Perfect Swiss Roll Cake

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. 

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.

• Hojicha Roll Cake
• Blackberry Earl Grey Cream Roll Cake
• Snow White Swiss Roll Cake

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:

Matcha Hidden Heart Cake

Strawberry Matcha Shortcake

Matcha Strawberry Fruit Sando

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!