This recipe for Perfect Swiss Roll Cake yields a light, fluffy and spongy cake that is not too sweet. This chiffon-style cake is very versatile -- fill it with whipped cream, jam, or ganache, and is simple to make with my tips below.
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When I was young, I remember visiting my grandparents and they would have an assortment of Chinese bakery goodies on the dining table.
The treats ranged from wife cakes, bbq pork buns, steamed red bean paste buns, egg tarts, and lastly, a whole swiss roll cake.
One of my favourite cakes to make and eat is this Perfect Swiss Roll Cake.
I personally love the lightness of a chiffon cake.
Swiss roll cakes sound intimidating to make, but they're really quite straightforward as long as you follow my tips below.
What is a Swiss roll cake?
Swiss roll cake is also known as a jelly roll, cream roll, roll cake, or Swiss log cake. ("Buche du Noel" or yuletide log is a version that appears frequently at Christmas time).
Essentially, it is a sponge cake that is rolled up with a filling of whipped cream, chocolate ganache or jelly.
The origin of the name "swiss roll" appears to be unclear, as it is believed the cake originated somewhere in Europe.
Why you'll love this recipe
This recipe has been a staple in our home for years; it has been tried and tested.
The cake is light and fluffy, and not too sweet.
It requires minimal ingredients, and an equal number off egg yolks and egg whites. (Many recipes require more egg whites than egg yolks).
Ingredients you'll need
This swiss roll cake is based on a chiffon cake, which is a sponge cake with the addition of vegetable oil.
The ingredients in a swiss roll cake include:
- eggs: yolks and whites are separated and beaten at different times; the egg whites provide leavening for the cake. The eggs should be separated first, and then left at room temperature to warm up.
- cream of tartar: is an acid that helps to stabilize the whipped egg whites. If you don't have cream of tartar, you can use a little bit of lemon juice or vinegar instead.
- oil: I use avocado, but you can you use any light vegetable oil. This provides moisture and flexibility to the cake
- whole milk: you can use any type of milk you have on hand
- granulated cane sugar: divided half for the egg white mixture and half for the egg yolk mixture.
- vanilla extract: or you can sub in any flavour to change it up
- cake/pastry flour: this type of flour has less protein and gluten which helps to keep the cake tender
How to make the cake
Preparing the eggs
As mentioned above, the first thing to do is to remove the eggs from the fridge, and separate the egg whites from the egg yolks.
Why? It's easier to separate the egg whites from the egg yolks when they're cold.
However, the egg whites should be at room temperature to attain sufficient volume when beating.
Tip: ensure your bowl for beating the egg whites is clean, with no traces of oil. Oil can hinder the egg whites from beating up nicely. An easy way to do this is to give the bowl and whisk a quick wipe with paper towel and a bit of lemon juice or vinegar prior to adding the egg whites.
Make the egg yolk batter
In a separate bowl, combine the egg yolks with 30g sugar and whisk together. Add in the oil, milk, vanilla extract and whisk again.
Sift in the cake flour over top of the egg yolk mixture and fold gently to combine, until there are no lumps.
Whip the egg whites
In a clean stand mixer bowl, fitted with a whisk attachment, add the room temperature egg whites.
Turn on the mixer on low speed.
Once the egg whites become foamy with bubbles, add in a little cream of tartar (or lemon juice/vinegar).
Gradually increase the speed of the mixer, and slowly pour in the granulated sugar.
Continue to whip the egg whites until fluffy, shiny and reaches a soft peak. (The egg whites will form a curved tail at the end of the whisk).
Combine the mixtures
Using a spatula, fold about ⅓rd of the egg whites into the egg yolk batter. This will help to loosen up the egg yolk batter.
Note: Folding is different than stirring. It takes a lighter hand to not deflate the whipped egg whites. To fold, take the spatula to the bottom of the mixture, and scoop (a slow flick of the wrist) while turning the bowl about 90 degrees.
Continue to turn the bowl and fold until the mixture is almost homogeneous.
