For the cake:
- Five eggs, separated (yolks in one small bowl, whites in large bowl)
- 5 TBSP of sugar
- 2 ½ TBSP flour
- 2 ½ TBSP cornstarch
- 3 TSP baking powder
- Parchment paper (important!)
For the Filling:
- ¾ cup heavy cream
- 2 TBSP sugar
- *Manjar (pronounce mon-hahr, also known as dulce de leche - must be made ahead, recipe below)
- ¾ cup chopped walnuts
- Powdered sugar
- Wax or parchment paper
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 375.
In the large bowl, beat the egg whites. When they begin to get stiff, slowly add the sugar and continue to mix – same speed, same motion, until sugar is fully mixed in. Carefully fold in the five egg yolks, the flour, cornstarch and baking powder until fully incorporated.
Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Pour all of the mixture and spread evenly to cover the entire cookie sheet. Bake for 15 minutes, remove and put cookie sheet on cooling rack to cool down.
While the cake is baking or cooling down, beat the heavy cream and sugar in a cold bowl until stiff (whipped cream). Set aside.
On a clean counter, lay out two pieces of wax paper so they overlap. Sprinkle powdered sugar all over the paper. Turn the cooled down cake onto the wax paper (cake side down, parchment paper on top). Peel the parchment paper off of the cake, and discard. Spread the manjar all over the cake, to the edges. Sprinkle the walnuts all over the manjar. Spread the whipped cream on top of the walnuts, again to the edges (in this exact order).
Roll up lengthwise, like a sushi roll and wrap the cylinder tightly in the wax paper. Put in fridge for thirty minutes to set.
Remove from fridge, unwrap the Brazo de Reina, and sprinkle powdered sugar on top. Serve in slices.
*Manjar – place one can of sweetened condensed milk in a large pot full of water (at least 2-3 inches of water above the can). Cover the pot with a lid, and turn on the heat. Once the water starts boiling, lower the heat to a slow simmer for 2 ½ hours. When finished boiling, pull the can out and let cool for 2-3 hours before using.