Bien Me Sabe - Venezuelan Coconut Cream Cake

Bien me sabe is a delicious Venezuelan dessert—a rich coconut cake with layers of cream and meringue. The name translates to "tastes good to me" (a good little grammar lesson for anyone studying those tricky Spanish reflexive verbs). This cake is similar to tres leches cake in that it is served chilled and is extremely moist, sweet, and rich. You can prepare this cake using a cake mix to save time, or use your favorite white cake or sponge cake recipe. Bien me sabe is best if allowed to chill overnight, so plan ahead if possible.

Ingredients:

For the Cake:

• 1 box white cake mix
• 3 large eggs
• Vegetable oil, according to cake mix directions

For the Coconut Cream Filling:

• 1 (15-ounce) can coconut cream
• 1 1/3 cups milk
• 1 pinch salt
• 5 large egg yolks, whites reserved
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut, optional

For the Syrup:

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 3/4 cup water
• 2 tablespoons rum

For the Meringue Topping:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon corn syrup
• 5 large egg whites

To Garnish:

• 1/2 cup shredded sweetened coconut, toasted
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, for garnish