How to Make Pionono
Note: The full instructions are provided in the recipe card below.
For the Cake Roll: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 13''x 18''x 1'' inch sheet pan with cooking spray with flour.
Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and grease with cooking spray with flour again; set the pan in the refrigerator until needed.
In a bowl, sift the flour; set aside. Beat the eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla, honey, and salt in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on high speed until the mixture is pale and thick (enough to hold a pattern in the wake of the whisk) for 10 minutes.
Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the sifted flour. Beat until just combined, about 5 seconds. Gently fold the batter once or twice using a rubber spatula, then scrape it into the prepared sheet pan.
Spread it evenly with the spatula, using broad, gentle strokes to keep the batter airy; you want to keep as much air as possible in the mixture.
To Bake the Pionono: Bake the cake roll until the top is set and lightly golden, about 8 to 10 minutes. Make sure not to overcook the pionono, or it will crack when you roll it.
While the cake roll is still hot, sift a thin layer of confectioner sugar over the top (this will prevent the cake from sticking to the towel). Next, run a sharp paring knife around the edges of the cake to loosen it.
Lay a clean kitchen towel over the cake and flip the sheet pan onto a work surface. Gently peel off the parchment. Then, gently roll the still-warm cake roll and the towel together, starting at one of the short ends.
(This must be done while the cake roll is hot to keep it from cracking.) Wear oven mitts if needed. Allow the rolled-up cake to cool completely. Microwave dulce de leche in a small bowl until thick, pourable consistency.
How to Assemble Pionono
Microwave dulce de leche in a small bowl until it is a thick, pourable consistency. Gently unroll the cake and spread the Dulce de Leche evenly over the cake using an offset spatula, leaving about a ¼-inch border.
Re-roll the cake this time without the towel, place it on a seam-side-down platter, spread the cake's top, sides, and ends with more Dulce de Leche, and press unsweetened shredded coconut all over the surface.
To serve, slice the cake to form spirals. Serve with coffee if desired. Enjoy!😋☕
Related Recipes:
📖 Recipe
Easy Pionono de dulce de Leche
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs , room temperature
- 60 gr. White sugar
- 60 gr. All-purpose flour sifted
- 15 g (1 Tablespoon) honey
- 15 ml (1 Tablespoon) pure vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon kosher salt
For the filling:
- 26.8 oz can of Dulce de leche reserve ½ cup for garnish. (You can add any filling you like, such as whipped cream, guava, jam, etc...)
Instructions
For the Pionono:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 13'' x 18''x 1'' inch sheet pan with butter or cooking spray with flour, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper, and generously butter and flour the parchment paper; remove excess flour or use cooking spray with flour; set the pan in the refrigerator until needed.
- In a bowl, sift the flour; set aside. Beat the eggs, granulated sugar, vanilla, honey, and salt in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on high speed until the mixture is pale and very thick (enough to hold a pattern in the wake of the whisk), about 10 minutes (see Notes).
- Reduce the speed to low and gradually add the sifted flour. Beat until just combined, about 5 seconds. Gently fold the batter once or twice using a rubber spatula, then scrape it into the prepared sheet pan. Spread it evenly with the spatula, using broad, gentle strokes to keep the batter airy; you want to keep as much air as possible in the mixture.
To Bake the Pionono:
- Bake the cake roll until the top is set and lightly golden, about 8 to 10 minutes. Make sure not to overcook the pionono, or it will crack when you roll it.
- While the cake roll is still hot, sift a thin layer of confectioner's sugar over the top (this will prevent the cake from sticking to the towel). Next, run a sharp paring knife around the edges of the cake to loosen it.
- Lay a clean kitchen towel over the cake and carefully flip the sheet pan onto a work surface. Gently peel off the parchment. Then, starting at one of the short ends, gently roll the still-warm cake roll and the towel together. (This must be done while the cake roll is hot to keep it from cracking.) Wear oven mitts, if needed. Allow the rolled-up cake to cool completely.
- For the Dulce De Leche Filling: Microwave dulce de leche in a small bowl until thick, pourable consistency.
How to Assemble Pionono
- Gently unroll the cake; trim the ends with a serrated knife. Then, generously and evenly spread the Dulce de Leche over the cake using an offset spatula,leaving about a ¼-inch border. Re-roll the pionono this time without the towel, place it on a platter seam-side down.
- Spread the top, sides, and ends of the cake with the reserve Dulce de Leche, and press unsweetened shredded coconut all over the surface. To serve, slice the cake to form spirals. Serve with coffee if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
- For savory preparation, such as Pionono de Atun, omit the vanilla extract, add ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper instead, then proceed with the recipe.
- Honey is a must in this recipe as it gives flexibility to the pionono, which’s important when you roll it so that it doesn’t break apart.
- If you bake several pionono, it is crucial to stack them to maintain humidity.
- It's important never to add the flour quickly; over-mix it or hit the baking sheet with the batter in, or you will lose all the air.
- Ensure you level out the batter in the baking pan with an offset spatula before putting it in the oven. Don’t over-bake the pionono.
- The eggs should be at room temperature; Make sure to beat the mixture for 10 minutes. Aerating the eggs until they are foamy and hold their shape helps leaven this cake and structure it.
- We spoon it into a dry measuring cup and level off the excess when measuring flour. Scooping directly from the bag compacts the flour, resulting in dry baked goods.
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
