This recipe for an all-white Snow White Swiss Roll Cake is light, tender and made with egg whites rather than egg yolks. It's an elegant way to elevate Swiss Roll Cake to a new level. Fill it with a whipped cream for a completely snow white effect.
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This Snow White Swiss Roll Cake is an all-white soft and tender cake filled with vanilla whipped cream.
In celebration of National Whipped Cream Day (yea! there's such a day... January 5!), I wanted to do a completely white Swiss Roll Cake.
What is a Snow White Swiss Roll Cake?
If you're new to Swiss roll cakes, you'll want to read up on my post for the Perfect Swiss Roll Cake.
A white Swiss roll cake is a sponge or chiffon cake made with only egg whites.
The Swiss roll cake is usually rolled up with a filling of whipped cream, chocolate ganache, or jelly.
However, for a Snow White Swiss Roll Cake, I've chosen to fill the cake with whipped cream, since it is also white.
Why you'll love this recipe
This Snow white cake recipe is simple to make and always bakes up with no cracks.
It's not too sweet, and easily adaptable.
This egg white cake is light, spongy and delicious!
The White Swiss Roll Cake uses only egg whites for the cake, rather than whole eggs.
It's a great white cake recipe to use up any leftover egg whites you may have from making ice cream or custard buns.
Ingredients in the white roll cake
You'll need:
- avocado oil: (or any light vegetable oil) adds moisture to the cake
- milk: (or dairy-free alternative)
- granulated sugar: the sugar is divided into 2 portions -- one with the cake batter, and the other with the egg whites; beating the sugar gradually with the egg whites produces a more stable meringue
- vanilla extract: use a good quality vanilla -- adds flavour to the cake
- all-purpose flour: adds structure to the cake; if you have cake flour on hand, you can certainly use that and omit the cornstarch
- cornstarch: keeps the cake light and tender
- egg whites: keep the egg whites at room temperature to ensure whip up with enough volume
- cream of tartar: helps stabilize the egg whites; if you don't have cream of tartar, add a squeeze of lemon juice (about ¼ tsp)
Ingredients in the whipped cream filling
The whipped cream consists of 3 ingredients:
- heavy whipping cream: use a whipping cream with at least 36% milkfat (MF) and keep the cream nice and cold to help with its emulsification.
- vanilla extract: adds flavour to the cream
- powdered/icing sugar: adds a touch of sweetness to the cream
How to keep the cake white
Baking at a low baking temperature keeps the cake pale and white.
Each individual oven will vary in temperature, so you may need to adjust accordingly.
Tip: If the cake begins to brown, you can reduce the oven temperature and/or place aluminum foil over top of the cake to cover.
How to make the cake
Preheat the oven to 325°F/163°C.
Prepare a 9" by 13" baking sheet with parchment paper. Have another large piece of parchment paper ready for later use.
In a bowl, whisk together the oil, milk, 20g granulated sugar, and vanilla extract.
Sift the flour and cornstarch into the wet ingredients.
In a clean stand mixer bowl fitted with a whisk, add in 4 egg whites and beat on low-medium speed until foamy.
Gradually increase the mixer speed and add in the cream of tartar.
When you begin to see lots of bubbles, add in the granulated sugar gradually and continue beating until egg whites reach soft peaks.
Transfer about 1 C of the whipped egg whites to the flour mixture and fold it in.
Once lightened, add the remaining egg whites in ⅓rd additions to the flour mixture to incorporate. Be careful not to overmix.
Transfer the cake batter to the prepared baking sheet and smooth out the top with an offset spatula. Drop the pan from a height of 1 foot to release any trapped air bubbles. (You may need to drop it a few times, until no bubbles appear at the surface of the cake).
Bake at 325F for 15-16 mins, or until the top of the cake is springy, and dry to the touch.
Remove from the oven and drop the pan from a height of 1 foot to prevent the cake from shrinkage.
Let the cake cool on a cooling rack for about 10-15 minutes, until slightly warm to the touch.
How to make the whipped cream filling
TIP: Chilling the bowl in the fridge ahead of time will help the heavy cream whip up with volume.
Add the cold heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract and powdered sugar to a large bowl.
Use a balloon whisk and whip until the cream is light and airy, but be careful not to overwhip or it will turn into butter.
Assemble the cake
Peel the parchment paper off the cake.
Transfer the almost completely cooled cake onto a clean piece of parchment paper.
Spread the whipped cream onto the entire surface of the cake.
