Sweet, delicate, and pink! This Strawberry Swiss Roll features an incredibly light and fluffy vanilla sponge cake and a deliciously sweet strawberry cream cheese filling!
Strawberry Swiss Roll
Valentine’s Day is coming up and I was in need of something sweet and pink! Since you guys loved my Vanilla Swiss Roll recipe (thank you!!), I wanted to share with you a strawberry flavored version.
This strawberry cake roll features an incredibly fluffy and light sponge cake stuffed with strawberry cream cheese frosting. It’s dusted with powdered sugar and topped with fresh strawberries!
Why this recipe works:
- Fluffy and light. The sponge cake is truly the fluffiest, lightest sponge cake you’ll ever make. It calls for simple ingredients that you already have in your pantry and comes together in just a few simple steps.
- Vanilla-flavored sponge cake. Vanilla and strawberries are (probably) what dreams are made of.
- Strawberry frosting. The filling is a deliciously sweet and creamy strawberry cream cheese frosting that slices perfectly once you cut into your cake roll!
- Easy to make. I can never stress this enough: cake rolls are one of the easiest desserts out there, plus my recipe is extremely detailed for guaranteed success.
- Great make-ahead dessert. Swiss rolls usually need to chill for a few hours so they can set properly and slice perfectly so you can make one ahead and let it chill overnight!
Ingredients for strawberry swiss roll
Eggs. This recipe uses both room temperature egg whites and yolks but separately so you want to make sure to separate the whites from the yolks as carefully as possible (you’ll whip the whites into soft peaks even a tiny amount of egg yolk can keep them from whipping).
Sugar. Regular white granulated sugar.
Oil. Stick to a neutral oil like vegetable or sunflower oil.
Milk. Room temperature, just like the eggs.
Vanilla extract. Use high-quality vanilla extract for best flavor.
Vinegar. To stabilize the egg whites.
All-purpose flour. I highly recommend using a digital scale to measure your flour because you have to be very precise. Adding too much flour can totally mess up the texture of your Swiss roll.
Cornstarch. To promote extreme fluffiness.
Cream cheese for the strawberry filling.
Strawberry jam. I went for strawberry jam because it’s very easy to find, go for a high-quality strawberry jam for best flavor. Or you can make your very own strawberry jam at home by cooking down about a cup of fresh strawberries with some sugar and cornstarch.
Powdered sugar for the filling and for dusting.
Red food coloring. Optional but I did use a tiny amount of red gel food coloring (this is the one I used) to make the strawberry filling a bit more vibrant!
How to make strawberry swiss roll
Step-by-step instructions and ingredients are included in the recipe card below 🙂!
STEP ONE: Prepare the baking sheet. For this recipe, you'll need a 9 x 13 inch baking sheet which is the perfect size for a fluffy Swiss roll! You want to line it with parchment paper so the sponge cake won’t stick.
STEP 2: Make the batter. In a large bowl, beat together the yolks and sugar. I do this with a hand-held mixer but you can also use a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or a whisk. Add in the oil, milk, and vanilla extract and beat until just combined. Set aside but try to work quickly because you don't want the batter to sit for too long.
STEP 3: Whip the egg whites. Use a hand-held or stand mixer to whip the egg whites until frothy, then add the vinegar and whip into soft peaks (when you remove the whisk, the peaks should have a soft, curved tail).
STEP 4: Fold the egg whites into the batter using a spatula or wooden spoon (fold in 2-3 additions). You have to be gentle because trying to work too quickly or aggressively will deflate your egg whites which will result in a thin sponge cake.
STEP 5: Bake. Pour the batter into your prepared baking sheet smoothing out the top with a spatula. Bake until lightly golden on top and springy (gently poke the cake with your index finger: if it springs back, it's done). Also, if your oven has a fan, make sure it's turned off.
STEP 6: Drop the sponge cake! Immediately drop the baking sheet from a height of about 1 inch to prevent the sponge cake from shrinking, then invert the hot cake onto a clean kitchen towel sprinkled with granulated sugar. The sugar will keep the sponge cake from sticking to the towel so make sure it’s sprinkled evenly.
STEP 7: Roll up. You want to roll up the sponge cake when it’s still hot, if you do this when it’s room temperature or just warm, it will crack because it won’t be as elastic. To do this, peel off the parchment paper and roll up the cake with the kitchen towel. Allow it to cool down to room temperature before adding the strawberry filling or it will melt.
STEP 8: Make the strawberry filling. Combine the cream cheese, strawberry jam, powdered sugar, vanilla, extract, and red food coloring (optional) into a large bowl, then beat until creamy and smooth. Use a spatula to spread the strawberry filling onto the cake then roll it back up.
STEP 9: Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight. I recommend overnight because the more time it has to set, the better it will slice and taste.
STEP 10: Decorate. When ready to serve, dust with powdered sugar and top with freshly cut strawberries. This decoration is very time sensitive so only do this when you’re about to serve the cake roll or the strawberries will begin to stain the cake roll and melt the sugar. Slice and serve!
Can you make strawberry swiss roll ahead of time?
Yes and I highly recommend it! Cake rolls need time to set, that's why you're supposed to let them chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours before slicing.
You can make this Swiss roll one day ahead of time and then let it chill in the refrigerator overnight. Decorate (step 10) when ready to serve.
How do you store a cake roll?
You can store your cake roll covered in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. You may want to remove the fresh raspberries on top to keep them from releasing their juice and staining your swiss roll.
HAPPY BAKING!! I hope you'll love this Strawberry 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:
- Vanilla Swiss Roll
- Honey Vanilla Cake Roll with Candied Almonds
- Perfect No-Fail White Velvet Cake
- Italian Peach Cookies
- Coconut Rice Pudding
Strawberry Swiss Roll
Ingredients
For The Sponge Cake
- 3 egg yolks (room temperature)
- 2 tbsp (30 g) white granulated sugar (plus more for sprinkling)
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) whole milk (room temperature)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup minus 1 tablespoon (2.1 oz) (60 g) all-purpose flour (sifted)
- 1 tbsp (7 g) cornstarch
- 3 egg whites (room temperature)
- 1/4 teaspoon vinegar
- 2 tbsp (30 g) white granulated sugar
For The Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
- one 8-oz package (225 g) cream cheese
- 1/4 cup (80 g) high-quality strawberry jam (or homemade, in any case make sure to use high quality jam for best flavor)
- 1/2 cup (60 g) powdered sugar (or more for a sweeter filling, if desired)
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1-2 drops red food coloring (optional)
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.
- Combine the batter. Using a silicone spatula, 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 silicone 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 2 tablespoon of granulated sugar making sure the sugar is evenly sprinkled across the towel.
- Roll up the sponge 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 strawberry filling. Combine the cream cheese, strawberry jam, powdered sugar, vanilla, extract, and red food coloring (optional) into a large bowl, then beat until creamy and smooth. Gently unroll the rolled up sponge cake and use a spatula to spread the strawberry filling onto the cake then roll it back up as tight as possible.
- Fill the cake roll. Gently unroll the rolled up sponge cake and use a spatula to spread the strawberry filling onto the cake then roll it back up as tight as possible.
- Chill in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight. I recommend overnight because the more time it has to set, the better it will slice and taste.
- Decorate. When ready to serve, dust with powdered sugar and top with freshly cut strawberries. This decoration is very time sensitive so only do this when you're about to serve the cake roll or the strawberries will begin to stain the cake roll and melt the sugar. Slice and serve!
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