Bolo de Rolo

Brazilian guava paste⏱ 60 min⚡ Vegetarian

Bolo de Rolo is a delicate rolled cake made of multiple whisper-thin layers of buttery sponge wrapped around glossy guava filling. The result is elegant, lightly sweet, and beautifully striped when sliced, with a tender texture and bright fruit finish.

Nutrition · per serving

493kcal

7.5gProtein

74.5gCarbs

19.5gFat

1.4gFiber

2 servings

Ingredients

11 items

Cake batter

unsalted butter, softened60 g

caster sugar60 g

egg yolks2 yolks (about 36 g)

whole egg1 egg (about 50 g)

plain flour60 g

fine sea salt1 pinch

Guava filling

guava paste120 g

water30 ml

Tray preparation and finish

unsalted butter, melted10 g

plain flour10 g

icing sugar10 g

Tips

•Work quickly between baking and rolling; the thin sponge is most flexible while hot.
•If the guava filling thickens too much, warm it briefly so it spreads in a very thin layer.
•For the neatest spiral, trim the ends after resting before serving.
•Traditionally the cake is sliced to show the tight rings, like a sweet jelly-roll mosaic.

Steps

1
Preheat the oven to 230°C conventional heat. Line a 30 x 40 cm baking tray with baking paper, then lightly brush the paper with melted butter and dust very lightly with flour, tapping off the excess. This helps the ultra-thin sponge release cleanly.
10 g unsalted butter, melted10 g plain flour
2
Make the filling first so it is ready to spread quickly: combine the guava paste and water in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until smooth and spreadable, 2-3 minutes. It should be thick like warm jam, not runny. Keep it just warm.
120 g guava paste30 ml water
3
In a bowl, cream the softened butter with the caster sugar until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, then the whole egg, mixing well after each addition so the batter stays smooth and emulsified.
60 g unsalted butter, softened60 g caster sugar2 yolks (about 36 g) egg yolks1 egg (about 50 g) whole egg
4
Sift in the flour and add the salt, then fold gently just until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix; a light hand keeps the sponge flexible enough to roll without cracking.
60 g plain flour1 pinch fine sea salt
5
Spread about one quarter of the batter in a very thin, even rectangle on the prepared tray, roughly 20 x 25 cm. Bake for 3-4 minutes, just until set and barely golden at the edges. The surface should spring back lightly when touched.
60 g unsalted butter, softened60 g caster sugar2 yolks (about 36 g) egg yolks1 egg (about 50 g) whole egg60 g plain flour1 pinch fine sea salt
6
Slide the baked sheet, still on its paper, onto the counter. Spread a very thin layer of warm guava filling over it, leaving a 5 mm border. Starting from a short end, roll it tightly while still hot. This first roll forms the core.
120 g guava paste30 ml water
7
Spread another quarter of the batter onto the same tray in the same thin rectangle and bake again for 3-4 minutes. Turn the existing guava roll onto the edge of this new hot sheet, spread the sheet thinly with guava, then roll the first cylinder up inside it. Repeat twice more with the remaining batter and guava filling to build the characteristic concentric layers.
60 g unsalted butter, softened60 g caster sugar2 yolks (about 36 g) egg yolks1 egg (about 50 g) whole egg60 g plain flour1 pinch fine sea salt120 g guava paste30 ml water
8
Let the finished roll rest seam-side down for 10 minutes so the layers settle and the filling firms slightly. If desired, dust lightly with icing sugar before slicing into 2 portions.
10 g icing sugar

Origin & History

Bolo de Rolo comes from Pernambuco in northeastern Brazil and is considered one of the region's signature sweets. It evolved from Portuguese rolled cakes, but Brazilian cooks adapted the filling to locally abundant goiabada, creating the many thin guava-lined layers that define the modern version.

brazilian cake guava dessert classic baked vegetarian

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Steps

Preheat the oven to 230°C conventional heat. Line a 30 x 40 cm baking tray with baking paper, then lightly brush the paper with melted butter and dust very lightly with flour, tapping off the excess. This helps the ultra-thin sponge release cleanly.

10 g unsalted butter, melted10 g plain flour

Make the filling first so it is ready to spread quickly: combine the guava paste and water in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir until smooth and spreadable, 2-3 minutes. It should be thick like warm jam, not runny. Keep it just warm.

120 g guava paste30 ml water

In a bowl, cream the softened butter with the caster sugar until pale and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Beat in the egg yolks one at a time, then the whole egg, mixing well after each addition so the batter stays smooth and emulsified.

60 g unsalted butter, softened60 g caster sugar2 yolks (about 36 g) egg yolks1 egg (about 50 g) whole egg

Sift in the flour and add the salt, then fold gently just until no dry streaks remain. Do not overmix; a light hand keeps the sponge flexible enough to roll without cracking.

60 g plain flour1 pinch fine sea salt

Spread about one quarter of the batter in a very thin, even rectangle on the prepared tray, roughly 20 x 25 cm. Bake for 3-4 minutes, just until set and barely golden at the edges. The surface should spring back lightly when touched.

60 g unsalted butter, softened60 g caster sugar2 yolks (about 36 g) egg yolks1 egg (about 50 g) whole egg60 g plain flour1 pinch fine sea salt

Slide the baked sheet, still on its paper, onto the counter. Spread a very thin layer of warm guava filling over it, leaving a 5 mm border. Starting from a short end, roll it tightly while still hot. This first roll forms the core.

120 g guava paste30 ml water

Spread another quarter of the batter onto the same tray in the same thin rectangle and bake again for 3-4 minutes. Turn the existing guava roll onto the edge of this new hot sheet, spread the sheet thinly with guava, then roll the first cylinder up inside it. Repeat twice more with the remaining batter and guava filling to build the characteristic concentric layers.

60 g unsalted butter, softened60 g caster sugar2 yolks (about 36 g) egg yolks1 egg (about 50 g) whole egg60 g plain flour1 pinch fine sea salt120 g guava paste30 ml water

Let the finished roll rest seam-side down for 10 minutes so the layers settle and the filling firms slightly. If desired, dust lightly with icing sugar before slicing into 2 portions.

10 g icing sugar