Carefully roll the cake with the cream.
Wrap the cake up with the parchment paper and twist the ends to secure. Place onto a large plate and wrap with plastic wrap.
Set into the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours.
Use a clean serrated knife to trim off the edges.
Garnish the cake with whipped cream and berries, and serve in slices.
How to store
Store the cake lightly covered with plastic wrap in the fridge, until ready to serve.
Cake can be stored for up to 5 days.
Sliced cake can be frozen in an airtight container in the freezer for up to 1 month.
Defrost at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving.
Troubleshooting & FAQs
Why did my cake crack?
Check that you didn't overwhip the egg whites to stiff peaks. Stiff peaks leads to a dry meringue which can lead to cracks in the cake.
Also, try rolling the cake while it is slightly warm. Don't wait for the cake to cool completely, or the cake might crack.
The top of the cake is moist.
The cake needs more baking time. The surface of the cake should be dry and springy to the touch.
Can I use whole eggs for this cake?
No, to ensure a white cake/pale cake, only egg whites are used.
For a cake that uses whole eggs, try my Perfect Swiss Roll Cake instead.
Why did my cake turn brown?
The top will turn a little bit brown, which is normal.
Your oven temperature could be hotter; next time, reduce the temperature by 25 degrees.
You can also add a piece of aluminum foil over top to cover the cake while baking.
It's not too big of a deal since you can roll the cake with the brown side (skin side) facing inward.
Can I use a different filling?
Yes, you can use whatever filling you like in the cake.
Try a pastry cream, or chocolate ganache.
Why does the cake need to chill for 4 hours?
This is so the cake has time to firm and set up (and hold it's shape).
How do I slice the cake neatly?
Use a clean serrated knife, have a tall glass of warm water and paper towel near by.
Once you slice the cake, dip the knife into the warm water and wipe the knife with clean paper towel. Repeat with every slice to achieve neat slices.
Adaptable & versatile
This Snow White Swiss Roll Cake is soft, spongy and delicious.
It's adaptable and you can certainly add any flavour you like to it.
Add fruit to the cream filling for a pop of colour or variation.
I love using fresh fruit in these roll cakes. I used blackberries since I had some on hand, but any fruit such as raspberries or strawberries would be just as delicious.
Other roll cake recipes you may like
If you enjoyed this, be sure to check out my other roll cake recipes:
Blackberry Earl Grey Cream Roll Cake
If you've made this recipe -- I'd love to see it! Tag me on Instagram @siftandsimmer or leave me a comment/rating below!
Snow White Swiss Roll Cake
For accuracy and precision in baking recipes, use weight (metric) measurements when available.
Ingredients
- 15 ml avocado oil or neutral vegetable oil
- 60 ml whole milk or dairy-free alternative
- 20 g granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 40 g all-purpose flour or sub 50g cake flour
- 10 g cornstarch
- 140 ml egg whites (appx 4) at room temperature
- 35 g granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar or 1 teaspoon of lemon juice/white vinegar
Cream Filling:
- 125 ml heavy whipping cream cold, at least 36% milkfat
- ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 15 g powdered sugar
Instructions
For key visual process photos, refer to the body of the blog post.
Make the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 325°F/163°C.
- Prepare a 9" by 13" baking sheet with parchment paper. Have another large piece of parchment paper ready for later use.
- In a bowl, whisk together the oil, milk, 20g granulated sugar, and vanilla extract.
- Sift the flour and cornstarch into the wet ingredients.
- In a clean stand mixer bowl fitted with a whisk, add in 4 egg whites and beat on low-medium speed until foamy.
- Gradually increase the mixer speed and add in the cream of tartar (or lemon juice). When you begin to see lots of bubbles, add in the 35g granulated sugar gradually and continue beating until egg whites reach soft peaks. (When you remove the whisk, the egg whites will have the shape similar to a bird's beak).
- Transfer about 1 C of the whipped egg whites to the flour mixture and fold it in. Once lightened, add the remaining egg whites in ⅓rd additions to the flour mixture to incorporate. Be careful not to overmix.
- Transfer the cake batter to the prepared baking sheet and smooth out the top with an offset spatula. Drop the pan from a height of about 1 foot to release any trapped air bubbles. You may need to drop it a few times until no bubbles appear on the surface.
- Bake at 325°F/163°C for 15-16 mins, or until the cake is springy and firm to the touch.
- Remove cake from the oven and drop the pan from a height of about 1 foot to prevent the cake from shrinkage.