Add the next 3rd of the egg white mixture, and continue to fold until the egg whites are incorporated into the batter, but be sure not to overfold or the egg whites will be deflated.
Bake the cake
Prepare a 9" by 13" baking tray with parchment paper.
Preheat the oven to 375°F.
Transfer the cake batter to the 9" by 13" baking tray.
Give the tray a few taps to release any trapped air bubbles.
Bake at 375°F for 14-15 minutes, until the cake surface is golden brown, dry and springy to the touch.
Remove the cake from the oven and immediately drop it from a height of 1'. This prevents the cake from shrinkage.
Let the cake cool on a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes (just until it's the slightest bit warm -- not completely cool).
Make the whipped cream
While the cake is cooling, make the whipped cream.
Tip: A chilled bowl (in the fridge) will help the cream to whip up nicely.
Pour the heavy cream into the chilled bowl, add in the powdered sugar and use a whisk to whip to stiff peaks. (Don't overwhip or the cream will turn into butter).
How to roll the cake
Place the slightly warm cake onto a large piece of parchment paper, with the top side down (the browned exterior).
Of course, you can choose to roll it the other way if you like.
Dollop the whipped cream onto the surface of the cake.
Use an offset spatula to evenly spread the whipped cream over the entire cake.
Starting at the short end, use the parchment paper to help gently roll up the cake.
Use the parchment paper to gently push the roll so it is taut.
Make sure the seam-side is facing down, seal the ends of the parchment paper.
Place the cake onto a tray and into the fridge for at least 6 hours to firm up.
Watch how to make it
How to serve
It's best to cut the cake slices when you're ready to eat.
Remove the cake from the fridge and cut the ends off with a sharp serrated knife.
Clean the knife with a warm, damp towel.
Cut the cake into slices about 1" in thickness, cleaning the knife in between cuts.
Serve the cake with fresh fruit or as is. It would be delicious with a scoop of ice cream.
How to store
Store the swiss roll cake in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
If you're using a filling other than whipped cream, you can keep the cake at room temperature for 1-2 days (in an airtight container).
Additionally, you can cut slices of the cake and freeze them individually wrapped. Freeze for up to 3 months.
If serving from frozen, just leave the cake at room temperature for 15-20 minutes prior to enjoying.
FAQ's & troubleshooting
Why did my cake crack?
It's possible that you may have overwhipped the egg whites. You're looking for soft peaks in the egg meringue, so they have "tail" when you pull out the whisk.
Another possibility is that you may have overbaked the cake. Just bake until the top is dry and springy to the touch. An overbaked cake will be dry and that may cause cracking.
The top "layer" stuck to the parchment
If this happens, that may mean the cake could use a little extra baking time in the oven.
The surface should be dry and bounce back when lightly pressed, and not wet.
Can I roll the cake the other way?
Yes, you can roll it length wise, or even with the "brown layer" facing inwards.
How much cream do I need for the cake?
You'll need about ½ C (125ml) of heavy whipping cream for the filling.
You can add certainly more if you like a thicker layer of cream.
Different flavour variations
This Perfect Swiss Roll Cake is my go-to recipe for all my different cake variations , including ones with matcha green tea, black sesame, hojicha.
Swap out the vanilla extract for different flavour, or play with filling flavours. The choices are endless!
In the past, I've done a fresh mango fruit and cream filling, as well as strawberry cream.
A strawberry jam, chocolate ganache, or even matcha cream would all be delicious!
And if you're looking for a different variation of the roll cake, check out my White & Blue Butteryfly Pea Roll Cake.
Other cake recipes you may like
Be sure to check out these recipes:
Most Delicious Matcha Pound Cake
Soft, light, and delicious -- this faintly sweet Perfect Swiss Roll Cake is indeed a staple in my home.
Skip the Chinese bakery and make this classic cake at home!
My kids seriously LOVE this cake and constantly request for it, in which I'm happy to oblige! 🙂
Let me know if you try out my recipe Perfect Swiss Roll Cake -- tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!
