Swiss Rolls are such a fun and impressive dessert to make! Swiss cakes are made from a very thin sponge cake that is filled with cream and rolled into a gorgeous spiral. In this case, our Strawberry Swiss Roll features a strawberry flavored cream that both fills the cake and is spread on top.
Hello Reader! I try my hardest to research recipes as best as I can before posting to ensure I am representing each culture correctly. If this recipe is from your country and I have made a mistake or you have suggestions for how to make it more authentic, I would love to hear! Please leave a comment below letting me know what should be different, and I will rework the recipe. It is always my intention to pay homage and respect to each cultural dish that I cook. Thanks for reading!
Looking for a light and impressive dessert that looks as good as it tastes? This homemade Strawberry Swiss Roll Cake is made with a soft, spongy vanilla cake rolled around a sweet strawberry whipped cream filling and topped with more strawberry goodness. It’s the perfect spring or summer dessert and surprisingly simple to make from scratch!
I can’t even explain to you how LIGHT and airy this recipe is! While you’d expect a heavy frosting from looking at this recipe, the airiness of the whipped cream really complements the lightness of the sponge, making this recipe a cake fit for a hot summer day when you want some sweetness without being bogged down.
It is as beautiful as it is delicious and the kind of dessert that makes people say “wow”. I took this cake to a friend’s game night. When each person took the first bite of their slice, they just kept exclaiming how delicious it was and how light and perfect.
The best part is how impressive it looked (they told me Paul Hollywood would be proud of my spiral), for not that much effort! Only you will know how easy it actually was to make!
My Thoughts on this Strawberry Swiss Roll
After testing my Strawberry Swiss Roll from Austria, I sat down to record some quick thoughts on what went well, what my biggest challenges were, and anything I could think of to help you enjoy this recipe as well! Watch the video below.
Recipe Origins
Surprisingly, Swiss Roll cakes did not originate in Switzerland, though they are from Central Europe somewhere! I guess this problem is very similar to how French Fries are originally from Belgium.
It is guessed that this type of cake actually originated in Austria. They’re crazy about cake over there! Swiss Roll cakes in Austria are normally filled with cream, either flavored or not. There are other versions of this cake, however. Ones in America are often filled with jelly, whereas there are South American versions like Brazo de Reina that are filled with Dulce de Leche!
Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Swiss Roll
- Fresh: Real strawberries give this dessert a natural flavor and vibrant color.
- Simple: Fluffy sponge cake is easier to make than it looks. Don’t be intimidated by multiple steps! Mix gently and you’ll be just fine.
- Beautiful: Perfect for parties, birthdays, brunches, or holidays.
- Customizable: Try it with raspberries, blueberries, or lemon cream.
Key Ingredients to Make Your Strawberry Swiss Roll
Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the recipe at the bottom for quantities.
- Eggs: This recipe calls for five eggs for a super moist and spongey cake. Take great care to separate the egg whites from the yolks. If you get any yolks in your egg whites, your meringue may not form properly. You can do this by cracking the egg into your hand and letting the whites run through your fingers, or by carefully transferring the egg yolk from half-egg-shell to half-egg-shell until all of the whites separate from the yolks.
- Caster sugar: You can purchase this or make it by lightly blending granulated sugar until it becomes super fine, but not until it becomes powdered sugar. A second or two is all you need.
- Cake flour: Make sure it is sifted to get rid of any lumps. Cake flour is made of a soft wheat that gives a lighter texture than all purpose flour. Your cake won’t have the same lightness if you substitute all purpose!
- Fresh strawberries: You can also use frozen strawberries, though I would highly recommend having fresh strawberries to decorate the top of the cake. Use your remaining fresh strawberries for this Fresas con Crema recipe from Mexico!
Tools
- Electric mixer or stand mixer: I find this easiest when whipping egg whites. If using the stand mixer, use the whisk attachment and beat on the highest speed for 2-4 minutes.
- Pot with heavy bottom: This will keep your jam from burning.
- Swiss Roll Tin or cookie sheet: If using a baking tray, make sure you use a light colored tray with sides. Mine was 12”x17” and worked perfectly.
Do I Need a Swiss Roll Tin?
