This Strawberry Swiss Roll with Cream Cheese Whipped Cream Frosting fancy schmancy looking dessert isn’t super complicated to make. The cake batter is a vanilla cake, slathered with a cream cheese frosting and layered with fresh summer strawberries. It’s rolled into a beautiful cake, and topped with more whipped cream. Not only is this a show stopper dessert, it is incredibly delicious– not too sweet and it will make you look like a star baker!
I can’t get enough of juicy, sweet, fresh summer strawberries! We have a local farm stand that grows organic strawberries and they are some of the best I’ve ever eaten. Their strawberries are so popular, that once the strawberry season begins, they dole out only one basket of berries per customer! (Once the berries, in the field, ripen in abundance I can start buying a flat.)
So, what could I make with just one basket of strawberries? Of course, Strawberry Shortcake came to mind. Then it hit me. A Swiss Roll! A Swiss Roll is a Jelly Roll– only it’s a sponge-type of cake, filled with cream. Perfect! It’s been years since I baked (and posted) a Classic Pumpkin Roll recipe. As my memory recalled, the cake was super easy to bake.
For this recipe, I’m baking a vanilla cake. There are eggs in this cake recipe, but no butter. I do have a jelly roll pan, (10×15) but you could use a sheet cake pan (9×13). You just have to check for doneness on the smaller pan, by adding a little bit more baking time. I cannot stress enough how important it is to pre-measure all of your ingredients! This good habit is called “mis en place” (“mess in place). This way, I know I have all of the ingredients I need. Plus, once it’s time to make the batter, the process becomes more efficient.
It’s crucial to prepare your jelly roll pan so that the cake doesn’t stick. I always use Baker’s Joy Baking Spray— it never fails me! Whatever you use, coat the pan generously. For added insurance, I use parchment paper and spray the paper once more with baking spray.
You need a clean kitchen towel, generously coated with powdered sugar. I emphasize the word “generously” for a reason. Ahem. You’ll see why…
The batter is very straightforward to make. Once spread onto the prepared pan, it takes an average of 15 minutes to be done. Very carefully, the baked (and hot) cake is carefully flipped onto the prepared towel, and the parchment paper is removed. NOTE: I thought I had spread enough powdered sugar onto the towel, but obviously I wasn’t thorough enough. Some of the cake stuck to the towel! Grrrr. (Carry on, Debby.) Allow the cake to completely cool. UPDATE: I now prefer to roll my cakes with parchment paper. It’s neater and less chances of the cake sticking.
NOTE: Can you make the cake in advance? Sure. Once it’s cool, wrap it in plastic wrap and keep at room temperature overnight.
Have you ever bought strawberries that are red on the outside and white on the inside? I find that disappointing But, not these berries! They are red all the way through, and naturally sweet! I have an OXO Salad Spinner with a small basket that fits inside. It’s important to get the strawberries as dry as possible, so that the moisture doesn’t make the frosting watery.
Speaking of frosting: Whip 8 ounces of cream cheese, sugar and slowly added cold heavy cream. Voila!
Okay, so the unrolled cake isn’t as pristine looking as I’d like. Like I’ve mentioned, add more powdered sugar to the towel than you think you need! Duly noted for next time.
The frosting is a bit thicker than traditional whipped cream. I set the unrolled cake on top of a piece of parchment paper, then used an offset spatula to gently spread it evenly– lest I tear the cake even more.
Last, but not least, evenly spread the fresh strawberries all over the filling.
You see? I had a crack in the cake. I had some unkind thoughts in my head, but you know what? Frosting can hide anything! Gently roll the cake, striving to get it as tight as possible.
Sigh. Well, now that’s not too pretty! That’s the beauty of frosting! It hides imperfections!
Fill a piping bag with the remaining frosting/filling and use a 1M piping tip to create “rosettes”. (It’s our little secret that the cracks are well hidden.)
TASTING NOTES: What a fabulous dessert! The cake was tender with just the right amount of vanilla flavor. The filling, wow! Cream cheese and whipped cream. What’s not to love? This recipe showcases summer strawberries in a perfect way. After tasting this slice, I wrapped the rest of the cake in plastic wrap for later on that even. It was perfect. There was no watery filling at all. Taking the time to dry the strawberries really paid off. Swiss rolls/Jelly roll cakes can be a bit fussy when it comes to actually rolling/unrolling and re-rolling. As long as you have some sort of frosting, you’ll get the hang of it. I sure did!
Strawberry Swiss Roll with Cream Cheese Whipped Cream Frosting
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- Powdered sugar For the tea towel, to roll the cake
For the Filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
- 2 cups heavy whipping cream ice cold
- 1 pound fresh strawberries cut into small pieces, plus more for topping,if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 10×15” or 10.5×15” cake/jelly roll pan with foil and spray with floured nonstick cooking spray. NOTE: I prefer to use Baker's Joy non-stick baking spray and then line with parchment paper, and sprayed one more time with Baker's Joy non-stick baking spray
- Place eggs in a large bowl or the bowl of an stand mixer.Beat at medium speed for 5 minutes until foamy and yellow. Add sugar and mix for 2 more minutes, until the mixture thickens slightly. Add the oil, baking powder, salt, and vanilla.Add the flour and slowly mix until just combined. Pour the batter into the prepared pan, spreading as needed with a spatula. (An offset spatula works great for this.Lift the pan a couple inches off the counter, and gently drop, to release any air bubbles.Bake for between 10-15 minutes, or until the top is browned and the cake springs back when touched lightly. All ovens differ, so check the cake earlier than later! I used a toothpick to check for doneness.
- While the cake is baking, lay out a clean kitchen towel (or parchment paper) onto the counter. Spread with about ¼ cup powdered sugar. They key to success is to add more powdered sugar than you think– that is, you want an even layer of powdered sugar. I used a fine mesh strainer to accomplish this.
- Once the cake is done, using oven mitts, carefully flip the hot cake onto the prepared towel. Remove the parchment paper and, using the towel or parchment paper, roll up the cake from the short side. The towel/parchment paper will be rolled into the cake. Let the cake completely cool.
Make the filling:
- With a mixer (I use the whisk attachment on my stand mixer) beat the cream cheese and sugar until it’s smooth and fluffy, then add the vanilla. Slowly add the heavy whipping cream. , Turn the mixer up to high and beat until stiff peaks form.
Fill the cake:
- Thoroughly wash the fresh strawberries. Slice/cut about 3/4 of the berries and pat dry. (This prevents "weeping" and watery filling.) Carefully unroll the cake. You might find that some of the cake might've stuck to the towel and torn (spoken from experience) due to lack of powdered sugar. Don't worry. Frosting will hide that!Gently spread the frosting (it might feel a bit thick) with an off-set spatula. Then add the prepared strawberries, evenly.Carefully roll the cake back up as tight as possible, unsticking it from the towel as you go. Wrap the cake roll in plastic wrap and chill until ready to top and serve.
Serving the cake:
- Fill a piping bag with the remainder of the frosting (about 1 1/2 cups) and used a 1M tip. Decorate as you prefer. I piped on "rosettes" and topped with a whole strawberry. If you don't want to pipe frosting, just frost using a technique you prefer. Cover, gently, with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated before serving. Ideally, serve within an hour or two.
- NOTES: I experienced no "weeping" of the strawberries because I had dried them using my salad spinner with a special "berry basket". We enjoyed the cake over a period of two days, having shared a few slices with a neighbor.
Notes
Leave a Reply