Perfect Swiss Roll Cake
For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
Cake
- 3 egg yolks
- 30 g granulated cane sugar
- 30 ml avocado oil or any light vegetable oil
- 30 ml whole milk
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 60 g cake flour sifted
- 3 egg whites room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- 30 g granulated cane sugar
Whipped Cream
- 125 ml heavy whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon powdered sugar
Instructions
Make the cake:
- Prepare a 9" by 13" baking tray with parchment paper.
- Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks into 2 different bowls (one for egg whites and one for egg yolks).
- Tip: ensure your bowl for beating the egg whites is clean, with no traces of oil. Give the bowl and whisk a quick wipe with paper towel and a bit of lemon juice or vinegar prior to adding the egg whites.
- Preheat the oven to 375°F/191°C.
- Combine the egg yolks with 30g sugar and whisk together. Add in the oil, milk, vanilla extract and whisk again.
- Sift in the cake flour over top of the egg yolk mixture and whisk to combine, until there are no lumps.
- In a clean stand mixer bowl fitted with a whisk attachment, add the room temperature egg whites.
- Turn on the mixer on low speed.
- Once the egg whites become foamy with bubbles, add in a little cream of tartar (or lemon juice/vinegar).
- Gradually increase the speed of the mixer, and slowly pour in the granulated sugar.
- Continue to whip the egg whites until fluffy, shiny and reaches a soft peak. (The egg whites will form a curved tail at the end of the whisk).
- Using a spatula, fold about ⅓rd of the egg whites into the egg yolk batter. This will help to loosen up the egg yolk batter.
- Note: Folding is different than stirring. It takes a lighter hand to not deflate the whipped egg whites. To fold, take the spatula to the bottom of the mixture, and scoop up (a slow flick of the wrist) while turning the bowl about 90 degrees. Continue to turn the bowl and fold until the mixture is almost homogeneous.
- Add the next 3rd of the egg white mixture, folding it into the egg yolk mixture. Continue to fold until all of the remaining egg white mixture is incorporated into the batter, but be sure not to overfold or the egg whites will be deflated.
- Transfer the cake batter to a 9″ by 13″ baking tray lined with parchment paper.
- Give the tray a few taps to release any trapped air bubbles.
- Bake at 375°F/191°C for 14-15 minutes, until the cake surface is golden brown and dry to the touch. The cake should be bounce back when slightly pressed with a finger tip.
- Remove the cake from the oven and immediately drop it from a height of 1′. This prevents the cake from shrinkage.
- Let the cake cool on a cooling rack for 10-15 minutes (just until it’s the slightest bit warm — not completely cool).
Make the whipped cream:
- While the cake is cooling, make the whipped cream.
- Tip: A chilled bowl (in the fridge) will help the cream to whip up nicely.
- Pour the heavy cream into the chilled bowl, add in the powdered sugar and use a whisk to whip to stiff peaks. (Don’t overwhip or the cream will turn into butter).
Assemble the cake:
- Place the slightly warm cake onto a large piece of parchment paper, with the top side down (the browned exterior). Of course, you can choose to roll it the other way if you like.
- Dollop the whipped cream onto the surface of the cake.
- Use an offset spatula to evenly spread the whipped cream over the entire cake.
- Starting at the short end, use the parchment paper to help gently roll up the cake.
- Use the parchment paper to gently push the roll so it is taut.
- Make sure the seam-side is facing down, seal the ends of the parchment paper.
- Place the cake onto a tray and into the fridge for a few hours to firm up.
- Cut the cake ends off with a serrated knife. Use a damp, warm towel to clean the knife in between slices.
- Cut into thick slices and serve.
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.
Geraldine
I absolutely loved this recipe for Perfect Swiss Roll Cake! The cake turns out light, fluffy, and spongy, with just the right amount of sweetness I am looking for. Would definitely save this recipe for future use.
Michelle
Thanks for taking the time to comment, Geraldine. Happy to hear it!
