This delicious Raspberry Swiss Roll makes for a perfect spring or summer dessert. An easy roll cake recipe combines a light lemon sponge with a layer of sweet raspberry jam and crème fraîche whipped cream. Delectable, to say the least!
This beautiful roll cake combines the simplicity of a classic genoise sponge with fresh, fruity raspberries and tangy crème fraîche whipped cream. The pairing of lemon and raspberries is a favourite of mine, and if you love it too, then you’ll be a fan of my Raspberry Lemonade Layer Cake and my Lemon Raspberry Baked Donuts.
Not long ago, I shared with you my Chocolate Swiss Roll and my Gingerbread Swiss Roll Cake, but with the days getting longer and warmer as we head into Spring, I wanted to bring you something lighter and fresher!
In this post, I’ll break down just how easy a swiss roll cake recipe really is. With step-by-step photos and detailed descriptions, you’ll succeed in the most beautiful roll ever! For more useful tips, read my How To Make A Swiss Roll Guide.
🌟 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Fresh, summery flavours. The light lemon sponge, sweet, raspberry jam and tangy crème fraîche are a match made in heaven.
- Uses minimal ingredients. The list of ingredients needed is short and sweet. All of which are basic pantry or fridge staples.
- Make ahead. This is a great option for an easy dessert that can be made ahead of time.
- It feeds a crowd! Depending on how thinly you slice the roll-up cake, you can get 10 to 12 slices out of this one roll. Perfect for entertaining or enjoying over a couple of days.
🧾 Ingredients Needed
With only 7 basic ingredients needed for the simple lemon sponge and 4 ingredients for the filling- this cake is brilliant. I've made notes below regarding these ingredients that will help when making this recipe, plus any substitutions.
For the Sponge Cake
- Eggs - provide structure and, more importantly, moisture to the sponge. Make sure to whip them for the required time. I use large eggs at room temperature. Separate the egg yolks from the egg whites.
- Sugar - to sweeten the cake roll. I prefer to use caster sugar, but granulated will also work.
- Lemon zest - this is optional, but a little lemon goes a long way in creating a beautiful flavour profile. Substitute for orange zest if necessary.
- Vanilla extract - to add extra flavour.
- Plain flour - To provide structure. Weigh the flour so that you don’t add too much, which will cause a dry sponge that will crack. You can use self-raising flour but be sure to omit the baking powder.
- Baking powder - adds a little additional lift to the sponge.
- Salt - balances out the sweetness.
For the Crème Fraîche Whipped Cream
Crème fraîche, double cream and powdered icing sugar are whipped together to create this luscious filling. The crème fraîche adds the perfect tang to the cream and also stabilises it.
Extras
- Raspberry Jam - use your favourite, good-quality raspberry jam or conserve.
- Fresh raspberries and mint- optional extras to decorate your raspberry roll cake with, but I guarantee that with a dust of powdered icing sugar and a handful of fresh raspberries and some mint leaves, you’ll have a spectacularly beautiful roll on your hands!
📖 Variations
There are many variations to a Swiss Roll, and I can’t wait to share more here on the blog. Other types I’m hoping to make in the future are:
- Strawberry Swiss Roll: Vanilla sponge roll filled with roasted strawberry buttercream and decorated with fresh strawberries and mint leaves. A Summer favourite.
- Simple Vanilla Swiss Roll: Filled with sweetened whipped cream, this is refined simplicity at its best!
- Chocolate Swiss Roll: Chocolate sponge encasing a cream cheese filling, encased in a chocolate ganache and topped with blackberries. A chocolate lover's delight- trust me!
- Espresso Swiss Roll: Rich chocolate sponge filled with an espresso buttercream that would make a perfect base for a Christmas time yule log.
- Cookies n’ Cream Swiss Roll: For the ultimate treat for the kiddies, fill your chocolate Swiss Roll with whipped cream and crushed Oreo’s.
Fillings and Topping Substitutions
Here are some ideas for creating the Swiss Roll of your dreams by mixing up the fillings and toppings.
Fillings
- Sweetened whipped cream (crème chantilly)
- Chocolate frosting
- Roasted strawberry frosting (as on my Almond Strawberry Cupcakes)
- Fruity jam or conserve
- Oreo whipped cream
- Caramel Swiss Meringue Buttercream (as on my Apple Cider Cupcakes)
Toppings
- Cocoa powder: Dust the chocolate sponge with cocoa powder keeping it plain and simple
- Chocolate Ganache: Cover in rich, smooth chocolate ganache for a decadent twist.
- Caster sugar: Roll the sponge in caster sugar. Sprinkle the tea towel with caster sugar instead of powdered icing sugar for a little crunch.
