If you’re looking for a Swiss roll cake recipe that is as light as a cloud, moist and literally melts in your mouth, then this recipe is it!
It’s probably one of my proudest recipes to date. A super soft sponge cake is filled with a homemade raspberry jam and whipped cream – a flavour combo that can’t go wrong!
How to Make a Swiss Roll
This Swiss roll recipe begins with making a very light and moist sponge. The full written recipe and ingredients list is provided on the recipe card at the end of the blog post.
Preparing The Sponge
Preheat oven to 170 °C (340°F) with the fan on/convection mode (see note 1 on recipe card below if you don’t have a fan function) and line an 18×13 inch (half-sheet) baking tray. Only line the tray longways, leaving two of the edges of the pan exposed (see video below for demonstration).
In a bowl combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Using a whisk or fork, mix until well combined (there’s no need to sift it just yet). Set aside for now.
In a small bowl combine the milk and oil. Give it a mix and then set aside for now as well.
Next separate the yolks and whites from your eggs. Ensure no egg yolks get into the egg whites. Set aside.
In a large bowl add in 1 tbsp of warm water, and a ⅓ cup (66g) of white sugar (the portion of sugar assigned for the egg yolks) and mix so that the sugar is coated in the water. Next add in the 6 egg yolks and vanilla, and using a hand or stand mixer on a medium speed, whip until the mixture is thick and pale. You should be able to create ribbons with it that settle on the top of the mixture for a few seconds before being absorbed back in. This should roughly take 5 minutes but will vary depending on your mixer. Once done set aside for now.
In another large bowl add in the 6 egg whites. Using a hand or stand mixer (with clean attachments – see note 2 on recipe card below), whip for 30 seconds until it’s frothy, and then gradually add in ½ cup (100g) of white sugar while continuously mixing. Once the sugar is mixed in, continue to whip until you reach soft peaks. This should take about 7 minutes, but will vary depending on your mixer. We don’t want stiff peaks so keep checking the egg whites to check they aren’t being overwhipped (see video demonstration).
Add half of the whipped egg whites into your egg yolk mixture and using a spatula, gently fold until it’s just combined. Fold gently as we want to try and retain as much air in the batter as possible. Next sift the dry ingredients into the bowl and fold until just combined. Once done, add in the remaining egg whites and fold until just combined.
To finish off, add in the milk/oil mixture and fold until just combined. Your mixture should be thick and flowy once done (see video demonstration).
Distribute the batter evenly into the lined baking tray and using an offset spatula (or anything that has a straight edge), even out the batter as much as possible. Once done, shake the tray to even out the batter further, and then drop the tray on the counter a few times to remove any large air bubbles. I also like to tap the bottom of the tray with my hands a few times.
Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown, and the sponge slowly springs back when you touch the top. Allow to cool in the tray for 15 minutes.
While it’s cooling, prepare some baking paper that we are going to be using to roll the Swiss roll. If your baking paper isn’t large enough, then overlap two sheets. Lightly grease the baking paper with unflavoured vegetable oil, by dabbing your fingers into some unflavoured vegetable oil and then spreading it onto the baking paper. We only want a very thin layer (see note 3 on recipe card below).
After 15 minutes, run a knife along the edges of the sponge that are stuck to the baking tray to help release the sponge, and then turn the sponge out onto the baking paper (golden side down).
Roll the sponge up using the baker paper while its still slightly warm. Set aside to cool (we will unroll it again later).
Preparing Fillings
While the sponge is baking, prepare your fillings. I used a homemade raspberry jam and whipped cream for my Swiss roll – I would highly recommend it!
For the raspberry jam, simply prepare 1 batch of my homemade raspberry jam filling recipe. I would recommend doing this while the sponge is baking so it has enough time to cool.
Once done, place the jam onto a wide saucer and spread it out to allow it to cool quicker. You can also place it into the fridge to speed up the process, but it needs to be at room temperature when spreading it onto the Swiss roll so just make sure it doesn’t get too cold.