Corey
My husband loves a mild chocolate cake flavour (like red velvet) and I am wondering how much cocoa you would add?
Michelle
Hi Corey, you can refer to my Hojicha roll cake and adjust the cake flour amount to 45g and add 10g cocoa powder. Hope that helps.
Lily
I'm so happy that the cake turned out light with an airy texture. The vanilla flavor was so good. Very easy to follow. Thanks for sharing.
Michelle
Happy to hear that the recipe turned out well, Lily! Thanks for writing. 🙂
Dhru
Hi there! I've tried this recipe twice, and it has worked quite well for me.
The only issue I've had is the cake is slightly dense, and i see a darker area in the center of a cake. What could have caused this?
I followed most of your instructions to the tea, with ghe exception being I whipped the eggs whites to stiff peaks, rather than soft peaks.
Would really appreciate your input!
Michelle
Hi Dhru, thanks so much for your feedback and for trying the recipe. I'm glad to hear it's worked well overall!
Regarding the slightly dense texture and the darker area in the center, there could be a few issues...
One could be over-mixing, which can deflate the batter, making it dense.
Whipping the egg whites to stiff peaks can be a major factor as stiff peaks hold their shape more firmly and can make the batter a bit harder to incorporate smoothly. If you're not super gentle folding them in, they can deflate more easily, and result in overmixing, which may result in a denser, slightly drier cake. (See above).
Another issue is oven temperature -- every oven is different, some run hot and some run cool which can cause uneven baking. The darker center could mean it's slightly underbaked in the middle. You may need to extend the bake by a few minutes. If you press the top of the cake, it should spring back, or you can test with a toothpick to ensure it's baked through.
Hope that helps! If you try it again, let me know how it turns out with my tips.
Hanna Long
Such a great Swiss Roll recipe! 🍰 Made it for our Christmas. Light, fluffy! I love the helpful tips too. It is in my recipe folder now! Thanks for sharing.
Jocelyn
I was looking for a simple and easy to make cake roll recipe that I can prepare for our holiday and came across this recipe. My family enjoyed it 🙂 The cake turned out to be moist, and fluffy and the balance of the sweetness was just perfect.
Michelle
Hi Jocelyn, thanks for your feedback and for making the recipe! I'm glad it turned out great for you 🙂
Heather
I made this for Christmas dessert and my family loved it! It was so good that we didn't have leftovers. I will definitely make this cake again!
Michelle
Great choice for Christmas dessert, Heather! Thanks for sharing your feedback 🙂
mary
Oh yum! Made last night for NYE dessert -- simple and elegant! Served with a raspberry sauce and it was a big hit
Michelle
Hi Mary, that sounds so lovely with the raspberry sauce! Happy New Year to you!
Fernanda
I love this recipe! Comes out great every single time I use it. I just have a question, I want to make a bigger one, if I double the recipe and use a larger pan should I double the time as well? Thank you!
Michelle
Hi Fernanda, thanks for your feedback!
You can double the recipe, use a 13" by 18" pan (half sheet size), and keep the same bake time. If your pan is larger than that, you will need a shorter baking time as the cake will be thinner. If you're using the same 9" by 13" pan and doubling the recipe, then you'll need to extend the bake time by a bit (not double) as the cake will be thicker. Hope that helps.
Cherr
I can’t wait to make more variations of this roll cake! I noticed for the other variations, vegetable oil is listed in grams, whereas others are listed in mL. Should I follow each one based on whichever recipe I’m using?
Michelle
Hi Cherr, yes, grams (g) and milliliters (ml) are 1:1, so you can use what's written.
Sarah
Loved this cake recipe! Saw it from Instagram. So pillowy and fluffy, complemented by the light cream filling. The tricky part was rolling it, but it turned out well. Will be my go-to recipe from now on.
Michelle
Hi Sarah, thanks for your feedback! Happy to hear that! 🙂
Liv
Made this Swiss roll cake yesterday and I'm so happy that it rolled without cracking!! I added a strawberry jam and cream filling and it was divine! THANK YOU!