👩🏻🍳 How to Make a Swiss Roll
This raspberry Swiss roll cake is made up of two parts: the sponge and the filling. Each is simple to make. It's the technique of rolling the sponge that makes this dessert so eye-catching. I have plenty of process images so that this process can feel less intimidating to you- once you have the hang of it you'll love the process!
*Be sure to see the recipe card below for the full list of ingredients & instructions!*
Make the Lemon Sponge
STEP 1. Prepare your pan—grease the base and sides of your baking pan with butter and line them with parchment paper. The paper should overhang the side so that it’s easier to remove the sponge from the tray later on. Grease the parchment paper as I find this will help with peeling off the paper before rolling the sponge.
STEP 2. Whip egg whites. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks form (Images 1 & 2).
TIP: Whip the egg whites first so that you can use the same whisk in the next step without having to wash it up. I'm all about ease!
STEP 3. Whip the egg yolks, sugar and lemon zest. In a separate clean and dry bowl, add egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla extract and whip for a good 4 minutes until pale and thick (Images 3 & 4). Set a timer! It always feels like quite a long time, but you need to whisk for long enough.
TIP: When you lift the whisk up, you should be able to see a trail of the mixture on the surface for a couple of seconds. This is called 'ribboning'.
STEP 4. Sift in dry ingredients and add the egg whites. This step is done in 2 parts.
- Sift in half the flour directly onto the egg yolk mixture in the bowl. Add in half the egg whites (Image 5). Using a rubber spatula, fold the mixture until the flour and egg whites are just incorporated (Image 6).
- Then, sift in the remaining flour, baking powder and salt and add the remaining egg whites (Image 7). Again, fold through until just a few flour streaks remain (Image 8). This will ensure that you don't overmix. Fold them in with a light touch to maintain all the trapped air. This is one of the reasons why the sponge is so light and airy.
This technique of adding the flour and egg whites at the same time may seem different to the regular method of folding in the flour then the egg whites. But after so much recipe testing, I found my method consistently yielded the most stable, light sponge that didn't crack when rolling.
STEP 5. Bake and cool. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and move the batter to the edges with an offset spatula (Image 12). Smooth until level (Image 13). Tap the pan firmly on the counter top to release any air bubbles (Image 14).
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes until the centre springs back, the sponge has started to shrink away from the sides, and the sponge is golden brown and dry to touch (Image 15).
Set aside until the sponge is warm and not hot. Once the sponge is baked, remove the pan from the oven and set the tray on a wire rack for ten minutes until the sponge is warm but not hot. This is an important step - don't skip it or go over the ten minutes.
TIP: The reason is to allow all the steam to dissipate before rolling. The steam trapped within the tea towel creates too much moisture, and the cake sponge tends to stick to the tea towel.
Ten minutes is perfect for releasing the steam yet keeping the sponge warm so it can roll successfully.
However, if you leave the sponge to cool completely, it will crack when rolled. Set a timer so that you don't forget!
STEP 6. Prepare your tea towel. Whilst the sponge is baking, sift powdered icing sugar liberally onto a tea towel or sheet of parchment paper lain flat on a work surface. The powdered icing sugar needs to cover a slightly larger surface area than the pan the sponge is baking in (Image 7). (You can also use caster sugar.
Invert the sponge onto the tea towel. Once the sponge has baked, remove it from the oven and invert it immediately onto the icing sugar on the prepared tea towel (Image 8).
TIP: I prefer to use a tea towel as I find the sponge stays soft when it comes to unrolling it later on
STEP 7. Peel off the parchment paper. Use your fingertips to gently peel the parchment paper away from the sponge (Image 9).
Roll sponge up. Using your fingers, starting from the short end of the sponge rectangle, gently but firmly roll the warm sponge into the tea towel (Image 10). Set the cake roll aside with its seam side down to cool completely.
Make the Crème Fraîche Whipped Cream Filling
Whilst the cake roll is cooling, this is the perfect opportunity to make your crème fraîche whipped cream.
STEP 8. Add all the ingredients to your bowl. Whip the cream, crème fraîche and powdered icing sugar on low for 10 to 20 seconds. It thickens super quickly, so keep an eye on it! Refrigerate until needed (Images 11 & 12).
TIP: If the cream over whips and goes lumpy, add 1 or 2 tablespoons of double cream into the mixture and whisk together until it just comes together. You should be able to 'save' your whipped cream!
How to Roll a Swiss Roll
Once the lemon sponge has cooled down, it's time for the fun part- filling and re-rolling!
STEP 9. Unroll the sponge. Gently unroll the sponge from the tea towel or baking paper.
Cover with jam. Spoon the raspberry jam onto the sponge and smooth evenly, leaving a 2 cm (1-inch) gap around the edge (Image 13).
STEP 10. Top with crème fraîche whipped cream. Dollop cream filling onto the raspberry jam sponge and, using an offset spatula, smooth it out into an even layer (Image 14).
