This recipe for Coffee Roll Cake features a light and fluffy chiffon cake flavoured with coffee, filled with a luscious coffee cream.
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Why you'll love this recipe
This recipe is a variation from my Perfect Swiss Roll Cake.
It's a light and fluffy chiffon sponge cake, and doesn't crack.
There's no addition of baking powder or other leaveners.
Using espresso powder really amps up that coffee flavour in the cake.
There's no need to pre-roll the cake in a towel!
Ingredients you'll need
For the coffee swiss roll recipe, you'll need:
- large eggs: egg whites and egg yolks separated while cold, and egg whites brought up to room temperature
- granulated sugar: adds sweetness to the cake
- pinch of sea salt
- vegetable oil: or any neutral vegetable oil
- strong coffee: cooled; you can use coffee powder, espresso powder, or instant coffee granules
- vanilla extract: use a good quality extract for the best flavor
- cake flour: sifted; if you don't have cake flour, you can substitute with 50g regular all-purpose flour and 10g cornstarch
- cream of tartar: is an acid that stabilizes the whipped egg white meringue; if you don't have it on hand, use 1 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar
For the coffee cream filling:
- heavy whipping cream: at least 36% milkfat, chilled
- espresso powder
- powdered sugar: or granulated sugar, to your taste
Substitutions
For a chocolate variation, you can substitute 10g cocoa powder for cake flour.
Alternatively, turn it into a mocha flavour with a combination of chocolate and coffee.
Or use hojicha powder to make a hojicha roasted tea roll cake.
How to make the coffee roll cake
Make the cake
Preheat oven to 375F.
Prepare a 9" by 13" baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, add in the egg yolks, 30g granulated sugar, pinch of salt, vegetable oil, cooled coffee and vanilla extract.
Whisk until combined.
Sift in cake flour and stir or whisk until just incorporated. Set aside.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add in the egg whites and begin whipping on medium-low speed until foamy.
Add in cream of tartar, and gradually increase the speed.
Gradually add in the remaining 30g granulated sugar, and continue whipping until the egg white meringue reaches soft peaks.
Take about ⅓rd of the whipped egg white meringue and fold it into the coffee egg yolk batter to lighten using a spatula.
Continue folding in the egg whites in ⅓rd additions, until all incorporated into the batter.
Pour batter into the prepared baking tray.
Give the tray a few taps on the counter to release any trapped air bubbles.
Smooth the surface with an offset spatula.
Bake at 375F for 13-15 minutes, or until the top of the cake is springy and dry to the touch.
Remove the cake and bang the tray on the counter to prevent shrinkage.
Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool (not completely).
Make the coffee cream filling
In a mixing bowl, combine heavy whipping cream, espresso powder, and powdered sugar.
Whip until the coffee cream reaches firm peaks. Be careful not to overwhip or it will turn to butter.
Assemble
While the cake is slightly warm, peel off the parchment paper.
Transfer the cake to a large clean parchment paper.
Spread the coffee cream on the surface of the cake and smooth with an offset spatula.
Beginning from one end (long or short, up to you), roll the cake all the way, ending with the seam side facing down.
Wrap up the cake with parchment and seal the ends.
Place onto a tray and into the fridge to set for 4 hours.
Serve
Trim off the edges of the cake using a sharp serrated knife.
Decorate with additional whipped cream and coffee beans as a garnish.
Cut the cake into slices and serve as is, or if you're feeling indulgent, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream for a luxurious dessert.
FAQs and troubleshooting
Why did my cake crack?
It's possible that the egg white meringue was overwhipped.
Whip the egg whites to soft peaks, where you can see the tip of the meringue fall like a bird's beak.
Also, your oven temperature may be too hot, which can lead to cracking.
Can I use a different filling?
Of course, you can fill the cake with any filling you like.
Can I use more cream filling?
Yes, you can increase the amount of cream in the filling -- just a note that it may be a little more difficult to roll with more cream.
Can I make a thicker cake?
You can double the recipe and use the same size pan for a thicker cake.
Other roll cake recipes you may like
Be sure to check out these recipes:
Blackberry Earl Grey Cream Roll Cake
White and Blue Butterfly Pea Cake Roll
Let me know if you try out this recipe -- tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!
Coffee Roll Cake
For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs separated -- egg whites and egg yolks separated while cold, and egg whites brought up to room temperature
- 60 g granulated sugar divided
- pinch of sea salt
- 30 ml vegetable oil
- 30 ml strong coffee cooled, or espresso powder/instant coffee granules dissolved in 30ml water
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 60 g cake flour, sifted if you don't have cake flour, you can substitute with 50g regular all-purpose flour and 10g cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
Coffee Cream:
- 125 ml heavy whipping cream cold, at least 36% milkfat
- 2.5 g espresso powder
- 15 g powdered sugar or to your taste
Instructions
For key visual process steps, refer to the body of the blog post.
Make the cake:
- Preheat oven to 375°F/191°C.
- Prepare a 9" by 13" baking sheet by lining it with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, add in the egg yolks, 30g granulated sugar, pinch of salt, vegetable oil, cooled coffee and vanilla extract.
- Whisk until combined.
- Sift in cake flour and stir or whisk until just incorporated. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, add in the egg whites and begin whipping on medium-low speed until foamy.
- Add in cream of tartar, and gradually increase the speed.
- Gradually add in the remaining 30g granulated sugar, and continue whipping until the egg white meringue reaches soft peaks.
- Take about ⅓rd of the whipped egg white meringue and fold it into the coffee egg yolk batter to lighten using a spatula.
- Continue folding in the egg whites in ⅓rd additions, until all incorporated into the batter.