Michelle
Hi Liv, thanks for your feedback! 🙂
Tiffany
I am so happy I made this recipe. It's the only one I've tried that doesn't crack when rolling and it tastes amazing. So light! Can't wait to make different variations, so many possibilities!
Michelle
Hi Tiffany, glad to hear it! Enjoy 🙂
Anna
Turned out great, whole family loved it too. I made it gluten free with 50% gf flour and 50% almond flour and it turned out perfect.
Michelle
Hi Anna, thank you very much for your feedback! That's wonderful to hear it worked with gluten-free and almond flour. Will have to give that a try!
Katie
Been wanting to make a Swiss roll cake for years and finally attempted your recipe. Was nervous about the cake cracking, but this recipe was really easy to make and no cracks! So happy! Filled it with vanilla cream and it was devoured in an hour. Thank you.
Michelle
Hi Katie, thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment. Happy to hear that the recipe worked out well for you! 🙂
Caroline
Hi Michelle! Really great recipe right here! I couldn't recall my mom recipe for swiss roll but this is really great. I am not very good at baking myself but this is super simple and easy to follow.
I have question though. I have made this many times but everytime, after the cake slightly cooled down, then I flip it onto parchment paper, the skin seems to stick. I cannot get the perfect skin smooth skin. Are there any tips for this issue?
Also, I would suggest to make recipe, tips & trick for tiger swiss roll. 🙂
Michelle
Hi Caroline, thank you so much for your message, glad to hear that the recipe was easy to follow. 🙂
For the skin sticking to the parchment, I'd suggest extending the bake time just a little longer so that the top surface of the cake is completely dry to the touch. When the surface skin is dry, it should not stick to the parchment paper. It may take a little trial and error due to each oven being different. Hope that helps!
And thank you for your suggestion to make a tiger Swiss roll -- I'll hopefully have a recipe for that in the future 🙂
JJ
Hi Michelle, thank you for sharing the recipe. I made it yesterday and the end result is so good. The cake turned up exactly as the picture. I like your blog. It’s a simple website and the instructions are easy to follow too. I have tried few of the recipes since I found your website by accident and it’s time for me to give you credit 👍 for what you have shared with us. Thank you again.
Michelle
Hi JJ, thank you for taking the time to leave your feedback! Happy to hear that the cake turned out well and that the instructions were helpful. Happy baking 🙂
Hillarie
Made this for Thanksgiving and it turned out well. Great instructions, easy to follow. Excited to try different fillings. Thanks for sharing.
Michelle
Hi Hillarie, thanks for your comment! Hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving!
Grant
Hi, Michelle! I haven't made this recipe yet, but I can already tell it's going to be amazing 😌
I was wondering though, do you think this recipe would work if I were to add bananas in? I've been asked to make a banana dessert, and this looks amazing for it! But I'm unsure as to how to get the same consistency, or if it's even possible 😅
Thank you either way for the wonderful recipe!!
Michelle
Hi Grant, thanks for your lovely message. In this case, I would add the bananas to the filling rather than the cake. If you have banana essence, you could add it to the cake batter, but for simplicity, I suggest making the roll cake as is, and layering chopped banana over the whipped cream filling and rolling it together, similar to the mango variation (refer to photo in the post). You can also look to my Matcha Swiss Roll for another variation with fruit -- swap out the strawberries, lay a whole banana across and roll it up with the cream. I hope that helps!!
Ann
Will the whipped cream melt if the cake is slightly warm?
Michelle
Hi Ann, if the cake should not be overly warm (hot) and not completely cooled when you add the whipped cream. If you're adding the whipped cream on when the cake is hot, of course the cream will melt.
Belle
Have made this cake many times, it's my favorite go-to Swiss roll cake recipe. Did a mango version for early Mother's Day celebration with fresh mango slices and everyone loved it! Thank you for sharing your recipes!
Michelle
Hi Belle, thanks so much for your feedback! Happy to hear it's a favorite! 🙂