Discover the delightful flavors of Latin America with our Brazo Gitano de Guayaba (Guava Swiss Roll), a jelly roll cake that's made with a soft, fluffy sponge cake filled with luscious guava filling, skillfully rolled, and then dusted with powdered sugar, creating a dessert that's as beautiful as it is delicious. Perfect for any special occasion or just a sweet trip down memory lane.
To make the guava filling: In a saucepan, boil the guava paste for 5 minutes at medium-high heat until smooth, thick, and spreadable but not too watery. Remove from the heat and stir in orange juice and orange zest.
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Butter a jelly-roll pan (or half sheet pan 17.5 x 12.5 inches). Line it with baking parchment and grease the pan.
In a stand mixer, beat the egg whites at medium speed until soft peaks form. Gradually add the sugar while increasing the speed to high. Beat until the whites stand in stiff peaks when you lift up the beater.
In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks until fluffy and pale yellow in color. In another bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and salt together. With a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg yolks into the whites, then gradually fold in the flour mixture and vanilla.
Pour the batter into the prepared jelly-roll pan and spread it evenly out to the edges of the pan.
Bake on the middle rack of the oven until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 15 minutes.
While the cake is still warm, invert it onto a clean, slightly damp kitchen towel that has been dusted with powdered sugar. Carefully peel off the parchment.
Roll up the cake in the towel, starting from the shorter side and rolling away from you. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes before adding the filling.
Gently unroll the cake and evenly spread the guava filling over the cake, leaving ½-inch around the cake. Reserve about 2 tablespoons of the guava filling for later.
Carefully roll the cake up again with the seam side of the cake face down. Wrap the roll tightly in parchment paper and then plastic wrap. Chill for 1 hour.
Before serving, unwrap the roll. Trim the ends off of the cake so the swirl is visible.
Brush the cake with the reserved guava filling then dust with powdered sugar. Enjoy!