Asturian-American Migration Forum

I have a strong hankering for a dessert from my childhood known as "Brazo de Gitano", which was essentially a rolled sponge cake with a cream filling. Does anyone have a good recipe?

Diane, here's the recipe I use. The filling is optional, I prefer vanilla pudding, but some folks use marmelade or whipped cream.

Brazo de Gitano – Swiss Roll

4 eggs, separated
115 g (1/2 cup sugar)
115 g (1 cup plain flour)
1 tsp baking powder

1.Preheat oven to 350ºF/Gas 4

2.Line and grease 33 x 23 cm (13 x 9”) baking sheet

3.Whisk the egg whites until stiff. Beat in 2 tbsp of the sugar.

4.Beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar and 1 tbsp water for about 2 minutes until the mixture is pale and leaves a thick ribbon trail.

5.Sift together the flour and baking powder. Carefully fold the beaten egg yolks into the egg whites, then fold in the flour mixture.

6.Pour the mixture into the prepared sheet and gently smooth the surface. Bake in the centre of the oven for 12-15 minutes, or until the cake starts to come away from the edges of the tin.

7. Turn out onto a piece of greaseproof paper, lightly sprinkled with sugar. Peel off lining paper and cut off any crisp edges. Spread with vanilla pudding or any filling you prefer and roll up, using the greaseproof paper as a guide. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack.

8. Sprinkle with powder sugar, or decorate with either whipped cream, chocolate sauce, whipped egg white (meringue) etc.

Optional: soak with a little brandy or whisky.

Ron recently asked me if we have a recipe for Brazo de Gitano with almond paste (marzipan) in it. None of the recipes I've seen have almond paste, although most are slightly more complicated than the one above.

I'm wondering if maybe the dessert Ron remembers has a different name?

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Ron me preguntó recientemente si tenemos una receta para Brazo de Gitano/a que use mazapán. Ninguna de las recetas que he visto tiene mazapán, aunque la mayoría son un poco más complicado que la anterior.

Me pregunto si tal vez se llame la postre que Ron recuerda con un nombre diferente?

The closest thing, Ron, I could find would be a variation of the "pan de Cádiz". Got to say, unlike the biscuit, marzipan can't be worked out after cooked because it would crackle and break, unless it is a very lightly cooked one and the dessert being a small one.

Being that case, the closest thing I remember is this fantastic industrial dessert named "Merpeipis". It's a finger-sized soft biscuit covered with cream and covered above with soft marzipan;and the tips of it, covered with chocolate.

I think they still sell them!