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Cakes & loaves

Dulce de leche sponge roll

A thin, soft sponge rolled around dulce de leche and finished with powdered sugar. A classic worth learning to make.

Intermediate10 slices

Illustrative photo. Your results may vary.

Sponge roll filled with dulce de leche
Preparation
25 min
Baking
12 min
Resting & cooling
60 min
Total time
97 min

AT YOUR PACE, STEP BY STEP

Let’s get baking

  1. 01

    Preheat the oven to 190 °C using conventional top and bottom heat. Lightly grease a 30 × 40 cm baking tray with the butter, line it with baking paper, and grease the paper too. Have a clean, smooth, lint-free kitchen towel ready.

  2. 02

    Place the eggs, white sugar, honey, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl. Beat with an electric mixer for 8 to 10 minutes, until pale and very thick, with a ribbon of mixture that remains visible for a few seconds after it falls.

  3. 03

    Sift the flour and cornstarch together. Fold them in using a spatula in two additions, reaching the bottom of the bowl without knocking out too much air. Spread the batter evenly over the tray, right into the corners.

  4. 04

    Bake on the middle rack for 10 to 12 minutes. The sponge should be lightly golden and spring back when the center is gently touched. Avoid overbaking, as a dry sheet of sponge will crack when rolled.

  5. 05

    Sprinkle the 10 g powdered sugar over the towel. Carefully, using oven mitts, invert the freshly baked sponge onto the towel and peel off the paper. While still warm, roll it up from one short side with the towel inside the spiral.

  6. 06

    Let the roll cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes, seam-side down. The towel helps it hold its shape without the layers sticking together.

  7. 07

    Gently unroll the sponge and remove the towel. Spread the dulce de leche evenly, leaving a 2 cm border at the end that will finish the roll. Roll up again without the towel, avoiding squeezing the filling out.

  8. 08

    Place seam-side down, wrap in baking paper, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm up. Dust with the remaining 5 g powdered sugar and cut into 10 slices with a serrated knife without crushing the sponge. Keep covered in the refrigerator and eat within 3 days.

A little baking wisdom

The key is rolling the sponge while it is still warm. If the dulce de leche is very firm, stir it with a spatula until spreadable; do not thin it with milk.

Times are approximate and vary with your oven. Use oven mitts and check doneness before serving.