Soft and fluffy Pianono with a mouthwatering sweetness that melts in your mouth with every bite. This delightful treat pairs perfectly with a hot cup of coffee or tea, making it an ideal choice for breakfast, a midday snack, or a delicious dessert.

Pianono with margarine and sugar filling cut into serving portions.

What is Pianono?
Ingredients
Tips in baking Pianono
Recipe Video
How to Serve and Store
Printable Recipe
Pianono Recipe

What is Pianono?

Pianono is a Filipino version of a Swiss roll or jelly roll. It is believed to have been derived from Pionono, a popular pastry in Spain and South America. It is named so in honor of Pope Pius IX, also known as "Pio Nono."

Pianono on a serving platter cut into serving pieces.

Imagine a light, fluffy chiffon cake baked perfectly on a rectangular sheet. Once it cools, the magic begins. Softened butter is spread over the chiffon cake and sprinkled with sugar, which is then gently rolled into a tight, spiral.

Pianono’s texture is as airy as a cloud, reminiscent of the beloved mamon, and its rolled appearance brings to mind the elegant Brazo de Mercedes. Traditionally, it’s filled with margarine and sugar, but modern twists include delightful jams, jellies, and even bits of fruit and nuts. Each bite is a journey through soft, sweet layers that melt in your mouth.

Ingredients

For Chiffon Cake

Cake flour - for a fluffy and soft cake. If cake flour is unavailable, you may use a combination of all-purpose flour and cornstarch (see Tips).
Baking powder - gives the Pianono it's light and airy texture.
Eggs - use fresh eggs as possible. Make sure that the eggs are in room temperature when you use them.
Caster sugar - also known as baker's sugar has a very fine texture that dissolves and incorporates in the mixture easily. In a pinch, you may also use granulated sugar.
Vanilla extract - this is optional, buts it adds flavor to the pastry.
Water - you may also use milk as substitute.
Cream of tartar - stabilizes the egg whites and speeds up the whipping process of the meringue.
Oil - for a moist and tender cake. You may use any neutral flavoured oil such as canola, vegetable, or sunflower oil.

For the simple Filling

Margarine is traditionally used, but butter would be a good alternative, it has to be softened for easy spreading.
Granulated sugar - for added sweetness. I used granulated sugar but brown sugar or muscovado can also be used.

Tips in baking Pianono

Separate the yolks and white while the eggs are cold. But allow the egg whites to reach room temperature before using them, as this creates more volume.
For cake flour substitute, measure a cup of all-purpose flour. Remove two tablespoons of the flour and replace with two tablespoons of cornstarch. Follow measurement to use as per recipe.
To test baking powder, pour 3 tablespoons of warm water into a small bowl. Add ½ teaspoon of baking powder. Give it a light stir. The mixture should moderately fizz if the powder is fresh. If there is no reaction, toss the baking powder and buy a fresh package.
Use metal or glass bowls for mixing. Make sure your bowls and whisk attachments are dry and clean.
Avoid using plastic bowls as they can absorb fat and grease that can prevent or reduce the volume of the meringue.
Beat the egg whites for a minute or two at low-speed before adding the sugar and make sure it is added gradually, like a spoonful at a time. Sprinkle the sugar and do not dump.
When combining the dry ingredients with the meringue, fold gently until no more white streaks or lumps are visible. Do not overfold or it will deflate the meringue.
Let the cake cool completely before spreading the filling. This will help prevent the filling from melting.

Recipe Video

How to Serve and Store

Soft and fluffy pianono slices on a serving plate.

Cut into serving portions. and enjoy it for breakfast or as a midday snack alongside coffee, tea, or your favorite beverage.

Store in airtight containers or wrap with plastic film. If properly stored, it will keep at room temperature for 2-3 days. You may also refrigerate for up to 5-7 days and freeze for up to 3 months.

Pianono cake with margarine and sugar filling on a cutting board.

Printable Recipe

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Pianono Recipe

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 30

Course :Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Servings =

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Ingredients

DRY INGREDIENTS:

¾ cup cake flour 90 grams
¾ teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup caster sugar
salt to taste

WET INGREDIENTS

7 pcs egg yolks from medium eggs room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract optional
¼ cup water or milk
¼ cup oil vegetable, sunflower, canola or corn oil

for the MERINGUE

5 pcs egg whites from medium eggs room temperature
½ teaspoon cream of tartar optional- or vinegar
¼ cup caster sugar

for the FILLING

1 stick margarine softened at room temperature
2-3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Caster sugar for dusting

Instructions

Line the bottom of a 10x14-inch jelly-roll pan with a parchment paper.
¾ cup cake flour, ¾ teaspoon baking powder
Sift together the cake flour and baking powder 2-3 times. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 170C/325F.
¼ cup caster sugar, 7 pcs egg yolks from medium eggs, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, salt
In a large bowl, cream the egg yolks, pinch of salt, vanilla extract ,and ¼ cup sugar using an electric mixer until it becomes paler and thick and has increased in volume (about 3 minutes).
5 pcs egg whites from medium eggs, ½ teaspoon cream of tartar, ¼ cup caster sugar
In a large bowl, beat the egg whites using a mixer at low speed for 1 minute or until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form. Gradually add ¼ cup of the caster sugar, a tablespoon at a time, while continuously beating. Once all sugar is added, turn up the speed to medium and continue beating until stiff glossy peaks are formed.
¼ cup water, ¼ cup oil
Sift in the dry ingredients to the bowl of creamed eggyolk mixture and add water and oil then beat/whisk until smooth.
Take about ¼ of the meringue and mix/whisk it to the batter to lighten the batter texture. Fold in the rest of the meringue to the batter. Fold just until no more white streaks or lumps are visible. Do not overfold or it will deflate the meringue.
Pour the batter into the middle of the prepared pan. Using a angled spatula or bench scraper, gently even out the batter ito the pan. Tap the pan against the counter several times to make it more even and to release trapped air.
Place the pan on the oven pan and pour hot water about an inch high. Position it on the middle rack of the preheated oven and bake for about 20-30 minutes or until the top of the cake is slightly brown.
Remove the pan from the oven. Run a small thin knife around the edges to loosen the cake from the pan. Gently tap it against the counter 2-3 times.
Invert the pan into a cooling rack and carefully lift the pan. Gently peel off the parchment paper. Sprinkle granulated sugar all over the cake and let the it cool down completely.
Place a parchment paper on top of it and a flat sheet the invert cake onto it, the darker-side up.
You may cut the edges if they are uneven. Cut one of the long sides diagonally, in a downward slope. On the other side, make three long shallow cuts (half centimeter deep) about half-inch thick in between cuts.
1 stick margarine, 2-3 tablespoons granulated sugar, Caster sugar
Spread softened margarine on top of cake and sprinkle with granulated sugar over it. Lift the parchment paper from the side with the shallow cuts to start to roll and push it until the cake is completely rolled. Pull the paper together tightly and wrap it around the roll. Let it stand for a few minutes.
Unwrap and cut into 1-inch thick slices to serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 172kcalCarbohydrates: 16gProtein: 1gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 6mgSodium: 84mgPotassium: 56mgFiber: 0.2gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 319IUVitamin C: 0.02mgCalcium: 15mgIron: 0.1mg

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