spread the meringue evenly on top of the greased parchment paper.
Bake for 20-22 minutes or until the color of the top of the meringue turns light to medium brown.
When done, remove from the oven and set aside to cool down.

Meanwhile, make the filling.

In a small cooking pot, combine egg yolks and condensed milk. Turn the heat to low-medium and cook until thick, making sure to stir it continuously to avoid burning the filling.
When done, add the vanilla extract to the filling. Mix until combined. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside to cool down and until ready to use.

Assembly:

(Make sure to let your meringue to cool down before putting the filling.)

Sprinkle powdered sugar on top of the meringue, making sure that everything is covered.
On top of the meringue with powdered sugar, place a parchment paper. On top of the parchment paper, place another baking sheet similar to the size of the one on the bottom (or larger). (You will now have the meringue in between two baking sheets.
Carefully flip the meringue. So now, you will have the meringue upside down (the one with powdered sugar at the bottom).
At the top, you will now see the meringue with the parchment paper sticking to it. Carefully remove the parchment paper. Spread the filling evenly.
With the longest side in front of you, roll the meringue away from you to form a log. (It’s like you are making a swiss roll.) I roll the meringue with the parchment paper attached so I won’t crack the meringue, then carefully remove them when the rolling is done. Make sure you don’t include the parchment paper with the filling. 😀
Transfer to a serving plate. Serve cold.

Source recipe: Brazo de Mercedes by Panlasang Pinoy

This can be served as dessert or snack. I bake this from time to time and I always fall in love with this and I every time I take a bite, I always feel proud of myself. 😉

If you’re wondering about this Mocha Cake I always talk about, it is a Filipino version of coffee cake and I will do a post about it next month, hopefully.