Pianono (Filipino Sponge Cake Roll)

Pianono with soft, pillowy sponge cake and sweetened margarine filling is the perfect accompaniment to coffee or tea. This Filipino-style jelly roll is delicious for breakfast or midday snacks!

What is Pianono

Pianono or Pionono is a pastry popular in Spain, South America, and the Philippines. It was named after the late Pope Pius IX, or ‘Pio Nono’ as the good people of Italy called him. However, the original creator of Pionono is from Santa Fe, Granada of Spain, Ceferino Ysla Gonzalez, a devotee of the Virgin Mary.

The story says that years after Pope Pius IX proclaimed a dogma of the Immaculate Conception, Gonzalez decided to pay homage by creating these mini bite-size cakes shaped in the Pope’s likeness and named them after him.

The Filipino version

Like its Spanish and South American counterparts, wherein bread or pastry dough is rolled around various fillings, the Filipino-style Pianono is a jelly roll consisting of a soft, pillowy sponge cake wrapped around margarine and sugar. It’s also often adapted to include local flavors such as ube, mango, and mocha.

Another jelly roll popular in Filipino cuisine is the custard-filled brazo de Mercedes.

Use of cornstarch

Pianono cakes are soft and airy, and the key to this light texture is using cake flour due to its low protein content. But since cake flour is not a pantry staple in most kitchens, this recipe uses a mix of cornstarch and all-purpose flour for convenience. Part of the all-purpose flour is replaced with cornstarch to inhibit gluten formation in the all-purpose flour, resulting in a more tender crumb.

A sponge cake like ube mamon and this Filipino jelly roll is mostly leavened by eggs. The whites are whipped to incorporate air before baking and then gently folded into the yolk batter, giving the cake a lift.

Stages of  whipping egg whites

As a guideline, here are visual examples of each step.

• Frothy Stage-mixture is a foamy and cloudy liquid with large bubbles.
• Soft Peaks Stage-egg whites have a slight sheen and fine-textured bubbles. Peaks begin to form when beaters are pulled from the foam but are too delicate to hold shape.
• Stiff Peaks Stage-mixture is glossy, thick, and very stiff. Peaks hold up straight without collapsing.

How to make pianono

1. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites. In a large bowl, cream the egg yolks, ¼ cup sugar, milk, and vanilla extract until light in texture and color.
2. Sift the flour, cornstarch, and baking powder and add to the egg yolk mixture. Mix well.
3. In a bowl, beat the egg whites using a low-speed mixer until frothy. Sprinkle the cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form. Gradually add ¼ cup of the granulated sugar, a tablespoon at a time, while continuously beating. Once all sugar is added, turn the speed to medium and continue beating the meringue until it forms stiff, glossy peaks.
4. Gently fold a third of the meringue into the egg mixture, then add the rest and fold until well combined. Do not overfold the batter, and be careful not to deflate the meringue.
5. Pour the batter into a parchment-lined baking pan and bake in a 375 F oven until golden/ Do not overbake as it can cause cracking.
6. Remove the cake from the oven and loosen the edges. Transfer the cake, including the wax paper, to a rack and allow it to cool.
7. Dust wax or parchment paper with powdered sugar and invert the cake onto the paper. Gently peel the other wax paper off the cake. Roll the cake up with the wax paper, beginning with the narrow side. Let it cool completely, seam side down.
8. Once the cake has cooled, gently unroll, spread it with softened margarine, and sprinkle it with granulated sugar.
9. Beginning with the narrow side, re-roll the cake tightly to prevent unraveling. Cut into 1-inch-thick slices to serve.

How to serve and store

• Slice into portions and serve for breakfast or a midday snack with coffee, tea, or your favorite refreshments like melon juice or sago’t gulaman.
• To prevent the cake from drying, transfer it to an airtight container or wrap it in cling wrap. Stored properly, it will keep at room temperature for up to 3 days.
• For extended storage, wrap the cake tightly with plastic film to lock in moisture and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature when ready to eat.