- Cool the cake on a cooling rack for about 10-15 minutes, until slightly warm to the touch.
Make the whipped cream:
- Add the cold heavy whipping cream, vanilla extract and powdered sugar to a large, chilled bowl.
- Use a balloon whisk and whip until the cream is light and airy.
Assemble the cake:
- Peel the parchment paper off the cake.
- Transfer the almost completely cooled cake onto a clean piece of parchment paper. Note: You may need to carefully flip the cake twice for the browned side (skin side) to be on top, which will roll with the white side facing outward.
- Spread the whipped cream onto the entire surface of the cake.
- Carefully roll the cake with the cream. (You can roll it lengthwise or widthwise, your choice).
- Wrap the cake up with the parchment paper and twist the ends to secure. Place cake onto a large plate and wrap with plastic wrap to seal.
- Set into the fridge to chill for at least 4 hours.
- Use a clean serrated knife to trim off the ends.
- Garnish cake with whipped cream and berries, and serve cake in slices.
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.
David @ Spiced
Wait - there's a National Whipped Cream Day!? And I'm in luck since it's today! This is such a fun dessert - no matter the day. I do love a good Swiss roll cake, and I'm a huge fan of vanilla everything. I know this would be a huge hit here in our house!
Michelle
Yeah! Such a fun holiday... no excuse not to have whipped cream today! Thanks David! 🙂
Raymund (Ang Sarap)
That looks so perfect! the thickness, the lightness. It looks like those ones I used to enjoy a lot in HK.
Michelle
Thanks Raymund! Swiss roll cakes are the best! 🙂
Katherine | Love In My Oven
What a beautiful cake, Michelle! It's elegant and delicious. I haven't made a roll cake in forever, I think it's time that changed!
Michelle
Thanks Katherine! Yes, you need to make them! 🙂
Catherine
Wow, this is such a gorgeous Swiss roll cake! So elegant, light and fluffy!
Michelle
Thanks Catherine! 🙂
Christie
This is one gorgeous cake! It is so pretty with that snow white colour! Looks so fluffy too!
Michelle
Thanks so much Christie! 🙂
Leanne
I've only made a Swiss roll cake once and it did not look this neat and perfect! It's gorgeous Michelle!
Michelle
The roll definitely gets easier with practice, thanks Leanne!
Tasia ~ two sugar bugs
This is such a gorgeous Swiss roll cake Michelle! I love everything vanilla and know I would love this one!!
Michelle
Thanks Tasia! The all-white is very effective! 😉
Yumi
This looks amazing, I have not tried to make this yet, but every recipe I have tried on your site is just amazing! 🙂
Michelle
Aw thank you for the kind words!
Paula
Beautiful white cake roll. Can be served as a wedding cake.
Michelle
Thank you Paula! 🙂
Abigail
So delicious and soft!! Perfect as a weekend baking activity or weekday or any day for that matter!!
Michelle
Glad you enjoyed it, Abigail! Loved the photo you posted on IG too 🙂
Linsey
Wow! Michelle, this snow-white Swiss roll cake looks so elegant and gorgeous! Better than the store bought!
Michelle
Thank you so much, Linsey! Hope you give the recipe a try 🙂
Zoe
Hi, I've followed the above recipe but my Swiss roll broke after cooling while rolled up. It also felt very moist on the surface after cooling. May I know if I should increase the flour, or how to go about troubleshooting? Thank you!
Michelle
Hi Zoe, did you make any substitutions? If the cake cracked, it could be a combination of things: whipping the egg whites past soft peaks, over baking the cake too long...
Do you live in a humid climate? If the cake is moist, you may need to add a little more cake flour or cornstarch for next time.
Tracy
Did you mean 45ml oil instead of 15ml?
Michelle
I used 15ml of oil for this recipe.
MLG
This was an absolute X'mas delight. All my family members loved it.!!!
Monica
I bake a lot and my husband loves everything I do. But without prompting he has asked for this cake again, he loved it. I serve with fresh berries and a dusting of icing sugar. Thank you.
Michelle
Hi Monica, thank you for your comment! Glad your husband enjoyed the cake 🙂
Jacyntha
if I double the recipe, is the baking time should be longer?
Michelle
Hi Jacyntha, if doubling the recipe and using the same size baking pan, the baking time should be extended a little longer, maybe an additional 5-7 minutes, depending on your oven's heat. If you're doubling the recipe and using a larger pan, then you'll keep the same baking time. Hope that helps.