Strawberry and Cream Swiss Roll (草莓奶油瑞士卷)—With Pictorial

Swiss Rolls are one of my childhood favorites.  Yes I know, I have many favorites.  If you’re not familiar with them, they are sponge cakes filled with whipped cream, jam, or sometimes fresh fruit.  The origin of Swiss Roll is likely from the United Kingdom.  Since Hong Kong (my home country) was a British Colony from the 19th to late 20th century, the Swiss Rolls are popular treats that are easily found in most Chinese bakeries. 



If you have been following my blog, you will probably remember that I’ve made a chocolate version of this Swiss Roll last Christmas (Chocolate Yule Log—Bûche de Noël au chocolat).  Doesn’t sound familiar?  Never mind, here’s the link again for you to drool on.  It really is a simple cake to make and I’ll walk you through in the step-by-step pictorial in just a minute. 

Before the berries season ends, I want to indulge in as many fresh berries as possible.  The strawberries are so sweet, juicy and vibrant when they are in season.  I can’t help it but to make the Swiss Roll with fresh strawberries and cream this time.  It’s a heavenly combination that my kids could attest to that.  Their little faces lit up with a big smile when they saw this cake.  That made me feel so warm and happy that they loved and enjoyed my creation.



Let’s move on to the pictorial, shall we?

1) Grease a 10 by 15-inch baking pan with cooking spray and line the pan with parchment paper. Set aside.
2) Beat the egg whites with cream of tartar and a pinch of salt until frothy
3) Then slowly add in around 1/2 of the sugar and beat until stiff peak forms.
4) In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until light and pale yellow.



5) Then add the vanilla, melted butter and heavy cream until incorporated
6) Sift the cake flour into the egg yolk mixture. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice and fold until all ingredients are just combined.
7) This is how the egg yolk mixture looks like after folding in the cake flour
8) Fold egg whites into the egg yolk mixture in three batches. Be careful not to deflate the egg whites too much.


9) Gently spread the cake batter evenly onto the prepared cake pan. Bake at 375 degree F for 8 to 10 minutes
10) This is how the cake looks like when it’s out of the oven.  Place on a wiring rack until completely cooled.
11) Spread the whipped cream evenly onto the cooled cake. Sprinkle the strawberries onto the cream evenly.
12) Roll the cake up, from the shorter end. I trim off 1/2-inch of the cake on both ends for a prettier presentation.



That’s it!  Simple enough, right?  I hope you’ll take advantage of the berry season and try this recipe out.  The sponge cake itself is silky, light and fluffy as clouds.  I used a little bit of lemon zest and juice to brighten up the flavor.  The juicy strawberries in the fillings are mingling with the smooth and freshly whipped cream.  You’ll get a burst of juicy freshness when you bite into the strawberries.  If that doesn’t sound heavenly, I don’t know what is.



I hope you enjoy today’s recipe.  Thank you for stopping by and I’ll share another favorite treat with you real soon.






Strawberry and Cream Swiss Roll (草莓奶油瑞士卷): (Printable Recipe)
Servings: 8-10

Ingredients for the cake:
5 egg whites
5/8 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoon caster sugar, divided
Pinch of kosher salt
5 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup cake flour

Ingredients for the filling:
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons powdered sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh strawberries, diced

To prepare the cake:
Preheat the oven to 375 degree F.  Grease a 10 by 15-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Then, line the pan with parchment paper.  Make sure the parchment paper is large enough to have at least 2-inch excess on all sides for easy removal when the cake is done.

Next, beat the egg whites with cream of tartar and a pinch of salt until frothy. Then slowly add in around 1/2 of the sugar and beat until stiff peak forms.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until light and pale yellow. Then add the vanilla, melted butter and heavy cream until incorporated. Sift the cake flour into the egg yolk mixture. Add the lemon zest and lemon juice and fold until all ingredients are just combined.
Fold egg whites into the egg yolk mixture in three batches.  Be careful not to deflate the egg whites too much.

Gently spread the cake batter evenly onto the prepared cake pan.  Bake at 375 degree F for 8 to 10 minutes, or until a tooth pick inserted into the cake and comes out clean.  Place on a wiring rack until completely cooled.  Mean while, work on the filling.

To prepare the filling:
Beat the heavy cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until stiff peak formed.

To Assemble the cake:
Spread the whipped cream evenly onto the cooled cake.  Sprinkle the strawberries onto the cream evenly.  Roll the cake up, from the shorter end. I trim off 1/2-inch of the cake on both ends for a prettier presentation.   Top with fresh strawberries and serve.  Or, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.