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This bakery Swiss roll cake recipe is direct from my family’s three generations of professional bakers. Light and fluffy, this will be the best Swiss roll cake you’ll ever taste!
This Swiss roll cake is made with a light and fluffy sponge cake base, a thin layer of jam or jelly, then rolled into a gorgeous roll cake. It’s perfect for Christmas, Thanksgiving, or any other holiday!
The Swiss roll is made with cake flour, eggs, sugar, and vegetable oil. It’s light, airy, and surprisingly dairy free!
Swiss Roll Cake Recipe Tips:
Start with room temperature egg whites as they whip up better and create more volume. The first thing I do before preparing any other ingredients is separate the whites and yolks and leave them at room temperature. By the time I’m done preparing the other ingredients, the whites should be at room temperature.
When creating the meringue, whip the egg whites to a soft peak before adding any sugar. This allows the meringue to keep its volume and not deflate when adding the sugar. I always split the sugar into three equal parts. Never add all the sugar at once when creating a meringue.
For the egg yolk mixture, beat everything over a warm bowl of water. This helps the sugar melt and incorporate with the other ingredients to give you a very airy, fluffy egg yolk batter. The fluffier the batter, the fluffier the cake. The egg yolk batter should be pale yellow in color and light and fluffy.
Test for the ribbon stage: Lift the whisk and let the batter fall back into the bowl. It should fall slowly and form thick ribbons that leave a trail before slowly disappearing.
Next, sift the dry ingredients into the mixture in three equal parts. Gently fold it in each time before adding more.
Prepare the Baking Pan
Cut out your parchment paper so that it fits your pan to ensure a flat, even surface for the cake batter. This ensures that the cake bakes and browns evenly and makes the Swiss roll cake easy to roll up.
I used a 9 x 13 inch pan. When pouring the batter into the pan, pour it from a height of about 8 inches above the baking pan. This helps pop any large air bubbles in your batter. Be sure to smooth the batter into the corners.
Roll up the Cake
After taking out your cake from the oven, invert it onto a clean, slightly dampened kitchen towel and peel off the parchment paper. Gently roll up your cake and hold it in place so that it doesn’t unravel. A rolling pin is perfect for this. Be sure not to squeeze the cake or roll it up too tightly as this can cause cracks to form.
Add the Filling
Unroll the cake once it’s slightly warm and add your favorite jelly or jam. I filled it with some leftover homemade cranberry sauce which turned out to be a great way to use leftover cranberry sauce from Thanksgiving or Christmas.
If filling with cream or custard, wait for the cake to completely cool. Roll it back up, top with powdered sugar and berries, and enjoy this bakery Swiss roll cake!
More Dessert Recipes:
- Easy Sponge Cake
- Light and Fluffy Chiffon Cake
- Japanese Strawberry Shortcake
- Custard Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce
- Chocolate Roll Cake – Swiss Roll
- Strawberry Cheesecake
- Soft and Fluffy Japanese Milk Bread
Bakery Swiss Roll Cake Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
- 1 cup cake flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup white sugar, for egg yolk mixture
- ⅓ cup white sugar, for egg white meringue
Wet Ingredients:
- 2 teaspoons corn syrup, or agave/honey
- 6 eggs, whites and yolks separated
- ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste, or vanilla extract
- 2 Tablespoons water
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
Filling:
- ¾ cup homemade cranberry sauce, or other filling of your choice
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Then separate the egg whites and egg yolks in separate bowls.6 eggs
Egg Yolk Mixture:
- In a medium bowl, add together the egg yolks, sugar (for egg yolk mixture), salt, corn syrup, vanilla, and water. Set this bowl inside a larger bowl filled with warm water and beat on high until pale yellow with ribbons form. Remove from the warm water bath and set aside.¼ teaspoon salt, ½ cup white sugar, 2 teaspoons corn syrup, ½ teaspoon vanilla bean paste, 2 Tablespoons water
Egg White Meringue:
- In a large bowl, add the egg whites and beat on high until soft peaks form. Start adding the sugar for the egg whites in three equal parts, beating each time to incorporate. Beat the egg whites on high until stiff peaks form.⅓ cup white sugar
Roll Cake Batter:
- Add ½ of the egg white meringue to the egg yolk mixture and gently fold it in until it's mostly mixed in. The batter should be light and airy. Next, sift the flour and baking powder together and add this into the batter in three equal parts, gently folding after each time.1 cup cake flour, ½ teaspoon baking powder
- In a small bowl, microwave the oil until it's warm to the touch. Take out ¼ cup of the combined batter from the previous step and mix this fully into the warm oil. Fold this back into the combined batter. Next, add the entire batter to the remaining egg white meringue and fold it in gently.⅓ cup vegetable oil
Baking & Filling the Roll Cake:
- Pour the batter into a parchment lined pan. Bang the pan twice to remove large air bubbles and bake for 15 – 20 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean when it's done. Note: It took me 18 minutes but timing will vary according to your oven.
