CiberCuba Cocina
Gypsy Arm | Photo © CiberCuba Cocina

Brazo Gitano translates to "Gypsy Arm" in English. However, it often refers to a type of rolled pastry or dessert commonly found in Spanish cuisine, known for its sweet filling and rolled appearance

Cooking, Desserts

Cooking, Desserts

Preparation Time:
45
Note:
The Brazo Gitano is a perfect dessert to bring to a gathering with friends or to make at home over the weekend. It's much easier than it might seem at first glance. You just need to know a couple of tricks that we share in this recipe. Remember, you can fill it with various options, such as a thick jam, pastry cream, Nutella, or even custard or whipped cream. I hope you enjoy our suggestion, and if you make it at home, don't forget to share a photo with us on our social media.
Ingredients:

For the sponge cake:

  • 4 eggs
  • 120 grams of wheat flour
  • 120 grams of white sugar
  • 1 teaspoon of baking powder or baking soda
  • 1 pinch of salt

For the pastry cream filling, see our recipe by clicking here:

Instructions:

If you wish to fill the Swiss roll with pastry cream as suggested in this recipe, we recommend making the cream as the first step. You can find all the details in our Pastry Cream recipe on CiberCuba Cocina. Once it's ready, set it aside and proceed with preparing the sponge cake for the Swiss roll.

Preparation of the Panetela / CiberCuba Kitchen

Separate the yolks and the whites of the 4 eggs. Whip the egg whites until stiff peaks form and then incorporate the yolks. While continuing to beat, gradually add the sugar until you achieve a smooth cream.

Mix the dry ingredients: baking powder, salt, and flour. Gradually add them to the eggs beaten with sugar, and if possible, sift them to achieve a smooth batter without lumps.

Preheat your oven to 180ºC.

Pound cake batter in the baking tray / CiberCuba Kitchen

Line the bottom of the baking tray with parchment paper. If you don't have parchment paper, grease it with butter or oil and dust a light layer of flour so that you can easily flip the cake once it has been baked.

It is necessary to use a tray instead of a mold because we want to achieve a thin and long cake that we can roll up later.

Turn the cake over onto a clean cloth so you can roll it. / CiberCuba Cocina

Pour the mixture into the pre-prepared baking tray. Bake for 10-12 minutes in the center position, using both top and bottom heat. Check that the batter is ready by inserting a toothpick; it should come out clean.

Rolled panetela in a cloth / CiberCuba Kitchen

Once the cake is ready, take it out of the oven and cover it with a clean white cotton cloth, preferably.

Let it cool for a bit and then turn it out of the mold. Trim the edges to achieve a perfect rectangle. Next, using a cloth, roll it up to give it a cylindrical shape and leave it wrapped until it cools down.

Filling the cake roll with pastry cream / CiberCuba Cocina

Unroll the cake to fill it with pastry cream. Spread the cream evenly and carefully roll it back up to prevent the cake from breaking, ensuring a perfect presentation.

Arm ready to chill and then decorate / CiberCuba Kitchen

Place it in the refrigerator for about an hour to cool and set. You can top it with pastry cream and dust it with sugar; some people cover it with meringue and add pieces of caramelized fruit. Others fill them with whipped cream, which makes them absolutely delicious.

Cuban gypsy arm covered with a delicate layer of pastry cream / CiberCuba Cocina

In this case, it was covered with a thin layer of pastry cream, and once it was well chilled, it was dusted with sugar and burned to lightly caramelize it. Then, powdered sugar was sprinkled on top. The best option is to finish the decoration just before serving.

Gypsy Arm ready to serve / CiberCuba Kitchen

It's a delicious dessert that won't last long on the table, as everyone will want seconds. I hope you enjoy it! Bon appétit!

Rations:
8