Niño Envuelto de Merengue con Fresas y Crema

Name: Niño Envuelto de Merengue con Fresas y Crema
Yield: serves 8 to 10
Ingredients: 8 egg yolks, at room temperature; 2/3 cup granulated sugar; 1/4 teaspoon salt; 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract; 4 egg whites, at room temperature; 2/3 cup all-purpose flour, sifted; 4 egg whites, at room temperature; Pinch of salt; 1 cup granulated sugar; 1 1/2 cups heavy cream; 1/3 cup confectioner’s sugar; 1/2 vanilla bean, scraped, or 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract; 2 1/2 to 3 cups sliced or chopped strawberries

December 14, 2011

Niño envuelto means “wrapped baby,” and it is basically a sponge cake filled with some kind of jam, cream, cajeta, or mousse, rolled up tightly, and covered with confectioner’s sugar, cream, coconut, almonds, chocolate, or meringue. It is served as a dessert, but you can also find it in panaderías sold in slices. Although I have always loved sweets, cake has never been my favorite dessert, and I think it’s because I really like crunchy things. The one exception to this rule is pastel de fresas con crema (vanilla cake filled and covered with whipped cream and strawberries). When I think about this cake, my mouth waters and I remember the Gran Via bakery, which has been making one of the best versions of this cake since the late 1960s. When the bakery first started, they sold only two things: this strawberry layered cake and huge meringues filled with whipped cream. So, when deciding what kind of niño envuelto to make, it seemed only natural to blend all of these flavors and textures into one. It is important that the eggs be at room temperature to ensure a spongy cake, so separate the eggs, cover them, and allow to come to room temperature for 30 minutes before whipping.

Recipe notes