STEP 10. Roll time! Gently roll the sponge up again, trying not to squeeze out the filling too much. Use the tea towel to help you lift the sponge over itself (Image 15). (Don’t worry if the cream and jam squish out a little bit; we’ll be cutting off the ends later to neaten it up!
Wrap and refrigerate. Wrap the roll in a piece of parchment paper and then tightly in plastic wrap to hold its shape. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours for the filling to set (Image 16).
How to slice neatly
Before serving, slice the two ends to neaten the Swiss roll. There are two ways to do this effectively.
- With a knife: Heat the knife's blade by running it under hot water, wiping it dry and slicing through. Heat and wipe the blade for every cut.
- With dental floss: Cut a long piece of dental floss, and holding each end, manoeuvre it under the Swiss roll to where you want the cut. Bring the two ends up around the roll to crossover on the top and pull together to slice through the cake roll.
PHOTOGRAPHERS TIP: Even with refrigerating the swiss roll, the cream can still be quite soft when cutting through it. If this is the case, try freezing the roll for an hour and you'll then find that a hot knife will slice through it like butter!
To decorate
Liberally dust the roll with powdered icing sugar for a simple raspberry cream roll.
If you’d like to add a little decoration, then top the Swiss roll with fresh raspberries and fresh mint leaves. You’ll feel like you’ve created something Delia would be proud of.
💭 Recipe Pro Tips
- Weigh your flour. Use digital scales for an accurate measurement. Too much flour will lead to a dry sponge that can crack when rolling.
- Don’t overbake the sponge. If you do, you’ll most likely develop cracks.
- Do not roll the sponge immediately from the oven. This traps the steam in the roll and can make the sponge stick to the tea towel/parchment paper. Wait ten minutes and roll it when warm, not hot
- Take care not to overwhip the cream. The creme fraiche whipped cream filling thickens incredibly quickly. Whip on low speed and keep an eye on it.
- Refrigerate the roll before serving so that the cream has a chance to set.
📋 Recipe FAQs
A Swiss Roll is typically made up of a thin sponge filled with jam, whipped cream or buttercream and rolled into a spherical shape. On the other hand, a roulade is sweet or savoury and often involves rolling meat or pastry. Both are traditionally served as slices.
You can buy specific Swiss Roll pans or jelly roll pans if you like, but I used a regular baking pan measuring approximately 25x38cm (10x15-inch) with a 2.5cm (1-inch) lip all around.
I've also tested this recipe in a 45x32cm (17.75x12.75-inch) USA half-sheet baking pan. It worked perfectly. Make sure to smooth the batter evenly prior to baking. The finished roll will have a thinner sponge, but because of the bigger pan size- there will be more 'roll' visible when cut.
This type of cake actually works really well as a make-ahead dessert. Fill the sponge, roll and wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. The Swiss Roll can then be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
If you over-mix the batter, then the gluten strands in the flour can tighten and, when baked, cause a rubbery sponge. Fold the ingredients together with a light hand and mix until the flour is just combined.
Don't worry if the sponge cracks slightly. Keep going. The taste will still be the same. Dust the roll liberally with powdered icing sugar and cover in raspberries to finish off the recipe.
❄️ Storage and Freezer Instructions
To store: The Swiss roll can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To freeze: An unfilled, rolled sponge can be wrapped in plastic wrap and then foil and frozen for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight and allow to come to room temperature before filling and continuing with the recipe instructions.
🍓 More Fruity Dessert Recipes
If you tried this Raspberry Swiss Roll Recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how you go in the 📝 comments below. I love hearing from you!
📖 Recipe
Raspberry Swiss Roll Recipe
Ingredients
Lemon Sponge
- 4 large eggs, separate egg yolks and egg whites
- 100 g caster sugar (superfine)
- 1 lemon zest
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 100 g plain flour (all-purpose)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- 60 g raspberry jam
Crème Fraîche Whipped Cream
- 240 ml double cream (heavy cream)
- 300 g crème fraîche
- 30 g powdered icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar), plus extra for dusting tea towel
To Serve
- 1 teaspoon powdered icing sugar (confectioners’ sugar), to dust
- 125 g fresh raspberries, washed and patted dry
- mint leaves
Instructions
- Heat the oven and prepare the pan: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).Grease with butter or spray with non-stick spray the base and sides of a 25x38cm (10×15-inch) baking pan /swiss roll pan/jelly roll pan. Line the pan with parchment paper, ensuring the paper overhangs the pan's sides. This will help you later when trying to remove the sponge from the tin. Grease the parchment paper with butter, as this will help with peeling the paper off once the sponge has baked.
- Whisk egg whites. Using handheld electric beaters or in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites on medium to high speed until soft peaks form.
