Liliana’s Bienmesabe, Venezuela’s Favorite Coconut Cake
- April 2021
- By Liliana Hernández
- Recipe from Venezuela
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- (38)
“Bienmesabe is one of the most famosos desserts in my country, Venezuela,” says Liliana Hernández, one of our favorite homecooks. Similar to tres leches, this delicate layer cake is drenched in a creamy syrup, in this case coconut. It’s then topped with meringue and sprinkled with cinnamon.
The original recipe for bienmesabe—which means: it tastes good to me— didn’t have the top layer of meringue. That addition came later, in a savvy commercial play by Venezuela’s bakeries to increase this bizcocho’s beauty factor—and sales, says Liliana. Some people add a touch of liquor like muscatel wine, cognac or sherry, she adds.
However you make yours, “when you serve this, get ready for a big reaction from friends and family, like you have never seen before,” says Liliana, who was born in Caracas. ”This creamy coconut-cake-meringue dessert is a revelation. It is so moist, so rich, yet so light, and so delicious—it should be called “maravilloso-me-sabe.”
Liliana remembers first making this iconic Venezuelan cake more than 25 years ago with her cousin Deyanira, who also loves to bake. “It came out so well that our coworkers started putting in orders with us to make it for them! It was a big success, but we couldn’t keep it up because in those days we went to university at night and worked by day. There just wasn’t time for making bienmesabe.”
You can see Liliana making this step by step on her YouTube homecooking and baking show, “Mi Show de Cocina—with her cousin, who joined her online via Madrid, where she now lives. ”We Venezuelans make bienmesabe anytime of year. That said, it’s a very special dessert because it takes time to make it, and that is why I recommend waiting for a Saturday or Sunday when you have time. It may not be the easiest bizcocho, but I promise you it is the most delicious.”
You will see why when you taste it, says Liliana. ”One bite and you’ll be a bienmesabe fanatic, like all of us in Venezuela.“
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Suggestions and questions from our readers
Delicious
Muchas gracis Luis!🤩👍
Wonderful and delicious recipe! Flavors that transports you to your land! Thanks Lily, amazing!
Thanks Rosana, you are right! Wherever I make Bienmesabe, I just remember my beautiful city Caracas. 🤩🥰
Best bien me sabe recipe online!
Wow! Thank you very much John!🤗👩🏻🍳👍
Love this recipe. Very easy and delicious 🤤
Hi Adyani! Thank you! Yes, it is, super delicious!😋🤩👍
Delicious 🤤
Thank you Juan!👍😋👩🏻🍳
Todas las recetas. Muy practicas para hacerla. Esta en postres. Exquisitas. 😋😋🙈🙈
Gracias Nayda! Definitivamente todas estas recetas están buenísimas! 🤩👩🏻🍳👍
Espectacular
Gracias Maryorie! Así es, es una delicia este postre🥰😋🤩👍
So delicious!!!!
Thank you Jula! 🤗😋👩🏻🍳👍
Los más delicioso del mundo.!!!!
Gracias Amarilis! Tienes toda la razón, el Bienmesabe no tiene comparación!🤩😋👩🏻🍳👍
DELICIOUS!
Thank you Monica! Super delicious!😋👩🏻🍳🤩👍
Love it!!!
Thank you Andreina! I love it too!😋🥰🤩👩🏻🍳
It is a very delicious dessert, and an excellent recipe, I love it
Thank you Rafael, you are absolutely right! It is so delicious!🤩😋👩🏻🍳👍
Exelent
Thank you Haiffa!🤩🤗👍👩🏻🍳
Es un dulce de ensueño la verdad
Felicidades a ti también!
Así es, Deya! Tú más que nadie lo sabe, eres mi “partner” en esta dulce experiencia! Muchas gracias por siempre estar!🙏🏻🤗👩🏻🍳🤩👍
Es lo mas rico del mundo
Delicious
Thank you Patty! 😋🤩👩🏻🍳👍
¡Muy buena receta!
Hola Dorca! Muchas gracias! 👍🤩👩🏻🍳
It is so yummy and the coconut flavor is amazing it tales some work but it is worth it
Hello Tiby! Thank you so much! This recipe is a sweet dream for all coconut lovers like me, and it has to be done to realize is not so complicated to make it, it is just to dedicate time that it deserves! 😋🤩👩🏻🍳👍
Delicioso!!!
Maravillosa receta y mi chef favorita Liliana Hernandez
Muchas gracias Rosma! 🤗🤩👩🏻🍳👍🙏🏻
Hola Rita! Muchas gracias! 😋👍🤩🥰👩🏻🍳
Delicioso!!!
Muchas gracias Indira! Así es, muy delicioso!😋👍🤗🤩
Liliana is an outstanding pastry chef. Her recipes are very delicious and easy to follow.
Thank you very much Gabby! I appreciate your comment!🤗👩🏻🍳🤩👍
Es una receta muy buena para hacer este delicioso postre!
Hola Nere! Muchas gracias, me alegra que te guste!🤩👩🏻🍳👍🤗
Delicioso
Hola Sindy! Muchas gracias!🤗🤩👩🏻🍳
👌🏼🤤🤤
Delicious!!! Best version of Bienmesabe!
Delicioso y fácil de hacer, y dan ganas de hacerlo por la espectacular presentación que le pones Lila. Que rico tener estas delicias latinas de la mejor chef 😉
Delicioso,me encantan tus recetas!!!!
Siempre lo mejor!!!😍
Lo Máximo !!!
Asombroso!!!!!!!!!
This is an outrageous delicious dessert, once you learn to make it becomes part of your favorite repertoire. Gracias Liliana por traer un trocito de Venezuela al alcance de todos !!!