Bien Me Sabe (Coconut Custard Cake)
A rum-soaked sponge cake blanketed in a silky coconut custard and crowned with a cloud of soft meringue — the dessert Puerto Rican families bring out for weddings, Christmas and birthdays.
Servings
Ingredients
Nutrition
Per serving
Steps
Bake the sponge cake
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease and flour a 23x33 cm (9x13 in) baking pan. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar for 2–3 minutes until pale and a little fluffy, then whisk in the vanilla, milk and oil. Fold in the dry ingredients just until smooth, pour into the pan, and bake.
- 200 g flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 eggs
- 200 g sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 120 ml whole milk
- 60 ml vegetable oil
Soak the warm cake
While the cake bakes, simmer the sugar and water in a small pot until the sugar fully dissolves, then take it off the heat and stir in the rum. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, poke it all over with a fork and spoon the warm syrup over it slowly, letting each addition soak in before adding more.
- 100 g sugar
- 120 ml water
- 2 tbsp rum
Cook the coconut custard
Heat the coconut milk and sugar in a pot over medium heat until hot but not boiling. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, cornstarch and salt until smooth. Slowly pour about a cup of the hot coconut milk into the yolks while whisking constantly to temper them, then pour the yolk mixture back into the pot. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring all the time, without letting it boil, then stir in the vanilla.
- 800 ml coconut milk
- 150 g sugar
- 5 egg yolks
- 30 g cornstarch
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Assemble and chill
Pour the warm custard evenly over the soaked cake, still in its pan, tilting the pan gently so it reaches every corner. Let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate uncovered until completely set and cold. This long chill is essential: it lets the custard firm up and the flavours settle.
Make the meringue
Put the egg whites, sugar and salt in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water. Whisk often until the sugar fully dissolves and the mixture feels warm, about 71°C (160°F). Remove from the heat and beat with an electric mixer until thick, glossy and holding stiff peaks.
- 5 egg whites
- 150 g sugar
- pinch salt
Top and chill before serving
Spread the meringue evenly over the chilled custard with a spatula, swirling it into soft peaks. Arrange the cherries over the top and sprinkle with the toasted coconut. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes so the meringue sets slightly, then slice and serve cold.
- 12 cherries
- 30 g toasted coconut
Bake the sponge cake
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) and grease and flour a 23x33 cm (9x13 in) baking pan. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. In another bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar for 2–3 minutes until pale and a little fluffy, then whisk in the vanilla, milk and oil. Fold in the dry ingredients just until smooth, pour into the pan, and bake.
- 200 g flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 4 eggs
- 200 g sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 120 ml whole milk
- 60 ml vegetable oil
Soak the warm cake
While the cake bakes, simmer the sugar and water in a small pot until the sugar fully dissolves, then take it off the heat and stir in the rum. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, poke it all over with a fork and spoon the warm syrup over it slowly, letting each addition soak in before adding more.
- 100 g sugar
- 120 ml water
- 2 tbsp rum
Cook the coconut custard
Heat the coconut milk and sugar in a pot over medium heat until hot but not boiling. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, cornstarch and salt until smooth. Slowly pour about a cup of the hot coconut milk into the yolks while whisking constantly to temper them, then pour the yolk mixture back into the pot. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring all the time, without letting it boil, then stir in the vanilla.
- 800 ml coconut milk
- 150 g sugar
- 5 egg yolks
- 30 g cornstarch
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Assemble and chill
Pour the warm custard evenly over the soaked cake, still in its pan, tilting the pan gently so it reaches every corner. Let it cool to room temperature, then refrigerate uncovered until completely set and cold. This long chill is essential: it lets the custard firm up and the flavours settle.
Make the meringue
Put the egg whites, sugar and salt in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of gently simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water. Whisk often until the sugar fully dissolves and the mixture feels warm, about 71°C (160°F). Remove from the heat and beat with an electric mixer until thick, glossy and holding stiff peaks.
- 5 egg whites
- 150 g sugar
- pinch salt
Top and chill before serving
Spread the meringue evenly over the chilled custard with a spatula, swirling it into soft peaks. Arrange the cherries over the top and sprinkle with the toasted coconut. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes so the meringue sets slightly, then slice and serve cold.
- 12 cherries
- 30 g toasted coconut
The Story Behind the Dish
Bien me sabe grew out of the Spanish and Canary Islands tradition of rich egg-and-sugar custards, adapted in the Caribbean with the coconut that grew abundantly on the islands. Over generations it became a layered showpiece: rum-soaked sponge, coconut custard and meringue, built for the big occasions in Puerto Rican family life.
The dessert spread across the island through home bakers and small panaderías, each family guarding its own version of the custard and syrup. It remains a dish passed down more than written down, taught by watching a grandmother test the custard's thickness by feel.
⭐ Why It's Famous
It is one of Puerto Rico's most beloved celebration desserts, prized for the contrast between the soft rum-soaked cake, the rich coconut custard and the light meringue on top.
💡 Fun Fact
A simpler, blended version of bien me sabe also exists in Venezuela, where it is made with layers of sponge cake and a coconut cream rather than a cooked custard.
Puerto Rico
18.47°N, -66.11°W
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