- Whip the egg yolks and sugar. In a separate bowl, whip the egg yolks, sugar, lemon zest and vanilla extract on medium-high for 5 minutes until the mixture is light and creamy. When lifting out the whisk, you want to see trails of the mixture on the surface of the batter for a few seconds.
- Sift dry ingredients and add egg whites in two parts.Sift in half the flour directly into the egg yolk mixture in the bowl. Add in half the egg whites. Using a rubber spatula or large metal spoon, fold the mixture until the flour and egg whites are just incorporated.Then, sift in the remaining flour, baking powder and salt and add the remaining egg whites. Again, fold through until just a few flour streaks remain. This will ensure that you don't overmix. Fold them in with a light touch to maintain all the trapped air. This is one of the reasons why the sponge is so light and airy. Ensure that you scrape right to the bottom of the bowl where flour air pockets can remain.
- Pour into the prepared pan: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and shake/wiggle the pan to help guide the batter into the pan’s corners. If necessary use an offset spatula if necessary to help smooth out the batter.Bake: Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean and springs back when pressed lightly.Cool: Remove the baking pan from the oven and set it on to a wire rack to cool for ten minutes until the sponge is warm and not steaming hot. It's important not to miss out on this step.
- Prepare your teatowel: Whilst the sponge is baking, lay a tea towel or piece of parchment paper on your work surface and dust lightly with powdered icing sugar. (Alternatively, sprinkle with caster sugar)Invert sponge onto the teatowel: Once the sponge has baked, remove it from the oven and immediately invert the sponge onto the tea towel whilst it is still hot.
- Peel off paper and roll: Gently peel off the parchment paper on the bottom of the sponge. Starting from the sponge’s short end, using your hands, roll the sponge up gently but firmly until it is totally rolled into the tea towel (or parchment paper). Set the roll aside with its seam side down to cool completely.
- Whip ingredients: In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, add the crème fraîche, double cream, powdered icing sugar and whip on low speed until soft peaks form. This doesn’t take very long, about 10 to 30 seconds. If you feel you have slightly over whipped the cream- then add a tablespoon of double cream and whip very slowly to loosen the cream.
- Spread cream: Then spread the crème fraîche whipped cream filling evenly over the sponge’s surface, leaving a 2cm (1-inch) gap around the edge. Distribute the raspberries over the sponge and press them in.
- Re-roll sponge: Re-roll the sponge up again and wrap it in parchment paper and then in plastic wrap for the roll to hold its shape. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours for the filling to firm up.
- To serve: Dust with extra powdered icing sugar and top with fresh raspberries and mint leaves (optional). See tips below for slicing.
All recipes are developed and tested in Metric grams. I strongly recommend that you bake using digital scales for a more accurate result. I have provided a conversion to US customary in the recipe but please note that I haven’t tested using this method.
Notes
Nutrition
This recipe has been updated in February 2024.
Matilda
I rolled up the Swiss roll as per recipe as soon as I removed it from the oven and it completely stuck to the tea towel so I’ve got no top on the sponge now - horror! What went wrong?
Emma
Hi Matilda, Sorry to hear that your sponge stuck to the tea towel. A couple of things spring to mind. Did you weigh out the flour with cups or scales? If with cups then you may not have added enough and the batter and then the resulting sponge was too moist. Or the sponge was slightly under-baked which again would have made it too moist when rolling. Did you dust the tea towel sufficiently? You could try sprinkling the tea towel with caster sugar instead. I hope that you have more success the next time you bake it.
jay
Hi Matilda
Sometimes if the sponge is warm it sticks to the tea towel.My experience.I sprinkle icing sugar directly on the sponge and not on the tea towel or parchment paper. after it cools down for about 5 mins.The steam and moisture is gone and nothing sticks.you can now invert on the tea towel or parchment paper.
Emma
Great tip Jay 🙂
Stephanie
Do you think any other intense jam flavors would go well with this particular sponge? My grocer doesn’t carry the intense raspberry. They have the intense strawberry or red fruits. Do you think either of those would work well with the lemon and such?
Emma
Hi Stephanie, Yes absolutely- either of these jam flavours are beyond delicious and would suit the lemon flavour. x
Greg Winterhalter
My sponge cake only Rose the 3/16 inches. What could cause it not to rise. My cream filling tasted sour with fresh ingredients. What is it supposed to taste like?
Emma
Hi Greg- regarding the first concern of the sponge not rising - my questions would be - did you whip the eggs sufficiently to be light and airy as shown in Image 1 of the How to section? Was the pan size different? A larger pan would make the sponge much thinner.
Regarding the cream - the creme fraiche does bring a natural sourness, but it should be balanced out with the double cream and powdered icing sugar. But this is not an inherently sweet cream. With a sweet sponge and sweet jam - the less sweet cream balances out the whole roll. Feel free to use sweetened whipped cream if you prefer- or just to add more icing sugar to the original creme fraiche cream.