- Take out the cake, invert the pan onto a clean, slightly damp kitchen cloth, and remove the parchment paper from the bottom. Roll up the cake and hold it in place.
- Once the cake is slightly warm to the touch, unroll the cake and spread with your jam or jelly filling. If filling with custard or cream, wait until the cake is completely cooled so the filling doesn't melt. Top with powdered sugar and berries. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Cake pan: I used a 9 x 13 inch rectangular cake pan but you can also use a jelly roll pan. Linked above are two cake pans that I use and recommend for this recipe.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
I made this delicious Swiss Roll Cake with my girls. We love finding new recipes to make together. This was not only delicious it was a great recipe to follow. We will be making again.
Thanks Eileen! I’m glad you and your girls enjoyed making this! 🙂
Thanks for sharing a great recipe! I always buy this from the store, not anymore! This recipe is just perfect, so easy to follow.
This is the perfect recipe for holidays! I’m planning on it for Easter brunch! SAVED! Love how light it looks.
Hi Jamie,
Thank you for sharing your family recipe – they are my favourite – so special to be passed through the generations!
This Swiss roll cake is fantastic. The texture is great, and it has become our go-to recipe.
We look forward to trying more of your recipes.
Best, Julie
Hi Jamie!
Can I substitute the corn syrup with Glucose syrup?
I’m in South Africa and they sell these as 2 different items.
Thanks in advance?
Hi Maryam! I’m not too familiar with glucose syrup but if it’s similar to corn syrup I don’t see why you couldn’t substitute that instead. You can also use honey if you’d like. 🙂
Hi! Can i clarify the amount of oil – is it 1/3cup or 2/3cup? Thank you!
Hi Stephanie! It’s a 1/3 cup of oil or 62 grams.
Hi Jamie, thanks for sharing this recipe which I just came across. Please what other substitute can I use in place of avocado oil?
Thank you
Betty
Hi Elizabeth! You can substitute with any neutral vegetable oil. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you for this recipe! I can’t wait to try it. Can I ask…what is the purpose of the corn syrup? And can I leave it out? I don’t have any in my pantry.
Hi Dillan! The corn syrup adds a bit of sweetness while adding some moisture to the batter. You can substitute with honey or agave syrup. Hope you enjoy!
I did this recipe for Christmas desert…..amazing reviews. O would suggest to post in brackets the measurements in grams as where i live we use the metric system. And i had to convert all the items one by one to metric. Just a suggestion!
Thanks Odette! Sure, I’ll be updating the recipe soon with measurements in grams. So glad you enjoyed this for the holidays. It makes a great Christmas cake! 🙂
Wow! I made this yesterday to rave reviews from the family. I used strawberry jam and cream in the roll. I’ve made swiss rolls quite regularly for decades. This is hands-down the best. Now it will be my go to recipe. Yes, it’s a bit fiddlier than other recipes, but so worth the effort. Thank you.
Thank you Sonia! That’s wonderful to hear you and your family loved it! It’s my go to recipe as well and we’re actually making this again for Christmas! 🙂
Very easy and wonderful sponge cake to bake. I made apricot jellyjam for a change…. yummy!
