Guava Roll Cake (Rocambole)

This is a typical Brazilian cake, even if you can find rolled cakes all over the world. This one comes from the North-East of Brazil and is filled with goiabada. The what? It is a guava paste that can be easily found in Paris in Brazilian stores or on the internet. This cake is delicious thanks to this highly addictive batter! You can also find and make this cake with “dulce de leche” from Argentina.

I will make this cake again with an even thinner batter. It is found in Brazil with several possible thicknesses, but in the region of Recife the dough is thinner and the diameter of the cake is wider…

Recipe for Rocambole:

-3 eggs 

-200g of sugar

-200g of flour

-200g unsalted butter

-200g of “goiabada 

Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Separate the yolks from the whites. Put the yolks with the sugar.

Blanch as much as possible with a whisk. 

Melt the butter.

Add it to the yolk-sugar mixture.

Add the flour all at once. 

And mix briskly. 

Whisk the egg whites in a separate bowl. 

Add the egg whites and mix by lifting as for a mousse. 

On a sheet of paper of 30X40cm, pour a part of the dough (half). 

Then spread it thinly and evenly with an angled spatula or whatever you have on hand…!

Then place the paper on a flat-edged baking sheet of the same size.

Bake at 180°C for 8 minutes. The dough should not color but still be cooked! Because if it stains, it will break when rolled. 

Trim the dough around the edges to make it perfectly straight all over. 

Here is the goiabada: I bought this one in Minas Gerais (see the culinary journey HERE!). You can find it in Brazilian stores in Paris or on the internet. 

Put in the microwave with two tablespoons of water (or in a bain-marie) to make it soft and pliable. 

Pour half of the goiabada on the dough (and the second half on the second plate). 

Then spread it thinly over the entire surface. 

Roll the cake up on itself, gently peeling it off the paper. The whole thing should be rolled evenly. 

Roll the cake on itself to distribute the interior evenly. Wrap in cling film and chill before eating! 

Note from Bernard: I made this recipe on a larger baking sheet than indicated. Since there will be two cake plates with the dimension 30X40, we can wrap the second cake around the first one to make it bigger. It will have an even larger diameter   and will be even more appetizing! 

Cut into thin slices, this cake will delight children and adults alike!