Mostachon: The Mexican Pavlova
“The natural sweetness of fruit complements any kind of cake, and in this typical dessert from the North of Mexico, it is a key element that also enhances the cake flavor and texture.In Mexico, the mostachon is called by many the Mexican Pavlova. This crunchy meringue-based cake, with walnuts and crackers, is topped with a cream-based icing and the fruit of your preference. The tradition calls for strawberries, however, I find that figs, mangoes, raspberries and guavas are an excellent replacement that can take this dessert to a next level. This spring is the perfect season to delight yourself with this fresh dessert, from brunch to dinner.”
Ingredients
- 8 egg whites
- 1 teaspoon (3 g) cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon (4.9 ml) vanilla extract
- 1½ cups (300 g) sugar
- 3 cups (375 g) walnuts, chopped
- 2 cups (350 g) Ritz crackers, broken up
- 2 cups (120 g) cream cheese
- ¾ cup (97.5 g) powdered sugar
- ½ cup (152 g) dulce de leche
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat the oven at 320° F. In a mixer, beat the egg whites and cream of tartar at maximum speed until firm peaks are obtained. Add the vanilla and sugar in the form of rain, beat about 5 minutes until they have a bright color and firm peaks.
- Stir in the chopped nuts and the broken crackers (breaking them by hand just before adding them to the mixture works well) then give this mixture just a gentle fold. Pour it into a 9-inch round cake pan or springform pan previously greased and lined with parchment paper.
- Bake for 1 hour and cool at room temperature before decorating.
- For the icing, beat the cream cheese with the icing sugar and the heavy whipping cream until the mixture is soft without lumps.
- Once the cake is cool, add a layer of dulce de leche, cover this with the icing and top it with the fruit of your preference.
Notes
Photo by Daniela Loera