Thanks for sharing
Yay! So glad to hear that. Thanks for trying it out! 🙂
Hi,
Can I use a 10*15 inch pan for this?
Hi Sierra! Sure you can use a 10×15 inch pan. The cake will come out thinner than mine but it would still work since I used a 9×13 inch pan. Hope you enjoy it!
Hi Jamie
I love this recipe! The texture is incredible. I’m not a fan of Swiss rolls that get flattened like pancakes. But I’m having trouble rolling it up. It’s really thick and soft so I find it just breaks ? do you roll up the towel inside the Swiss roll? Just trying to figure out where I’m going wrong. I didn’t roll it too tightly the second time and it still cracked.
Hi Farzana! I’m so glad you love this roll cake! It’s definitely super soft and fluffy.:)
I don’t roll it up with the towel inside. It’s a bit tricky rolling up roll cakes but what I find helps is to make sure it’s not over baked which can dry it out and cause cracks when rolling it up. I usually bake this for 18 minutes with my oven and take it out when there’s still a bit of ‘spring’ or ‘bounce’ to the cake. Meaning, when I press down with my fingers, it should spring back. This elasticity is what helps the cake roll up nicely without cracking. Another tip is to not roll it up too tightly. I’m working on making a video for this recipe so hopefully that will help more. 🙂
Thank you so much for this! I had been rolling up the towel inside the cake roll ??♀️ I’m making it again today and will do it without the towel.
You’re welcome Farzana! Happy baking! This recipe can also be made into a layer cake if you prefer to cut layers instead of rolling it up. 🙂
Hi Jamie!
I wanted to thank you for this wonderful recipe and let you know that we now have something in common… this is going to be my birthday cake from now on too! So light and fluffy and utterly delicious.
Thanks again!
Candice
Thanks Candice! That’s great this is going to be your birthday cake! I’m a fan of light, fluffy cakes too! 🙂
Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I have tried many recipes for Swiss rolls and so far this is the best: soft and light. I made a huge roll, 11.5”x17.5” using 7 eggs, 1.5 cup of flour and half of the sugar but triple the amount of honey. I also replaced vanilla with lemon zest or espresso powder for different flavors. The cake was super moist and fluffy. I made a roll a day for 3 days in a row and my picky eaters loved them all!
Thanks so much Amy! Those are great additions to the swiss roll! I like the sound of espresso powder! 🙂
Hi Jamie,
What Can I substitute corn syrup With?.. thanks.. 🙂
Hi Nurul! You can use a bit of honey instead. Hope you enjoy!
Hi,
I do not have avocado oil. Can I use canola oil?
Thanks,
Jackie
Hi Jackie! Yes you can use canola oil if you don’t have avocado oil. Hope you enjoy!
Thank you!!
Made the cake all the way in south africa, lovely recipe thank you for sharing
Thank you Raeesah! I’m so happy you liked it! 🙂
If I use 3 eggs and halve the ingredients, will be measurements be right?
Hi Yeshi! Yes you can half the ingredients and use just three eggs. Hope you like it!
Hi Jamie! May I ask, what are the sizes of the eggs you use in this recipe? Thanks in advance!!
Hi Daphne! I used large, grade AA eggs for this cake. Hope you enjoy it! 🙂
Thanks, Jamie! I was not be able to roll it as well as the cake seems like it’s too thick? I think it was around 2.5-3 inches thick? Is this the correct thickness? In the end, I cut the cake into half with a serrated knife and had 2 swiss rolls instead! But my rolls were not so pretty! But still taste good! And the cake was so fluffy! I will try again next time and hope it improves!
Hi Daphne, what size pan did you use? I use a 9 x 13 inch pan for this recipe and roll it up starting at the short end. I’ll try to make a video for this recipe in case it helps. Thanks for trying it out! 🙂
Wow! This was delicious and fluffy. I really loved it! However i was not able to roll the cake so i stacked it up to 3 layers instead haha. My whole family loved it. I highly recommend this recipe!!!!!
Thank you Chua! I’m so glad you loved this swiss roll cake! Stacking the layers is a great idea! 🙂