Ellen Ramos: Bringing sweetness and light to LA’s restaurant scene

by Robert Wemischner

Sponsored by

Ellen Ramos, pastry chef at LA Cha Cha Cha, a stylish transport from Mexico City in downtown Los Angeles and Loreto, an inventive Mexican seafood spot northeast of downtown, characterizes her desserts as “elevated street style.” But make no mistake, her creations are grounded in rigorous technique.

For Ramos, who is mostly self-taught in pastry, aesthetics come after flavor and plating. “I hate desserts that look sensational but don’t deliver on taste,” she says. Working with menus that center on sunny contemporary Mexican fare, Ramos makes desserts that are “unapologetically Mexican in inspiration,” she says. Tropical flavors abound, underscored by her liberal use of Tahitian Gold vanilla products.

Whole vanilla beans provide intense flavor in her burnt vanilla ice cream. “I like to roast the whole beans to concentrate and complex their flavor,” she says. “Once [they are] cooled, I ground them and flavor a mixture of condensed milk and heavy cream. The flavor I can achieve using this method is intensely nostalgic for me.”

The vanilla-flecked ice cream is just one of seven components in her signature Choco-Banana coupe at Loreto. A disc of Diablito (devil’s food) chocolate cake flavored with Tahitian Gold vanilla bean paste is surmounted with charred vanilla caramel and slightly underripe sliced bananas. Ramos adds textural counterpoint to the creamy construction with a crumble of plantain chips and peanuts. Next comes a gianduja cremeux that adds heft and toasty notes, followed by a generous scoop of the vanilla ice cream. She tops the whole thing with some marshmallow crème torched to perfection just before serving. This one turns heads and invites dazzled patrons to dig their spoons deep into their glasses to experience all of the flavors and textures at once.

In her ongoing sweet journey, Ramos upholds her core belief: “I always respect the ingredient, whether it’s top-quality vanilla or farmers’ market strawberries in season,” she says. “Each element of the dessert must shine to earn its place on our roster of sweets.”

 In Merengue, another signature dessert at LA Cha Cha Cha, simplicity rules. Layers of crisp meringue flavored with Tahitian Gold ground vanilla beans, alternate with fresh strawberries and raspberries au naturel, held together with layers of whipped cream cheese and heavy cream. “I like to assemble this dessert a couple of hours before it is served, which allows the meringue to soften slightly. It still retains some of its crispness and acts as a counterpoint to the slightly tart but fragrant berries that bring a taste of summer to the plate.”

Ramos adds to the fun at the end of dinner at La Cha Cha Cha with a dessert called Churro, piped out to evoke the L.A. Dodgers logo. It’s accompanied by a Thai tea cream, Jamaica (hibiscus flower) jam and Rompope, a variation on eggnog made with Abasolo, a Mexican corn whiskey, and rounded out with Tahitian Gold vanilla extract. Bringing street food inspiration into the restaurant, she does a play on Vampiro, that singularly Mexican blend of freshly pressed beet, orange and carrot juices. Here she freezes the blend into a raspado, a slushy granita, and serves it with a yogurt panna cotta lightened with whipped cream, lemon curd and finished with miniature meringue kisses dusted with the dehydrated pulp of the root vegetables.

With its slightly more upscale personality, Loreto gives Ramos a playground for Carajillo, a multicomponent stunner comprised of a devil’s food cake, milk chocolate cremeux, chunky pecan toffee, pecan ice cream, brought to new heights with Carajillo foam (riffing on a coffee-based cocktail) and shaved Oaxacan chocolate. She rounds out the dessert menu with a head-turning lime-flavored soft serve graced with a brown butter crumble and a drizzle of condensed milk–a simple ending to a seafood-centered Mexican menu.

Creating for both restaurants and an upcoming Mexican-inflected bakery, Santa Canela, in nearby Highland Park, Ramos says she enjoys crafting distinctive desserts and sharing her skills with her team. “What I like best about being a pastry chef is the endless creativity and science that go hand in hand,” she explains. “I take pleasure in being able to teach whatever skills I’ve learned to my assistants who take it all in and put it to work. I’m thrilled to be in a position that can open doors—and palates– and create opportunities for others.” Presiding over now three dessert menus is truly a shining moment for a bright star in L.A.’s pastry firmament.

Merengue

By Ellen Ramos, Pastry Chef, La Cha Cha Chá and Loreto, Los Angeles, CA

A vanilla bean meringue served with cream cheese Chantilly, fresh strawberries, and raspberries.

Yield: 8 generous servings

Equipment:

• Mixer with paddle and whisk attachments
• Piping bag
• 10-inch round stencil
• Oven
• Cake board (12 inches in diameter)

Meringue Disk

• 100 g egg whites, at room temperature
• 200 g granulated sugar
• 3 g Tahitian Gold Ground Vanilla Beans

Yield: Two disks measuring approximately 10 inches in diameter

1. In the bowl of a mixer, beat the egg whites until frothy. Gradually add the sugar in small increments.
2. Continue to whisk the mixture until stiff peaks form, approximately 8-10 minutes.
3. Place the meringue in a piping bag with a 1 cm opening. Using a 10-inch round stencil as a guide, pipe two rings of meringue starting at the middle and working outward, ensuring each loop closely touches the preceding one.
4. Dehydrate the meringue disks in the oven for 2 hours at 185°F (85°C) without a fan. Allow to cool.
5. Store in a cool place wrapped tightly.

Cream Cheese Chantilly

• 250 g cream cheese, at room temperature
• 125 g confectioner’s sugar, sifted
• 750 g heavy cream
• 5 g Tahitian Gold Ground Vanilla Beans

Yield: 1 ½ quarts

1. In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese with the powdered sugar until softened and smooth.
2. Switch to the whisk attachment and stream in the heavy cream, whipping the mixture until stiff peaks form.

Seasonal Fruit

• 375 g strawberries, cut into eighths
• 325 g raspberries, whole

Assembly

1. Spread a small amount of the Cream Cheese Chantilly in the center of a 12-inch cake board to anchor the first meringue disk.
2. Spread 250 g of the Cream Cheese Chantilly evenly to fully cover the meringue.
3. Add the first layer of strawberries and raspberries.
4. Carefully spread the remaining chantilly on top of the berries.
5. Gently place the second meringue disk on top of the chantilly, pressing it down lightly.
6. Finally, top with the remaining berries.
7. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Photos by Tahitian Gold Co.

(This article appeared in the Summer 2024 issue of Pastry Arts Magazine)