Bolo de rolo

Bolo de Rolo is a speciality of Pernambuco in north-east Brazil, formed by wrapping successive paper-thin cake sheets around a guava filling. This profile fixes the classic guava-paste version rather than treating it as an ordinary single-layer Swiss roll.

Butter and eggs make the thin sponge rich yet flexible, while sugar gives restrained sweetness. Guava paste contributes concentrated tropical fruit flavour and a lightly tart counterpoint between every cake layer.

A cut slice reveals numerous tight concentric spirals of pale-golden cake and red guava filling. The cake is compact but tender, with exceptionally thin layers and a smooth, slightly sticky fruit seam throughout.