"I've been eating it my whole life," he says. The cake was available in every pastry shop in , his hometown in Spain's southeast. It was like a local version of a Swiss roll: a sponge cake that holds a spiral of sweetness inside – a fruity layer of jam and creamy centre, perhaps, or a much-appreciated slathering of chocolate. Cinnamon? Buttercream? He tried all the different flavours, often sampling his brothers' versions in the process. It was good training for their weekend family feasts, where they bought a massive serve of brazo de gitano (or brazo gitano, as it's also known) for the table.
"Every Sunday, we'd stop in these pastry shops and we wouldn't just buy three. We'd buy a whole tray of 15," he says. This was necessary, as they had many relatives. "My mum is one of 20 children," he says.
She'd cook paella at her grandmother's farm, a place that was actually large enough to seat such a massive crowd. "We couldn't go to any restaurants!" Maestre says and laughs. "Every Sunday was special for the Maestres, because we were such a big family."
Every Sunday, we'd stop in these pastry shops and we wouldn't just buy three. We'd buy a whole tray of 15.
The brazo de gitano can be found all across Spain, often served with a local flourish. In Murcia, which is famous for its lemons, there might be a zesty finish (and a sprinkling of cinnamon) with the brazo de gitano. "That's a flavour combination I use," he says.
"The Catalans love the burnt sugars," Maestre says. So in their region of Spain, the dessert looks more like a , with blowtorched caramel and more cream inside.
"If you go all the way to the top of Spain, to the Basque country, they use strawberry and sour marmalade," he says.
It's said that the most traditional kind of brazo de gitano is , in the country's northeast, but Maestre questions this.
"It's like going to France and finding out where is the most traditional place to have a croissant," he says.
Maestre used to prepare serves of brazo de gitano at his previous restaurant, El Toro Loco in Sydney's Manly, so he researched its history to find out its origins. There are many theories about its creation. The name translates as "gypsy's arm" in Spanish; one belief is that the cake was introduced to locals via a . (The pastry's initial name, "", eventually became "gypsy's arm" over time.) Another origin story involves given to gypsies (or , as they prefer to be known) as payment for their goods. The pastry would be transported over their arms – hence the name 'gypsy's arm'. Maestre believes that's plausible, especially given the strong Romani ties to Spanish culture. "They're the ones that sing flamenco, they're the ones that play Spanish guitar," he says. He also thinks the name could simply come from the fact the cake does look like a person's arm.
"When I moved to Australia, I wanted to keep some of my Spanish traditions and roots, but I had to find a place for them," he says. The chef arrived here nearly two decades ago and without his massive extended family (and their equally large appetite for brazo de gitano), the cake became a food for special occasions.
Miguel Maestre shares a recipe from his new cookbook, Feast. It's a special cake that's found all over Spain. Source: Jeremy Simons
The chef has prepared his mum's Christmas version of the dessert on his TV show, , to plenty of interest. "When something's authentic or has a link to your mum," he says, "the response of the public is amazing."
He's served it at restaurants and events, and reworked the cake into ice cream; he's also prepared it as "millions" of petits fours at functions. "I've done it as big as possible and as small as possible, as rustic as possible and as refined as possible," Maestre says.
He's not secretive about how he makes it either.
"I put it in my book in the Christmas chapter, because I think it's something that people will attempt to do."
"It's pretty easy to make," the chef says. Rolling the layers with a tea towel isn't as tricky as it seems and you can keep the flavours simple, too.
"If you like marmalade and sponge, it can be just that. It doesn't have to be fancy icing."
And if you look around the globe, there are many inspired variations on this cake. Someone has even made it as a .
"I was reading in Venezuela, Cuba, Argentina, they use dulce de leche and avocado mousse and South American styles," he says.
It can be filled with , or hard-boiled eggs (like this Mexican-inspired , known as a 'brazo de reina' – queen's arm). A Colombian brazo de reina might be sweetened with , but a traditional Chilean recipe will use . The brazo de Mercedes (Mercedes' arm) is the Filipino style of this rolled cake, dusted with powdered sugar and filled with condensed milk and leftover . "I guess these foods were introduced with the colonies and everyone has embraced the original recipe and modified it," he says.
For Maestre – who's been recognised by for his contribution to Spanish culture in Australia – this dessert personally connects him to his Muria upbringing and it'll be served at his family Christmas this year.
"There'll be a big feast on top of the table and we'll celebrate that we're together again," he says. "With a sangria." It's an appropriate drink for toasting a Spanish dessert he knows so well.
Yule log (brazo gitano)
Serves 4–6
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp cocoa powder
- 90 g plain flour
- 25 g dark chocolate, grated
- 25 g white chocolate, grated
- 3 eggs
- 115 g (½ cup) caster sugar, plus 1 teaspoon extra
- 1 Flake chocolate bar, broken into pieces
- 100 g hazelnuts, lightly toasted and skins removed, crushed
- Red berries, such as raspberries or currants
Filling
- 100 g white chocolate, chopped
- 1 cup pouring cream
Ganache
- 100 g dark chocolate chips
- 100 ml thickened cream
- 2 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan-forced). Grease a 30 x 25 cm swiss roll tin and line the base with baking paper, extending it 5 cm over the two long sides.
- Sift the cocoa and half the flour into a small bowl. Stir in the grated dark chocolate.
- Sift the remaining flour into another bowl. Stir in the grated white chocolate.
- Place the eggs and sugar in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of simmering water. Using a hand-held electric mixer, whisk for 8 minutes until pale, fluff and doubled in volume. Pour evenly into the two flour mixtures and stir to melt the chocolate and combine.
- Place alternate spoonfuls of the batter over the base of the prepared tin, then swirl with a knife to create a marbled effect. Bake for 15 minutes or until firm.
- Place a damp tea towel on the bench, top with a piece of baking paper and sprinkle with 1 tsp of extra sugar. Immediately turn the cake out of the tin onto the paper and remove the lining paper. Using a serrated knife, trim the short edges, then firmly roll up the cake from a short side, leaving the baking paper inside. Cover with a damp tea towel and leave to cool.
- Meanwhile, to make the filling, place the white chocolate in a small heatproof bowl. Heat half the cream in a small saucepan until hot, but not boiling, then pour over the chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Allow to cool completely.
- Beat the remaining cream in a small bowl until firm peaks form. Fold one-quarter of the whipped cream into the white chocolate mixture to loosen, then fold in the remaining cream.
- Once cooled, unroll the sponge and spread evenly with the cream filling. Roll up again, using the paper as a guide.
- To make the dark chocolate ganache, place the dark chocolate chips in a heatproof bowl, heat the thickened cream in a small saucepan until hot, then pour over the chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Stir in the oil.
- Place the rolled sponge on a serving platter and drizzle the chocolate ganache over the top, letting it dribble down the sides. Decorate with the crumbled Flake bar, crushed hazelnuts and red berries and serve. Refrigerate any leftovers and enjoy the next day.
