Ube Brazo De Mercedes Recipe – Let’s talk about the Ube Brazo De Mercedes Recipe! It’s a delicious Filipino dessert that consists of a meringue roll filled with custard and topped with powdered sugar. The custard is made with vanilla extract, calamansi zest, and butter, giving it a yummy flavor. Unlike other Filipino desserts that use sponge or chiffon cake, this one only uses meringue, so there’s no flour.
Do you know what pianonos are? They’re pastries from different parts of the world, like Granada, Spain, the Caribbean, South America, and the Philippines. This recipe is just one version of pianono, but what makes it special is the ube flavoring. Ube is a popular Filipino flavor that’s used in many classic desserts, like Ube Biko and Ube Leche flan. If you want to try a unique and fluffy dessert with creamy custard, you have to give this recipe a try!
Ube Brazo de Mercedes with Coconut Cream Sauce
Ingredients
Meringue:
- 8 eggs (Extra Large, egg whites only, room temperature)
- 6 eggs (Extra Large, yolk only, room temperature you can use the eggs from separating the egg whites)
- 2 tbsps cornstarch
- 200 g 1¾ cup confectioner’s sugar
- 5 g 1 tsp cream of tartar
- 1/2 tsp teaspoon ube flavor Yema Custard
- 1/2 cup condensed milk
- 1/4 cup evaporated milk (or fresh milk)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ube flavor
- Zest of half a lemon or grapefruit
- 2 tbsps unsalted butter cut into cubes
Coconut Cream Sauce (Crème Anglaise):
- 1 cup coconut cream
- 2 eggs (Extra Large, yolk only, room temperature, you can use the extra yolks from seperating the egg whites and yolks)
- 2 tbsp coconut sugar
- 2 tsp amaretto or vanilla extract
For Dusting:
- ½ cup powdered sugar
For greasing:
- Oil Spray or butter (enough to cover the pan)
Instructions
Preheat and Grease
- To start, preheat your oven to 325°F and set the rack to the middle part of the oven. Then, grease a pan and line it with parchment paper. Don't forget to grease it again. Set the pan aside and move on to the next step.
Whip Up the Meringue
- In a large mixing bowl, whip egg whites until bubbly but not holding any peaks.
- Add cream of tartar and continue beating until a soft peak is reached.
- Once you’ve reached a soft peak, gradually add powdered sugar, one tablespoon at a time.
- Add ube extract and whip until the meringue reaches stiff peaks, is silky, and is no longer grainy. This should yield about 2 quarts of meringue in volume.
- Spread the meringue evenly on the lined baking pan using an offset spatula. Running a fork or cake comb along the longer edge of the pan is optional.
- Bake the meringue for 40 minutes or until the top is no longer tacky or sticky and is pale brown.
Make the Yema Custard
- While the meringue is baking, it’s time to make the yema custard.
- Mix egg yolks, condensed milk, evaporated milk, and ube flavoring in a double boiler over low fire while stirring continuously. Allow the mixture to thicken and come to steam.
- Remove from heat and add butter cubes and lemon zest. This will help cool down the custard and give it a glossy feel.
- Put the bowl over ice-cold water to cool down. Stir and set it aside.
Prepare the Coconut Cream Anglaise
- Heat coconut cream in a saucepan over medium-low fire. Whisk 2 egg yolks in a mixing bowl, add a couple of tablespoons of the simmered cream to temper, and then add the egg mixture back to the saucepan.
- Add sugar and amaretto.
- Lower the heat and continue mixing until the sauce thickens. You don’t want it to boil. You’re looking for a pourable consistency, like condensed milk.
- Strain the mixture and transfer it to a pouring vessel (like a creamer). Cover it with plastic wrap, making sure the plastic touches the surface to prevent it from forming.
Unmold and Roll the Meringue
- After baking, dust the meringue with powdered sugar to prevent it from sticking.
- Put a cloth or parchment paper on top of the meringue. Then, put a sheet pan (for support) on top of the cloth and flip. Peel the parchment paper carefully.
- Spread the yema custard thickly longways (along the longer edge of the pan). Keep about ¼ cup of custard to smear on both ends of the roll. Roll gently from the bottom up with the assistance of the cloth.
- Make sure the roll is snug. The bottom of the roll should meet just below the top of it.
- Lay on a serving platter, smear the edges with excess custard, sprinkle some more powdered sugar, and slice.
- Finally, serve and drizzle slices with the coconut cream anglaise. Enjoy!
Other Options Outside an Ube Brazo De Mercedes
Fluffy cakes are highly popular in Filipino cuisine. One of the more traditional types of cakes are rice cakes. The umbrella term for these kinds of cakes are puto. Puto is a steamed rice cake from the Philippines. The dough is usually made from slightly fermented rice and can be eaten alone or with savory dishes. Prime examples of this is bibingka and puto bumbong. Another term for rice cakes in Filipino cuisine are those made from glutinous rice. One example of this Sapin Sapin.
This is just one category of dessert you can explore in Filipino cuisine. You’ll find there are plenty of sweets you can make from unexpected ingredients mixed together. For another dessert that features ube, check out “Ube Leche Cake.”
