With millions of views, this Vanilla Swiss Roll Recipe is quick and easy to follow, no-fluff, and no-fail!
Made with just a few pantry staples, this Swiss roll is pillowy-soft and is guaranteed to roll up beautifully without any cracks! Filled with sweet whipped cream and topped with raspberries, this is the perfect dessert for any occasion!
Reader Amelia says: “I wanted to thank you for sharing this recipe and providing clear instructions. I'm a beginner and it turned out amazing, I got lots of compliments! I'll try your strawberry cake roll next.” ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Vanilla Swiss Roll Recipe
There are thousands of Vanilla Swiss Roll recipes out there, but this is truly my favorite and seeing how quickly it turned into one of the most popular recipes on my site tells me that this is a favorite for a lot of you too so I'm updating this post to thank you for all the love! 🙂💕
Why this recipe works:
- Pillowy-soft. The texture is truly what makes this cake roll special! It truly feels like biting into a cloud. It’s just so incredibly fluffy ⎯ you’ll get many compliments just like the other readers!
- Vanilla cream filling. This is a true Vanilla Swiss Roll ⎯ with a fluffy vanilla sponge and a delicious vanilla cream filling made with lots of homemade whipped cream!
- Beginner-friendly. This recipe has been developed with clear step-by-step instructions for guaranteed success even if you’re a total beginner!
- Simple ingredients. No cake flour, cream of tartar, or any other ingredient that you might need to go out and buy! You can whip this up with what you have on hand!
- No cracks! Ever struggled with cracked cake rolls? With the right ingredient ratio and all the tips and tricks you’ll find in this post, you can stop your search for the perfect cake roll that doesn’t crack right here!
Ingredients for Vanilla Swiss Roll
Full measurements are included in the recipe card below 🙂 .
Eggs. This cake roll uses both the egg whites and yolks. They have to be separated which only takes a minute and will guarantee you the fluffiest cake roll ever!
Make sure you’re using room temperature eggs and be gentle when separating your eggs so no yolk ends up in the whites because it can make whipping them tricky.
Sugar, just white granulated sugar.
Oil, you want to use vegetable or sunflower oil because they have a neutral flavor. No peanut, olive, or coconut oil.
Milk, make sure it’s room temperature.
Vanilla extract, pure. Because this is the main flavor, make sure you’re using a high-quality extract for best flavor.
Vinegar, to help stabilize the egg whites.
All-purpose flour, of course, for the batter!
Cornstarch, the secret ingredient to a super fluffy cake roll (or cake in general)!
Heavy cream, for the filling. Make sure your heavy cream is cold or it won’t whip! Making homemade whipped cream only takes 2 minutes!
Powdered sugar, to sweeten the whipped cream. You can also use it to top off the cake roll like I did, a quick dust and you’re good to go!
Raspberries, optional, for decoration! I like topping my vanilla swiss rolls with fresh raspberries but it’s totally optional. I like it because they bring color, freshness, and a hint of tart!
How to make Vanilla Swiss Roll
The full recipe with ingredients and step-by-step instructions is in the recipe card below 🙂 .
STEP ONE: Preheat the oven to 375F (190C). Line a 9×13 inch (22×33 cm) baking sheet with parchment paper for easy removal and set aside.
STEP TWO: Make the cake roll batter. In a large bowl, beat together the egg yolks and granulated sugar until combined (about 60 seconds). Add in the oil, milk, and vanilla extract and beat until combined again (about 30 seconds).
Sift in the flour and cornstarch and beat until combined and smooth (about 15 seconds). Make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl from time to time. Set aside.
STEP THREE: Whip the egg whites. In a separate large bowl, beat the egg whites until frothy, then add in the vinegar and granulated sugar and beat until fluffy with soft peaks. A peak is considered soft when you stop the beater, lift it upright, and the tip of the peak curls a bit.
