Bolo de rolo

Bolo de rolo is a rolled sponge cake from the state of Pernambuco in northeastern Brazil, filled with a thin layer of guava paste. It is a sweet cake of the kind sold in bakeries and at roadside stalls in the Recife region.

What it really is

The cake is built from a very thin sheet of egg, sugar and wheat flour batter baked in a shallow tray, so that it is only a few millimetres thick. While the sheet is still warm it is spread with a layer of guava paste (goiabada) and rolled up tightly, which gives the cake its many fine spiral layers when it is sliced.

It is often confused with ordinary Swiss-style jelly rolls, but the sheet is much thinner, the layers are more numerous, and the filling is a firm fruit paste rather than cream or jam. Its name refers to the rolled spiral, and the cake is closely tied to Pernambuco, where it is a traditional sweet.

How it's served

• Sliced into thick rounds, usually served cold or at room temperature.
• Eaten as a dessert or with coffee in the afternoon.
• Sold whole or by the slice in bakeries and markets in Pernambuco.

How to write it on the menu

• Name the cake as bolo de rolo, and state that it is a thin egg sponge rolled around guava paste.
• Flag the allergens: it contains wheat, eggs and milk only if butter is used in the recipe, so check the batter before listing milk.
• Mention that the classic filling is guava paste (goiabada); cream or other fillings are variants and should be named as such.
• Note that the cake is best served cold or at room temperature, sliced into rounds.