A Swiss Roll tin is a large and shallow tin used to bake the sponge cake for Swiss Rolls. It is normally less than an inch deep and 9×13 inches wide with a smooth bottom.
If you do not have a Swiss Roll tin, you do not need to go out and buy one. Make sure that you bake your cake in a light-colored cookie sheet that has edges. As long as you line the bottom of the cookie sheet with greased parchment paper, this should work just fine.
I use a light-colored cookie sheet that is 1 inch deep and 12×17 in dimension, and it works perfectly for me! You can also use a 9×13 cookie sheet.
How to Make Swiss Roll with Strawberries
Step One: Beat the egg yolks with caster sugar until pale and thick. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form, then mix in the vanilla and salt.
Step Two: Gently fold the egg white mixture into the yolk mixture. Sift in the cake flour and fold again until just combined.
Step Three: Pour the batter into a prepared baking pan and bake until lightly golden and springy to the touch. Roll the cake up in a dish towel and allow it to cool completely.
Step Four: In a saucepan, heat the strawberries and granulated sugar until the fruit releases its juices and the mixture begins to bubble. Stir in a cornstarch slurry (cornstarch + water) and cook until thickened like a loose jam. Chill for at least 30 minutes.
Step Five: Whip the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla until thick peaks form. Gently fold in the chilled jam, reserving about ¼ of it for topping.
Step Six: Carefully spread the strawberry whipped cream over the cooled cake, roll it up gently, and top with the remaining whipped cream before serving.
How Do You Roll a Swiss Roll?
Making sure that you roll your Swiss Roll correctly is very important. When you remove your Swiss Roll from the oven, let it rest for about 5 minutes, but NO LONGER. As soon as it is cool to touch, lay a dish towel (at least as large as your cake) out on the counter.
Turn your cake over to remove it from its baking tray. Peel the parchment paper from the bottom. Then, roll the cake up WITH the dish towel, so that the dish towel is between all of the layers of the cake, and the cake is not touching itself.
Rolling the cake up with the towel allows the cake to cool in the shape you want it to later take. This forms kind of a “muscle memory” in the cake, so that when you roll it with filling later, it will not crack. Allow the cake to cool completely.
Once the cake is completely cooled, unroll the cake. Spread the reserved raspberry jam across the bottom of the cake, then spread on the half of the cream mixture you reserved for the interior. Re-roll the cake without the dish towel. Then spread the remaining raspberry cream on top of the cake.
Expert Tips
- This would be a great recipe to serve at afternoon tea, an Easter brunch, or on Mother’s Day!
- Use room temperature eggs for the airiest sponge possible. Cold eggs don’t whip as well, and will therefore be a little flatter.
- Make sure to bake your cake immediately after pouring it into the baking pan. The longer you wait, the more air will escape, causing a flatter sponge.
- Take great care when mixing your batter for this recipe. The harder you mix, the more air will leave the batter, causing a denser sponge cake.
- Chill the filling if it is ready before your cake is cooled!
Recipe FAQs
Yes! Just as with a normal cake, Swiss Rolls last in the freezer for quite some time. My recommendation would be to make sure that you keep your Swiss Roll in the freezer for no longer than 2-3 months for maximum freshness. However, it will last a bit longer.
Make sure to thaw your Swiss roll completely before cutting into it. You can do this by leaving it in the fridge overnight before serving.
You can definitely use frozen strawberries for this recipe but you will need to thaw and drain them before using them in your compote.
This cake will crack if it cools for too long before you begin rolling. Next time, try rolling your cake sooner so that it cools completely while it is rolled.
This is a great cake to make in advance. I recommend baking and rolling the cake a day ahead and filling and frosting just before serving.
