EASIEST Soft Vanilla Swiss Roll Cake - Scientifically Sweet (2024)

This is the lightest ever Swiss Roll Cake recipe with a super soft vanilla sponge cake and dreamy creamy vanilla filling. The best part? No separating eggs required! It is such an easy recipe to put together and it doesn't crack. In my family, we LOVE roll cakes. I mean what's not to love about a soft, tender, light spongy cake with swirls of cream filling? Since I make them so often, I was on a mission to develop a roll cake that was EASY and fuss free. I have so many recipes for them... many of which require separating eggs and beating yolks separate from whites. This involves dirtying two bowls and.. well... more dishes! This recipe makes me want to make roll cakes all the time, and I hope you will too. It's so versatile since you can fill it with anything imaginable. Try adding a layer of jam, filling it with ice cream or chocolate fudge sauce to make it EXTRA special. For this you will need to make up a batch of my Easy One Pot Dark Chocolate Hot Fudge Sauce. If you love roll cakes, don't miss my Double Chocolate Swiss Roll Cake recipe.

WHY YOU WILL LOVE THIS RECIPE

• EASY to make - this Swiss Roll Cake (also called a "roulade") is very easy to make, which is why I always fall back on it. You just beat the whole eggs instead of separating them, and then add the rest of the ingredients. I would recommend using a hand mixer or a stand mixer for this recipe.
• Soft and tender vanilla cake - the vanilla sponge cake is SO super soft! It has a tender crumb texture and it stays moist with the cream filling. It doesn't dry out.
• Delicate vanilla flavor - you will love the light custardy vanilla flavor. It isn't eggy at all.
• Creamy vanilla filling - the filling is so simple with just 4 ingredients: sugar, milk powder, vanilla and cream! It is called "Chantilly cream" and it is light and airy and fluffy. It's also very thick and stable thanks to the milk powder so it holds up well to the rolling.
• No cracks - this roll cake recipe never cracks when I make it. Follow the instructions and you will have success too!
• Chocolate fudge filling - this cake is extra special because I add swirls of my Dark Chocolate Hot Fudge Sauce.
• Jam and cream filling - the classic combination for a roll cake is jam and cream. It reminds me of the cakes my grandmother used to buy from the shop.

INGREDIENTS FOR SWISS ROLL CAKE

• All purpose flour - simple all-purpose flour works just fine in this recipe. If you have pastry flour, that will give an even softer texture, but I promise it is not necessary. Adding too much flour is the most common mistake for roll cakes and leads to tough and dry cake. The most accurate way to measure flour is using a scale. If you don’t have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, spoon it into your measuring cup and use a knife to level it off.
• Granulated sugar - simple white sugar will keep this cake sweet, tender and moist.
• Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is essential to this sponge cake so use a nice natural bourbon vanilla extract.
• Eggs - you'll need 4 whole eggs to make the sponge cake. Good news is you don't need to separate them!
• Oil - just a few tablespoons of oil will keep this cake soft and flexible. Butter tastes delicious, however it will make the texture more crumbly and difficult to roll the cake. Also, this cake is meant to be kept refrigerated due to the fresh cream filling, and oil will stay liquid when cold to keep the cake soft while butter would firm it up.
• Vinegar – this may seem like a strange ingredient, but it helps balance the taste of the cake since it isn't too sweet and it helps to soften the texture.
• Whipping cream - the filling is so easy to make with just 4 ingredients. Make sure you use cold heavy cream with minimum 35% milk fat content.
• Hot fudge sauce or jam - this is optional, but I really like the combination of two fillings for a more dramatic swirl. You can use my easy One Pot Hot Fudge Sauce recipe, or your favorite jam of choice.

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

• STEP 1). Whip the eggs. Beat eggs for 3 minutes on medium-high speed until frothy and pale in the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or in a large mixing bowl if using an electric hand mixer.
• STEP 2). Beat in sugar. Gradually add sugar and beat for 4-5 minutes longer, until it nearly triples in volume and is very thick, pale and fluffy and billowy like shaving cream or marshmallow fluff. When you lift the mixture up with the beater and it slides back down into the base mixture, it should fall back onto itself in folds or ribbons rather than sink down into it. Mix in salt.
• STEP 3). Add wet ingredients. Combine milk, oil, vinegar and vanilla and then mix it into the whipped eggs gently.
• STEP 4). Combine dry ingredients. Sift flour and baking powder into a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly.
• STEP 5). Mix wet and dry ingredients. Sift the dry ingredients again over and into the bowl with the egg mixture and use a large rubber spatula to carefully fold the dry ingredients into the whipped egg mixture just until combined without over-mixing.
• STEP 6). Bake. Spread batter evenly into prepared pan in a thin layer. Bake for 12-15 minutes until it springs back when pressed gently. Transfer pan to a wire rack and let cool for 3 minutes so it is easier to handle.
• STEP 7). Roll. Dust top of cake evenly with icing. Run a knife along the edges of the pan to release the cake, then invert it onto a clean kitchen towel or another large piece of parchment paper. Gently peel off the top layer of parchment. While the cake is still warm, gently roll it into a log starting from the short side and incorporating the kitchen towel or parchment as you are rolling. Let the cake cool completely in this rolled shape.
• STEP 8). Fill the cake. Unroll the cake, spread the filling over it leaving about ½ inch border and then gently roll up the cake again. Transfer to a baking tray and refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.

EXPERT BAKING TIPS

• Use a neutral tasting oil like pure sunflower oil for the cleanest flavor to let the chocolate taste stand out.
• Do not reduce the sugar - this sponge cake is already low in sugar naturally, and the right amount of sugar will make it stay soft because it binds water so that it stays tightly in the batter and doesn't evaporate excessively during baking.
• Have your eggs at room temperature - this is very important to ensure they whip up quickly and to their most potential.
• Keep an eye on the baking time - set a timer for the first time stated in the recipe and check for doneness. The cake should spring back when pressed gently with your fingertip.
• Use cold cream for the filling - very cold cream will whip better than room temperature cream. Also, make sure you do not over-whip or it can turn grainy. Keep mixing at medium speed - it may take longer but you will get lovely fine air bubbles for a silky filling.

RECIPE FAQ

More Cakes