Components
- Five eggs
- 1 cup of granulated sugar
- 1 bay orange (peels and juice)
- Three tablespoons of wheat flour
- Half a teaspoon of baking powder
- 1½ tablespoons of butter
- apply butter to lubricate the formwork
- granulated sugar for sprinkling
Setup phase
- Preheat the oven to 180 °C (moderate heat). Grease a rectangular mold measuring 30 cm by 20 cm with a height of 5 cm using butter. Cut a 45 cm by 30 cm piece of parchment paper and line the bottom, sides, and corners of the mold, making sure the paper sticks well—it’s crucial to use a single sheet to avoid seams that could let the more liquid batter leak. Thoroughly butter the paper to help the cake release easily after baking, as the batter will be moist.
- In a small bowl, combine sugar, flour, and yeast—using a small quantity of flour helps it blend more effectively with the eggs.
- Thoroughly wash and dry the orange peel. Use a zester to remove the zest from the peel, being careful to avoid the white pith, as it can make the dish bitter. Squeeze and strain the orange juice—you will need a total of 1/3 cup of juice.
- In a small bowl, crack one egg at a time and pour it into a large bowl—this way, if an egg is bad, the recipe isn’t ruined. Add the broth and orange zest, then stir with a wire whisk to blend the whites with the yolks—no need to beat until frothy. Incorporate the flour, sugar, and yeast mixture, mixing thoroughly until you achieve a very liquid batter.
- Put the butter in a small bowl and microwave it for 30 seconds to melt. Combine with the dough and stir thoroughly.
- Place the dough in the oven and bake it for approximately 15 minutes. Watch carefully: the dough should rise and turn golden on top.
- While the rocambole is baking, spread a clean dish towel on the countertop and sprinkle it with sugar—this prevents the rocambole from sticking to the cloth and makes it easier to roll.
- Take the cake out of the oven and promptly flip over the sugar-sprinkled cloth. Gently peel away the butter paper to release the dough along with the warm cake—if any section sticks, use a chin to help remove the cake paper. To roll it up: while the cake is still hot, grasp the edge of the cloth, lift it, and begin wrapping the cake roll—the tighter you start, the neater the roll will be.
- Place the rocambole on a plate and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving — it becomes more like a frozen ice cream. When ready to serve, slice the rocambole into 2 cm pieces.
If desired, you can make the rocambole a day in advance. After freezing it for 2 hours, cover it with plastic wrap to prevent drying and store it in the refrigerator until ready to serve. It will stay fresh for up to 3 days.