Next prepare the cream (10 minutes before you’re ready to assemble the Swiss roll). In a large bowl add in the cream, icing sugar and vanilla. Whip on a medium speed until you reach stiff peaks. Be careful not to overwhip the cream, so keep a close eye on it once it starts to thicken up.
Assembling the Swiss Roll
Once the Swiss roll is cool, unroll it gently. Using a serrated knife, trim off the short edges at an angle (see video demonstration below).
Spread a thin layer of the cooled raspberry jam on the sponge.
Next spread a layer of the cream on the sponge, leaving a small gap at one of the short ends of the sponge, only covering it with a very thin layer of cream (see note 4 on recipe card below).
To roll, lift up the edge of the sponge (that is opposite to the end with the thin layer of the whipped cream) with the baking paper, and push the top edge of the sponge into the cream to create an initial tight roll, and then using the baking paper, continue to roll the sponge until you reach the end. You want to push gently while rolling so you have a tight roll, but don’t push too hard otherwise you may push too much of the cream out.
Once you get to the end, tighten the roll by holding the bottom sheet of baking paper, and then using the long edge of a knife or off set spatula to push the top sheet of baking paper into the bottom of the Swiss roll (see video demonstration below).
Allow to set in the fridge for 1 hour before slicing. Once ready, slice a small piece off of each edge to reveal a wonderful clean Swiss roll. Enjoy!
Light & Moist Swiss Roll
Print Pin VideoIMPORTANT: For accuracy, I would recommend using the gram measurements provided, as those are the exact quantities I use. Cup measurements are given as estimates (based on US cup measurements) to make it easier for those who do not have a scale.
Ingredients
Swiss Roll
- ⅔ cups (80 g) all purpose flour
- ¼ cup (30 g) cornstarch - also known as cornflour in some countries
- ¼ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- 3 tbsp (45 g) milk - full fat, room temperature
- 3 tbsp (45 g) unflavoured vegetable oil - I use canola oil
- 6 large eggs - whites and yolks separated, room temperature
- 1 tbsp warm water - not boiling
- ⅓ cup (66 g) white granulated sugar (for the egg yolk mixture)
- 2 tsp vanilla essence/extract
- ½ cup (100 g) white granulated sugar (for egg whites)
- 1 tsp unflavoured vegetable oil - for lightly greasing the baking paper after the sponge is cooked.
Raspberry Jam
Whipped Cream
- 1¾ cups (400 g) cold whipping cream - minimum fat percentage of 34%
- 2 tbsp icing sugar - also known as powdered or confectioners sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla essence/extract
Instructions
Swiss Roll
- Preheat oven to 170 °C (340°F) with the fan on/convection mode (see note 1 if you don't have a fan function) and line an 18x13 inch (half-sheet) baking tray. Only line the tray longways, leaving two of the edges of the pan exposed (see video for demonstration).
- In a bowl combine the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt. Using a whisk or fork, mix until well combined (there's no need to sift it just yet). Set aside for now.
- In a small bowl combine the milk and oil. Give it a mix and then set aside for now as well.
- Next separate the yolks and whites from your eggs. Ensure no egg yolks get into the egg whites. Set aside.
- In a large bowl add in 1 tbsp of warm water, and a ⅓ cup (66g) of white sugar (the portion of sugar assigned for the egg yolks) and mix so that the sugar is coated in the water. Next add in the 6 egg yolks and vanilla, and using a hand or stand mixer on a medium speed, whip until the mixture is thick and pale. You should be able to create ribbons with it that settle on the top of the mixture for a few seconds before being absorbed back in. This should roughly take 5 minutes but will vary depending on your mixer. Once done set aside for now.
- In another large bowl add in the 6 egg whites. Using a hand or stand mixer (with clean attachments - see note 2), whip for 30 seconds until it's frothy, and then gradually add in ½ cup (100g) of white sugar while continuously mixing. Once the sugar is mixed in, continue to whip until you reach soft peaks. This should take about 7 minutes, but will vary depending on your mixer. We don't want stiff peaks so keep checking the egg whites to check they aren't being overwhipped (see video demonstration).
