Brazo de Gitano

Preheat the oven to 200°C. Grease a 30 x 40 cm Swiss roll tin and line with baking paper.

Set a bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water (bain-marie). Add the eggs and sugar. Whisk with electric beaters for 8 minutes until the mixture is very pale, thick, and has tripled in volume — it should hold a ribbon trail for 3 seconds.

Remove from heat. Sift the flour over the mixture in three additions, folding carefully after each. Fold in the melted butter last.

Pour into the prepared tin and spread to an even 5–6 mm layer. Bake for 10–12 minutes until springy and barely golden.

Immediately turn onto a sheet of baking paper dusted with caster sugar. Peel off the lining paper. Cover with a clean, slightly damp cloth and roll the warm sponge up from the short end, using the paper to help. Leave rolled for 20 minutes to set the shape.

Whip the double cream with the icing sugar and vanilla to stiff peaks. Unroll the cooled sponge gently. Spread with the whipped cream leaving a 1 cm border. Re-roll firmly using the paper. Chill for 1 hour.

Trim the ends cleanly. Dust generously with icing sugar and serve.