If you liked this recipe, don’t forget to check out the other yummy cake recipes on my website:
- Canadian Christmas Fruit Cake
- Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting
- Sacher Torte
- German Black Forest Cake
If you tried this Strawberry Swiss Roll Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Swiss Roll with Strawberries
Equipment
- Electric Hand Mixer or Stand Mixer
- Mixing Bowl(s)
- Pot(s)
- Saucepan
- Swiss Roll Tin or Cookie Sheet
Ingredients
Cake Ingredients
- 5 eggs, separated
- ¾ cup + 2 Tbsp caster sugar, divided
- 1½ tsp vanilla
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup cake flour, sifted
Strawberry Filling Ingredients
- 6 oz strawberries, cut into small pieces
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- 4 tsp water
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- 1⅓ cup heavy whipping cream
- 6 Tbsp powdered sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla
Instructions
Cake Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Use a paper towel to rub a thin layer of crisco over the bottom and sides of a (SIZE) sheet pan. Cut a piece of parchment paper into the shape of the pan, and lay it down on the bottom. Crisco the parchment paper again and dust with a little sprinkling of flour. Alternatively, you can use nonstick spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks and ¾ cup of caster sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until the mixture becomes pale and thick, about 3 to 5 minutes. Beat in the vanilla and salt.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer (if possible, or with a hand mixer if not) beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of caster sugar. Beat again until stiff peaks form.
- Fold your yolk mixture into the egg whites with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon. Take care to mix the ingredients, as you don’t want to stir the egg whites too roughly or they will deflate.
- Once the eggs are mixed together, sift the cake flour over the eggs and fold gently to combine.
- Put the batter into the prepared pan and place it in the oven.
- Bake the cake for 15 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when stuck into the middle of the cake.
Strawberry Filling Instructions
- In a saucepan with a heavy bottom, heat the strawberries and the granulated sugar over medium heat until the fruit releases its juices and the liquid begins to boil slightly. This should take about 7 or so minutes. Stir occasionally to keep the fruit from burning.
- Once the strawberries are at a low boil, mix the water and cornstarch together in a small bowl. Pour the cornstarch slurry into the pot.
- Continue stirring the strawberries over the heat until they form the consistency of slightly watery jam, about 4 minutes. Your fruit will thicken up in the fridge.
- Once the desired consistency is reached, put the jam in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer or with an electric hand mixer, add the cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla. Mix on high until a thick whipped cream is formed. This will take about 3-5 minutes.
- Once cooled enough, remove the jam from the fridge and lightly fold it into the cream, reserving about ¼ of the jam. You can add 1-2 drops of red food coloring to make the whipped cream a brighter pink color if desired.
- Split the strawberry cream in half. One half is for the filling. One half is for the topping. Store in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
Assembly Instructions
- Making sure that you roll your Swiss Roll correctly is very important. When you remove your Swiss Roll from the oven, let it rest for about 5 minutes, but NO LONGER. As soon as it is cool to touch, lay a dish towel (at least as large as your cake) out on the counter.
- Turn your cake over to remove it from its baking tray. Peel the parchment paper from the bottom. Then, roll the cake up WITH the dish towel, so that the dish towel is between all of the layers of the cake, and the cake is not touching itself.
- Rolling the cake up with the towel allows the cake to cool in the shape you want it to later take. This forms kind of a “muscle memory” in the cake, so that when you roll it with filling later, it will not crack. Allow the cake to cool completely.
- Once the cake is completely cooled, unroll the cake. Spread the reserved strawberry jam across the bottom of the cake, then spread on the ¾ of the cream mixture you reserved for the interior.
- Re-roll the cake without the dish towel. Then spread the remaining strawberry cream on top of the cake. Top with extra strawberries if desired. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Caster sugar: You can purchase this or make it by lightly blending granulated sugar until it becomes super fine, but not until it becomes powdered sugar.
- Cake flour: Your cake won’t have the same lightness if you substitute all purpose!
- Fresh strawberries: You can also use frozen strawberries, though I would highly recommend having fresh strawberries to decorate the top of the cake.
- This would be a great recipe to serve at afternoon tea, an Easter brunch, or on Mother’s Day!
- Use room temperature eggs for the airiest sponge possible. Cold eggs don’t whip as well, and will therefore be a little flatter.
- Make sure to bake your cake immediately after pouring it into the baking pan. The longer you wait, the more air will escape, causing a flatter sponge.
- Take great care when mixing your batter for this recipe. The harder you mix, the more air will leave the batter, causing a denser sponge cake.
- Chill the filling if it is ready before your cake is cooled!
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