- Add half of the whipped egg whites into your egg yolk mixture and using a spatula, gently fold until it's just combined. Fold gently as we want to try and retain as much air in the batter as possible. Next sift the dry ingredients into the bowl and fold until just combined. Once done, add in the remaining egg whites and fold until just combined.
- To finish off, add in the milk/oil mixture and fold until just combined. Your mixture should be thick and flowy once done (see video demonstration).
- Distribute the batter evenly into the lined baking tray and using an offset spatula (or anything that has a straight edge), even out the batter as much as possible. Once done, shake the tray to even out the batter further, and then drop the tray on the counter a few times to remove any large air bubbles. I also like to tap the bottom of the tray with my hands a few times.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown, and the sponge slowly springs back when you touch the top. Allow to cool in the tray for 15 minutes.
- While it's cooling, prepare some baking paper that we are going to be using to roll the Swiss roll. If your baking paper isn't large enough, then overlap two sheets. Lightly grease the baking paper with unflavoured vegetable oil, by dabbing your fingers into some unflavoured vegetable oil and then spreading it onto the baking paper. We only want a very thin layer (see note 3).
- After 15 minutes, run a knife along the edges of the sponge that are stuck to the baking tray to help release the sponge, and then turn the sponge out onto the baking paper (golden side down).
- Roll the sponge up using the baker paper while its still slightly warm. Set aside to cool (we will unroll it again later).
Raspberry Jam Filling
- While the sponge is baking, prepare the raspberry jam. Once done, place the jam onto a wide saucer and spread it out to allow it to cool quicker. You can also place it into the fridge to speed up the process, but it needs to be at room temperature when spreading it onto the Swiss roll so just make sure it doesn't get too cold.
Whipped Cream
- 10 minutes before assembling the Swiss roll, whip the cream.
- In a large bowl add in the cream, icing sugar and vanilla. Whip on a medium speed until you reach stiff peaks. Be careful not to overwhip the cream, so keep a close eye on it once it starts to thicken up.
Assembly
- Once the Swiss roll is cool, unroll it gently. Using a serrated knife, trim off the short edges at an angle (see video demonstration).
- Spread a thin layer of the cooled raspberry jam on the sponge.
- Next spread a layer of the cream on the sponge, leaving a small gap at one of the short ends of the sponge, only covering it with a very thin layer of cream (see note 4).
- To roll, lift up the edge of the sponge (that is opposite to the end with the thin layer of the whipped cream) with the baking paper, and push the top edge of the sponge into the cream to create an initial tight roll, and then using the baking paper, continue to roll the sponge until you reach the end. You want to push gently while rolling so you have a tight roll, but don't push too hard otherwise you may push too much of the cream out.
- Once you get to the end, tighten the roll by holding the bottom sheet of baking paper, and then using the long edge of a knife or off set spatula to push the top sheet of baking paper into the bottom of the Swiss roll (see video demonstration).
- Allow to set in the fridge for 1 hour before slicing. Once ready, slice a small piece off of each edge to reveal a wonderful clean Swiss roll. Enjoy!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information are estimates only as they are automatically calculated by a third party application. Actual values may differ based on brands and types of products used.
63 Comments
Hello MK! I stumbled across your recipe as I am researching for an event and I notice you use quite a bit more cornstarch compared to other recipes, can you explain why? I followed your recipe to a T and it all turned out wonderfully, and what would you substitute in this recipe to make it chocolate? The cornstarch? Or flour?
Hi Courtney! 🙂
So glad to hear you loved the recipe and great question re cornstarch! So cornstarch has no gluten in it, which means that it’ll help to thicken the batter without making it too tough/dense – ideal for sponge cakes which don’t need too much structure to hold together as the eggs do a lot of that job. This means you end up with a super soft and airy sponge!
