Swiss Roll Cake Recipe

5 from 2 votes

Learn How To Make A Swiss Roll Cake. Soft, airy vanilla flavoured sponge rolled with your favourite strawberry jam. A simple, tasty family-favourite dessert.

Prep Time40

Cook Time10

Chill Time2

Total Time2 50

Course: Cakes

Cuisine: British/Americain

Servings: slices

Calories: 82kcal

Author: Emma Duckworth

Equipment

Ingredients

Lemon sponge

4 large eggs yolks and whites separated and at room temperature.
100 g caster sugar (superfine) plus an extra 2 tablespoon for dusting the teatowel.
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
100 g plain flour (all-purpose)
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon fine salt

Filling

90 g strawberry jam or your favourite jam, conserve or marmalade.
1 teaspoon caster sugar (superfine) to dust

TO SERVE

Chantilly cream and fresh strawberries optional

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

Heat the oven and prepare the pan. Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
Grease with butter or oil 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, as this will help peel 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 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 use an offset spatula to help guide the batter into the corners and smooth it to an even layer. Tap the pan a couple of times to release any trapped air bubbles.
Bake: Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean, the sponge springs back when pressed lightly and is dry to the touch.
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 this step.
Prepare your tea towel: Whilst the sponge is cooling, lay a tea towel or piece of parchment paper on your work surface and sprinkle liberally with caster sugar. (Alternatively, dust with powdered icing sugar.)
Invert sponge onto the teatowel: After ten minutes of cooling, carefully invert the sponge onto the tea towel. The sponge will still be warm.
Peel off paper and roll: Gently peel off the parchment paper on the bottom of the sponge.
Roll up 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.
Spread jam: Once the sponge roll has cooled, gently unroll it. Spread the jam all over leaving a 2cm (1-inch) gap around the edge.
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: Slice unsightly ends off the roll with a serrated knife then sprinkle with extra caster sugar. Serve with chantilly cream and fresh strawberries (optional).

Notes

Step-by-Step Photos: My blog post includes insightful step-by-step photos to help guide you through making this recipe.

How to store: Swiss roll can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

How 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.

Alternatives: For a variation on the fillings, try chocolate ganache, buttercream or whipped cream. For a variety of toppings, cover in chocolate ganache, roll in caster sugar or drizzle with melted chocolate.

Tip 1: To prevent the sponge from cracking: Ensure that you don’t overbake, as this will create a dry sponge. Cool for ten minutes before inverting and rolling up when out of the oven, as this is when the sponge is most pliable.

TIP 2: Separate the whites from the yolks when cold. It's far easier to separate the two when the egg is cold. However, the whites, in particular, need to be at room temperature to whip fully.

TIP 3: Fold and don't stir the whites into the batter. To achieve a light, airy structure to the sponge, we want to keep as much air as we've whipped into the eggs.

TIP 4: Make sure to tap the tray before baking to release any air bubbles. Once baked into the sponge, trapped air bubbles affect the sponge's structure and can cause it to crack once rolled.

Nutrition