STEP FOUR: Combine the egg whites into the batter. Using a silicone spatula or a wooden spoon, gently fold the egg whites into the prepared batter in multiple additions (2-3 is ideal). Fold until combined with gentle movements to keep the egg whites from deflating.
STEP FIVE: Bake. Gently pour the batter into your prepared baking sheet, smoothing out the top with a spatula. Bake for 14-15 minutes or until lightly golden on top. To test for doneness, gently poke the cake roll with your finger: it should spring back.
While the cake is baking, lay a clean kitchen towel on your work surface and sprinkle it with about 1/4 cup (50 g) of granulated sugar, making sure the sugar is evenly sprinkled across the towel. You’re doing this because you want to be ready to roll the cake as soon as it comes out of the oven.
STEP SIX: Roll up the cake. As soon as the cake comes out from the oven, drop the baking pan from a height of 1 inch (2.5 cm) to keep it from shrinking, then immediately lift it out of the baking sheet and invert it onto the prepared kitchen towel.
Gently peel off the parchment paper and immediately roll up the cake with the kitchen towel. Allow to cool down to room temperature before moving onto the next step.
STEP SEVEN: Make the cream filling. In a large bowl, add the heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract. Beat until fluffy and doubled in size.
STEP EIGHT: Assemble the cake roll. Gently unroll the cake roll, and spread the prepared cream evenly on top of the cake, leaving about 1/2-inch (about 1 cm) border around it. Gently roll the cake back up, cover, and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours before dusting with powdered sugar, topping with fresh berries (optional), and serving (once you add the topping, serve immediately).
Making-Ahead and Instructions
Make-Ahead Instructions: swiss rolls are great make-ahead desserts because they need time to set before they can be sliced! Follow the recipe through step 8, then chill in the refrigerator overnight and top with powdered sugar and raspberries (if desired) just before serving!
Storing Instructions: store covered or in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. You may want to remove any fresh berries you may have added on top so they won’t release any juice and won’t stain/wet the cake. If you added powdered sugar on top, it might melt into the cake.
Help! Troubleshooting.
Welcome to the troubleshooting section of this recipe! Hopefully, you won’t need it but here are some FAQs to help you out in case you need that!
Why is my swiss roll soggy? This can happen for three reasons: the cake roll was removed from the oven before it was fully baked, the liquids weren’t measured carefully, or the whipped cream wasn’t beat long enough/deflated overtime.
Why is my cake roll chewy or gummy? This can happen for two reasons: the batter deflated because of over mixing or the egg whites weren’t folded in gently or the batter was left to sit on the counter before baking.
Why does my swiss roll crack when rolling? This happens for two reasons: the cake roll has been over baked or you were trying to roll it once it had cooled down (always roll the cake straight out of the oven!).
How do I stop my swiss roll skin from peeling? Do not use plastic wrap or foil to roll up the cake and do not stick the cake in the refrigerator when it’s still warm: any of these actions can result in trapped moisture which is the cause for peeling.
Why is my cake roll not rising? This usually happens for two reasons: the batter has deflated or the flour and cornstarch weren’t sifted into the batter. Usually, though, it’s the first one.
Why does my swiss roll smell like eggs? The main reason this happens is if the eggs weren’t fresh or had reached high temperatures. To avoid that, make sure you’re using fresh high-quality eggs and store them in the refrigerator. The other reasons are: the eggs were under beaten eggs or the cake roll was over baked.
Can I make this in a 10 x 15 inch baking sheet? No, sorry, the sponge cake would turn out too thin!
HAPPY BAKING!! I hope you’ll love this Light And Fluffy Swiss Roll Recipe as much as I do!