I have a chocolate version of this Swiss roll that you can find here: https://cakesbymk.com/recipe/decadent-chocolate-cake-roll/
It has a little less cornstarch as some of it is substituted with cocoa powder 🙂
Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the chocolate version just as much 🙂
Beautiful Swiss Roll Recipe. Wonderfully light. Thank you for sharing. xx xx ❤️
So glad you enjoyed the Swiss roll recipe Sharon 😀
Really appreciate the wonderful feedback 🙂
Hi, wondering if this whipped cream recipe for swiss roll can also be used as the filling for your crepe cake recipe instead of the cheese filling? Thanks
Hi Amy! 🙂 You could use this whipped cream, or alternatively I would suggest using my stabilized whipped cream frosting recipe: https://cakesbymk.com/recipe/stabilized-whipped-cream-frosting/
This is just so that the whipped cream is a bit more firm and will allow the crepe cake to hold together a bit better 🙂
Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the recipe!
Hi.
Thank you for sharing the recipe.
I make swiss rolls alot and recently came across your recipe. I notice that you have actually put double the amount of sugar that other people have usually put.
Any specific reason? Can you pls explain its role.
Hi Sharva! 🙂 Great question – so the sugar used in this recipe is mainly for sweetness, softness/moisture and stabilizing the egg whites when they’re whipped into a meringue. This recipe does make quite a large Swiss roll (6 eggs used in total), so perhaps the other recipes you use are for smaller Swiss rolls? A good way to check would be the amount of eggs used 🙂
Nonetheless, this recipe isn’t very sweet – I personally found that the amount of sugar used provided just the right amount of sweetness and stability to the cake roll 🙂
Hope that helps and hope you enjoy the recipe if you decide to try it out!
Delicious
Thank you so much! So happy to hear you enjoyed the recipe 🙂
Have you every colored your batter to make a type of rainbow design. Just curious to know if that would make the batter runny. I use gel food coloring, not the liquid.
Hi Rachael! 🙂 I have colored cake batter before, and I usually use gel colours (particularly if the original recipe doesn’t use any coloring to ensure the consistency of the batter isn’t significantly affected).
In my experience, gel color has worked fine 🙂
Hope that helps!
Perfect result. I followed the recipe exactly except on two points: I forgot to add vanilla to the egg yolks so I added it to the milk+oil. Made no difference. Also I checked it at 13 mins and it was already perfectly done. With a light, eggy cake like this, oven behavior will play a big role in bake time, so keep a close eye on it and follow the look and feel of the cake rather than the timer to determine if it’s done.
So happy to hear you loved the recipe Rachel! 😀 Yes excellent point about the cooking time – these sponge cakes are super sensitive so always a good idea to check it a little early just in case 🙂
hello MK will the recipe work if I do 10 percent cut for the ingredients as my pan is 15×14 inches in size ,your recipe will be too much for the pan and it won’t roll as it will be too thick can’t wait to hear your opinion on it
Hi Nada! 🙂 Yes that should work fine as long as all the calculations are done correctly 🙂 enjoy!
Your swiss roll recipe is super easy and my swiss roll came out perfect. The taste Mmm delicious. I love it
Thanks so much for the feedback Getrude! 🙂 So happy to hear you enjoyed the Swiss roll 🙂
Amazing recipe while many little steps worth the end result, absolutely loved how it turned out and it is so delicious, the video is a real help for the various steps. I love all you make so thank you. This is for my neighbour as a thank you for Xmas.
I made this roll for a “Yule Log” with the chocolate ganache from your recent recipe. It was tasty, beautiful and relatively easy! It didn’t crack and was picture perfect!!
I needed a white cake roll recipe because my sister-in-law can’t eat chocolate. I cut off her slice before I frosted it with the ganache.
Thank you so much for the recipe!!!
I put a photo on FB and tagged you, so I think that you might be able to see the photo. 🙂