Brac de gitano - Rolled up cake filled with jam and cream

Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

Cake:

4 eggs, separated

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup flour

pinch salt

1 oz butter

1 tsp almond extract

Filling:

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup plus 5 Tbsp apricot or peach jam

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1/3 cup almonds

Preparation:

For the cake:

1.     Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and cover a 9×13 sheet pan with parchment paper. (A sheet pan looks like a cookie sheet with 1/2 inch high sides)

2.     In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks with sugar until pale yellow. Add flour, salt, butter, and almond extract.

3.     Add egg whites to a medium bowl, beat until stiff.

4.     Add 1/3 of the egg whites to the yolk mixture. Stir gently until just combined. Fold in remaining egg whites.

5.     Pour into pan and bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

6.     Cool slightly. Remove cake from pan and place on a sugared dish towel or saran wrap.  

7.     Roll up into a tube. Let cool to room temperature.

For the filling:

1.     Bring jam to room temperature.

2.     In a medium bowl, whip cream to soft peaks. Stir 1/3 whipped cream into 5 tbsp jam. Fold in remaining cream until just combined.

3.     Unroll the cake. Spread with 1/2 cup jam and then whipped filling. Reroll. Refrigerate for 1-4 hours.

4.     Sprinkle with sugar and cocoa. Slice into rounds. Serve cold.