Yema Roll Cake

There is something about making cakes that make me happy (probably it is the sugar rush that I get after eating them).  A week ago, I tried this cake recipe after an old colleague introduced me to it. As chocolate cake no longer appeals to me, I am now trying different kinds of cake recipes to update my palate. I am not sure if this is an old cake recipe or a new one but it’s called yema cake which, I believe, is a mash up of sponge cake and yema. Yema is sort of custard candy that is overloaded with sugar  as it is made from reduced condensed milk, eggs and butter. It is one of the most sinful cakes I have ever tasted.  As a child, I really enjoyed eating yema. I remember when a cousin of ours made yema candies and would ask us to sell them in school at 50 cents each but we never get to sell them because we would eat the merchandise before we even arrive in school. Looking back, I have many fond memories of this sweet comfort food and yema cake brings back these nostalgic memories. So for this cake recipe, here are the ingredients and procedures.

Recipe For Sponge Cake                                              

1 cup cake flour                                                           

1 tbsp baking powder                                                   

4 eggs                                                                           

2/3 cup white sugar                                                       

Recipe For Yema Frosting

3 tbsp unsalted butter
1 can condensed milk
3 egg yolks
cheddar cheese (optional)

Sponge Cake

Preheat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius. Grease a baking sheet pan  and line it with wax paper. Set aside while you are preparing the cake recipe.

Beat the eggs and sugar in a large bowl for six minutes until the mixture becomes pale and triples in volume. Sift flour over the egg mixture and fold it using a spatula until combined.

Pour the cake mixture to the baking sheet pan prepared earlier. Spread the batter using a spatula. Tap the pan three times on the kitchen counter to remove the air bubbles. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cake have shrunk away from the sides of the pan.

Let it cool for an hour. Meanwhile, prepare the yema frosting.

Yema Frosting

Place the butter in a shallow pan and melt using low to medium heat flame. Add the condensed milk and let it simmer for three minutes while stirring constantly. 

Add the egg yolks and continue stirring the mixture. Continue mixing until the mixture for five more minutes or until you notice reduction of the mixture’s volume. Make sure that the mixture is not to dry otherwise it will easily harden on top of the cake. Set aside.

Assembling The Cake

Cut a diagonal line from one of the long side of the cake to make it easier for you to roll the cake later.  You need to start rolling from this side.

Spread the frosting on ¾ of the cake. Leave the side with the diagonal edge free from any frosting.  Use a spatula to spread the frosting evenly on the surface of the sheet cake.

Carefully remove the wax paper by peeling it gently from one side.  Use a new wax paper to hold the roll cake together. Store in the fridge so that it will  easily form into a roll. Unwrap it from the wax paper and add the frosting on top of the cake. Sprinkle with cheese for additional flavor.

Note:  The saltiness of the cheese brings out the sweetness of the yema frosting. I have to warn you that making yema can be a painstaking process. All the stirring made my hands go numb!  Nevertheless, eating a slice of this cake is the best reward that you can give yourself after preparing this cake.