Pasteleria Varela Menu

Pasteles de Celebración

Whole cakes for birthdays, quinceañeras, and baptisms, usually ordered ahead and decorated with whipped cream, fruit, or fondant.

• Pastel de DuraznoVegetarianLayers of chiffon cake brushed with syrup and filled with peach slices and Chantilly cream, a fixture at Mexican family parties.
• Pastel de Mil HojasVegetarianStacked sheets of crisp puff pastry sandwiched with dulce de leche or pastry cream, topped with powdered sugar or meringue.
• Selva NegraVegetarianA Latin-style black forest cake of chocolate sponge, cherry filling, and whipped cream, finished with chocolate shavings and cherries.
• Pastel de Dulce de LecheVegetarianVanilla cake layers spread with thick dulce de leche and frosted in a caramel-tinged buttercream, with toasty, cooked-milk notes.
• Tres Leches ClásicoVegetarian · Popular pickSponge cake soaked overnight in evaporated milk, condensed milk, and cream, crowned with whipped topping; spoon-tender and milky-sweet.
• Tres Leches de FresaVegetarianA strawberry version layered with sliced fresh berries between soaked sponge and frosted in pale pink whipped cream.
• ChocoflanVegetarianAlso called pastel imposible: chocolate cake and smooth caramel flan baked together, swapping places in the oven, then glazed with cajeta.
• Pastel de PiñaVegetarianLight vanilla sponge filled with crushed pineapple and whipped cream, decorated with pineapple rings and maraschino cherries; fruity and airy.

Rebanadas y Postres Individuales

Single-serve slices and portions from the display case, sized for an afternoon cafecito.

• Torta ChilenaVegetarianA Salvadoran and Chilean favorite of many thin, crisp pastry layers alternated with dulce de leche or apricot jam.
• Cheesecake de GuayabaVegetarianCreamy cheesecake swirled or topped with guava glaze, mixing tangy cream cheese with tropical, floral fruit sweetness.
• Mousse de MaracuyáAn airy passion fruit mousse set in a cup, sharp and fragrant, often finished with a spoonful of seed-flecked passion fruit sauce.
• Quesadilla SalvadoreñaVegetarianA Salvadoran sweet pound cake made with rice flour, hard cheese, and sour cream, topped with sesame seeds; dense and faintly salty.
• PiononoVegetarianA thin sponge rolled around dulce de leche or guava filling and dusted with sugar, sliced into spirals with a caramel or fruity center.
• Brazo GitanoVegetarianA Spanish-heritage jelly roll filled with pastry cream, guava, or cream cheese, sliced to show off its pinwheel.
• Flan de CocoVegetarian · Gluten-freeA dense, silky custard made with coconut milk and shredded coconut, set in amber caramel and served chilled.
• QuesilloVegetarian · Gluten-freeVenezuelan-style flan with a slightly porous, honeycombed texture from whole eggs and condensed milk, under a dark caramel syrup.

Dulces y Galletas

Bite-sized cookies and confections sold by the piece or packed in party boxes.

• MerenguesVegetarian · Gluten-freeLarge meringue swirls tinted in pastel colors that shatter into a light, sugary crunch with a slightly chewy center.
• CocadasVegetarian · Gluten-freeRustic coconut candies cooked with sugar and milk until golden, firm at the edges and chewy at the core.
• Polvorones de CanelaVegetarianCrumbly cinnamon shortbread rounds dusted in cinnamon sugar, a staple of party favor bags and coffee trays.
• AlfajoresVegetarian · Popular pickTwo tender cornstarch shortbread cookies sandwiching dulce de leche, edges rolled in shredded coconut; crumbly and caramel-rich.
• Besitos de CocoVegetarian · Gluten-freePuerto Rican coconut kisses: small mounds of shredded coconut and brown sugar baked until toasty outside and chewy inside.
• BrigadeirosVegetarian · Gluten-freeBrazilian chocolate truffles of condensed milk, cocoa, and butter, rolled in chocolate sprinkles; fudgy and very sweet.

Pastelitos y Salados

Flaky pastries and savory bites from across Latin America, often sold warm.

• Cachito de JamónSavoryA Venezuelan soft roll wrapped around chopped ham and sometimes bacon, slightly sweet dough against a salty filling.
• Buñuelo ColombianoVegetarian · SavoryA round cheese fritter made with cornstarch and salty fresh cheese, crisp-shelled and airy inside, especially popular at Christmas.
• Pastelito de Guayaba y QuesoVegetarianPuff pastry squares filled with guava paste and sweetened cream cheese, glazed with syrup; flaky, tangy, and jammy.
• Empanada ArgentinaSavoryA baked hand pie with a braided, crimped edge, filled with seasoned ground beef, onion, olives, and hard-boiled egg.
• Empanada de PolloSavoryA golden turnover stuffed with shredded chicken stewed with tomato, onion, and cumin, crisp outside and juicy within.
• PandebonoVegetarian · Gluten-freeColombian cheese bread made with cassava starch and corn flour, chewy and springy with a salty, cheesy aroma.

Postres Fríos

Chilled cups and molded desserts kept in the refrigerated case.

• Gelatina de MosaicoGluten-freeCubes of bright fruit gelatin set in a creamy condensed-milk gelatin, cool, jiggly, and a fixture at children's parties.
• Arroz con LecheVegetarian · Gluten-freeRice simmered slowly in milk with cinnamon and citrus peel until thick and creamy, served cold with a dusting of cinnamon.
• JericallaVegetarian · Gluten-freeA Guadalajara custard flavored with cinnamon and vanilla, baked until its top browns into a spotted, burnished skin.
• Fresas con CremaVegetarian · Gluten-freeSliced strawberries folded into a sweet blend of crema and condensed milk, served cold in a cup.
• Carlota de LimónVegetarianAn icebox dessert of Maria cookies layered with a lime and condensed-milk cream, chilled until sliceable and tart.
• NatillaVegetarian · Gluten-freeA soft stovetop custard thickened with cornstarch and perfumed with cinnamon, smooth, pale, and spoonable.

Drinks

• CortaditoVegetarian · Gluten-freeSweetened Cuban espresso cut with a splash of steamed milk, giving a smaller, stronger alternative to a latte with caramel-like depth.
• Café con lecheVegetarian · Gluten-freeCuban-style espresso poured into a mug of hot, sweetened milk; the classic morning partner for buttered, pressed Cuban toast.
• Mexican hot chocolateVegetarianDisks of cinnamon-scented, slightly grainy Mexican chocolate melted into milk and frothed with a molinillo for a foamy, spiced cup.
• HorchataVegetarian · Gluten-freeChilled rice drink blended with cinnamon, vanilla, and sugar, sometimes with almonds; milky-white, lightly gritty, and cooling on a hot afternoon.
• Agua frescaVegan · Gluten-freeFresh fruit blended with water, lime, and a little sugar; common rotating flavors include watermelon, cantaloupe, pineapple, and jamaica (hibiscus).
• Cafecito (Cuban espresso)Vegan · Gluten-freeShort, intensely sweet espresso made by whipping the first drops with sugar into an espumita foam; served in thimble-sized cups to share.