Brazo de Mercedes

This cake was an important life defining part of my childhood.*


Anyway, this was my second time to bake Brazo de Mercedes.. and it was a flop but edible. Still delicious though but still a flop. Notice the thin meringue jelly roll? Shouldn't be that too thin, or shouldn't be thin at all.



The first time I ever attempted to make BdM was a disaster, still edible as in meh-edible but still a disaster. The meringue jelly roll turned out fine but my custard mixture was soooo runny. This time, my meringue was ick (stuck in the gaddamn wax paper!!) while my custard was perfect.

Post-mortem analysis on the meringue:
1) Wax paper wasn't oiled enough! I should oil it and flour it (works every time!)
2) I used a wide tray and spread it too thin. I'll use a smaller tray next time and get  a more specific recipe wherein the pan dimensions are mentioned

I'll perfect this next time!
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*Brazo de Mercedes is an unforgettable childhood food where an important part of my life lies therein.


When I was around five or six, we used to have a neighbor who baked whenever there's a kid celebrating his/her birthday. Well, at least The Neighbor baked for my brother's birthday cake. She would invite kids to her house and stuff us with what seems to be the best chocolate cake (at that age, I don't think I can honestly vouch for this statement) and the best Brazo de Mercedes in the entire planet! I would eat the whites and eat the yellow custard last because I like depriving myself of good things before getting to the best part (analogy goes well with my reality)! This was also the time I was convinced that The Neighbor has the coolest, most awesome job EVER.


And there you go, kids. That was the time I fell in love with baking.