PS: Please leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ if you make it! Your comments make my day!! You can also tag me on Instagram @itsdamnspicy 🌈💘
Still Hungry? You may also like:
- Honey Vanilla Swiss Roll with Candied Almonds
- Strawberry Swiss Roll
- Blueberry And Lemon Pound Cake
- Tom Cruise Cake Recipe (Coconut Bundt Cake)
Vanilla Swiss Roll Recipe
Ingredients
For the Swiss Roll
- 3 egg yolks room temperature
- 2 tbsp (30 g) white granulated sugar
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) milk room temperature
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2.1 oz or 1/2 cup minus 1 tbsp (60 g) all-purpose flour sifted
- 1 tbsp (7 g) cornstarch sifted
- 3 egg whites room temperature
- 1/4 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp (30 g) white granulated sugar
For the Whipped Cream Filling
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) heavy cream cold
- 1 tbsp (7 g) powdered sugar
- 1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 F (190 C). Line a 9 x 13 inch (22 x 33 cm) baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
- Make the batter. In a large bowl, beat together the yolks and sugar until combined (about 60 seconds). Add in the oil, milk, and vanilla extract and beat until combined again (about 30 seconds). Sift in the flour and cornstarch and beat until combined and smooth (about 15 seconds), scraping the sides of the bowl from time to time. Set aside.
- Whip the egg whites. In a separate large bowl, whip the egg whites until frothy, then add in the vinegar and sugar, and whip until fluffy with soft peaks. Peaks are considered soft when you stop the beater, lift it up straight, and the the tip of the peak curls.
- Combine the egg whites into the batter. Using a silicone spatula or wooden spoon, gently fold the whipped egg whites into the egg yolk mixture in multiple additions (preferably 2-3). Fold until fully combined. Work very gently to prevent the batter from deflating.
- Bake. Gently pour the batter into your prepared baking sheet and use a spatula to smooth out the top. Bake for 14-15 minutes or until golden on top. You can test for doneness by gently poking the cake with your index finger: it should spring back. While the cake is baking, lay a clean kitchen towel on a work surface and sprinkle it with about 1/4 cup (50 g) of granulated sugar making sure the sugar is evenly sprinkled across the towel. You are doing this because you want to be ready to immediately roll up the cake once it comes out from the oven.
- Roll up the cake. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, drop the baking pan from a height of 1 inch (2.5 cm) to keep it from shrinking, then lift it out of the baking sheet and immediately invert it onto the prepared kitchen towel. Gently peel off the parchment paper and immediately roll up the cake with the kitchen towel. Allow to cool down to room temperature before moving onto the next step.
- Make the whipped cream. When the cake has cooled down, make the whipped cream. In a large bowl, combine together the heavy cream, sugar, and vanilla extract. Whip the heavy cream until fluffy and doubled in size.
- Fill the cake roll. Using a spatula, gently spread the whipped cream on top of the cake and then roll the cake back up. Cover the Swiss roll and let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 1-2 hours before slicing. Dust with powdered sugar and top with fresh raspberry (optional) right before serving.
Notes
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Nic says
It says to add sugar with the yolks then sugar to the whites. What are the measurements. Not sure what I’m missing
Bianka says
Hi Nic, you add sugar to both the yolks and the egg whites, that’s why it’s listed twice in the ingredients! 🙂
Shornaiter richards says
It was lovely! Thanks very much for this. Easy to follow, no fuss recipe with great taste. Soft and pillowy texture. Loved it.
Anjum says
This recipe was really good!
The instructions are clear and the cake was very easy to make. A very soft and fluffy Swiss Roll indeed!
Bianka says
So happy to hear that you loved it! Thanks for your feedback!
Barbara Boutsikaris says
I made this recipe this evening and it was perfectly light and delicious. Excellent instructions! I added orange zest to the cream filling and also made orange buttercream for added a slight creamsicle scent and flavor suggested by my husband. I will definitely make this again over the holidays. Thank you!!
Bianka says
YAY! So happy that you loved this recipe! Thank you for letting me know!
Daria says
Thank you so much for this recipe!! I am not exactly a proficient baker but your instructions were so great and clear that my Swiss roll turned out not only extremely tasty but also beautiful on the outside. yay!
Bianka says
YAY! So happy to hear that it turned out great, Daria! Thanks for your comment!