- Pour batter into the prepared baking tray.
- Give the tray a few taps on the counter to release any trapped air bubbles.
- Smooth the surface with an offset spatula.
- Bake at 375°F/191°C for 13-15 minutes, or until the top of the cake is springy and dry to the touch.
- Remove the cake and bang the tray on the counter to prevent shrinkage.
- Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool (not completely).
Make the coffee cream filling:
- In a mixing bowl, combine heavy whipping cream, espresso powder, and powdered sugar.
- Whip until the coffee cream reaches firm peaks. Be careful not to overwhip or it will turn to butter.
Assemble:
- While the cake is slightly warm, peel off the parchment paper.
- Transfer the cake to a large clean parchment paper.
- Spread the coffee cream on the surface of the cake and smooth with an offset spatula.
- Beginning from one end (long or short, up to you), roll the cake all the way, ending with the seam side facing down.
- Wrap up the cake with parchment and seal the ends.
- Place onto a tray and into the fridge to set for 4 hours.
Serve:
- Trim off the edges of the cake using a sharp serrated knife.
- Decorate with additional whipped cream and coffee beans as a garnish.
- Cut the cake into slices and serve as a dessert, or a snack.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided should be considered as approximate and is not guaranteed. Please use your best judgment to ensure food is safely prepared and/or a good fit for your diet.
Neil
I love Swiss Rolls and its so long since I made one. Mine are always just with jam and cream in them so as a huge fan of coffee, this coffee swiss roll cake is right up my street!
Michelle
Thank you Neil! You'll love this double coffee version with coffee in the cake and in the cream! 🙂
Dawn
I love coffee flavoured desserts to this one is right up my alley. Such a pretty presentation too with the roll. Love a thick slice right now with a big cup of coffee. Would hit the spot on this cold day. 🙂
Raymund | angsarap.net
Wow, this coffee roll cake recipe sounds amazing! I love how the chiffon cake is infused with coffee flavor and filled with a delicious coffee cream. Can't wait to try it out!
Ben | Havocinthekitchen
Such a beautiful roll cake, so elegant and neat. Great coffee flavour, too. And you can also turn it into a tiramisu roll cake by incorporating some mascarpone into the filling.
Sarah
This cake turned out beautiful!! Made it for a baby shower and got rave reviews. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Tasia
Coffee is such a favorite and I love how you infused this cake roll with it!
Linsey
I tried this recipe this afternoon and it turned out great. The coffee cake roll was very aromatic, perfect pairing for my afternoon tea!
Michelle
Happy to hear that you had great results, Linsey! Enjoy your afternoon tea!
Allie
I'm a HUGE coffee lover and absolutely adored this coffee roll. I love the cream (literally could eat it by the spoonful).
Michelle
Yes, that coffee cream is so yummy! Glad you enjoyed Allie 🙂
Jane
This coffee roll cake is the best! It's so fluffy, and the coffee flavor is perfect. I'd recommend it to anyone who likes coffee, or cake.
Michelle
Super happy to hear this, Jane! Thanks for trying out the recipe! 🙂
Jacky
This was delicious! I am a huge fan of coffee flavored dessert. It turned out soft and fluffy, thank you for sharing the recipe.
Michelle
You're welcome Jacky! Glad that you enjoyed the recipe.
Jessica
I accidentally made a pot of coffee that was way too strong for me to drink, so I saved it for this recipe. I just love the light, fluffy texture. It's like eating coffee flavored clouds.
Michelle
Thanks for the comment Jessica. Happy to hear the strong coffee didn't go to waste 😉
Baker
This recipe was perfect! I didn't have cream of tartar so I used lemon juice. Increased cream to abt 180ml (personal preference).
Loved that this wasn't overly sweet and the cake was light and fluffy. Thank you for sharing!
Michelle
Hi Baker, thank you so much for your feedback and for making the recipe! I'm glad that it turned out light and fluffy and wasn't too sweet 🙂
Emma
Every time I make one of these roll cakes they come out perfect and you don’t understand how happy that makes me! 😭 thank you so much
Michelle
Happy to hear it, Emma! You're welcome 🙂
Selena
I've been looking for a coffee flavored Swiss roll cake and gave this recipe a try -- WOW! Really delicious and surprisingly easy to make. Your tips and photos really helped. Thank you!
Michelle
Hi Selena, that's amazing to hear! Thank you for sharing your feedback with me 🙂
Astrid
Easy, foolproof and so delicious. Whole family devoured this cake within the hour. Thank you!
Michelle
Thanks for making the recipe and sharing your creation with me on Instagram, Astrid! Glad to hear the cake was a hit 🙂
Ann
Thanks for sharing! Do you have a recipe for chocolate Swiss roll?
Michelle
Hi Ann, you can refer to my Hojicha Roll Cake recipe and substitute the same amount of cocoa powder for the hojicha tea powder.
Emily
I made this exact recipe and made the mocha variant by substituting 10g of cake flour with Dutch processed cocoa! I had lyophilized fruits lying around (dragon fruit, haskap and strawberries) so I decided to blend them all into a fine powder and added it to the cream. It turned out sooo good! The taste was kind of like a black forest cake with coffee flavor! I still got some of the powder lying around, I should make it again!
Thank you for sharing the recipe. These swiss roll cakes are to die for!! Always a huge hit with the asian families since its not too sweet!
Irene
This was absolutely delicious! Followed the recipe exactly as written, using a homemade espresso shot for the coffee. Turned out so tender and flavorful, and rolled up beautifully with no cracks.
Michelle
Hi Irene, thanks so much for your feedback and for trying the recipe! Glad to hear that the result was great! 🙂