Easy Soft Vanilla Swiss Roll Cake
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.
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.
- 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.
- 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.
- No cracks – this roll cake recipe never cracks when I make it. Follow the instructions and you will have success too!
Ingredients
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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.
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.
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.
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 for Perfect Swiss Roll Cake
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.
Beat the eggs and sugar to the “ribbon stage”. Whipping the eggs and sugar to the right stage will ensure your sponge is soft and light and provide flexibility for rolling.
Mix the dry ingredients in lightly. Mixing the batter too vigorously at the end will force a lot of the air bubbles out and the cake may come out flat and rubbery.
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.
Roll a little more tightly at the beginning. The first curl of the spiral will be the center of the cake once you roll it back up, so roll this part up a bit more tightly.
Recipe FAQ
How to Make a Fluffy Sponge Cake:
- Room temperature eggs: For this recipe you don’t need to use a water bath nor separate eggs, but you cannot use COLD eggs. Your eggs must be at room temperature.
- Use oil instead of butter. While I use butter in most of my recipes, oil makes the softest sponge cake! That’s because oil is liquid at room temperature so the sponge will stay flexible even when it cools down.
- Why does heat help eggs whip better? Sometimes to make sponge cakes (like Genoise), you will place the bowl with eggs and sugar over a water bath to heat it before whipping it.
How to Bring Cold Eggs to Room Temperature Quickly?
Most of us store eggs in the fridge (at least if you live in North America), so planning ahead is important for baking to ensure your ingredients are all at room temperature. You can pull them from the fridge and leave them at room temperature for 1 hour.
How to Prevent Cracks in Swiss Roll Cake?
This is the big question! Although cracking is not totally devastating for a roll cake since it can be easily covered up by the filling, if you want to leave the outside bare (like this one), then it’s nice when it has a polished look.
- Use a recipe like mine with oil, not butter. Oil is a liquid fat that will add flexibility to the roll.
- Do not over-bake. A dry sponge cake is much more likely to crack since the surface dries out and will break from the tension as you roll it.
- Roll the cake while it’s warm. Once your cake is out of the oven, leave it for 1-2 minutes so it is easier to handle, then flip it over onto your clean tea towel and proceed to roll it while incorporating the towel.
- Be sure to dust with icing sugar on both sides to prevent sticking.
- Use a towel for rolling. Parchment paper is much cleaner since you need to toss that kitchen towel in the wash after you use it for this cake, however it will help prevent cracking since a towel is flexible and will conform to the cake.
- Allow the cake to cool completely. Once you have rolled your cake, leave it in this rolled shape until it is completely cool.
How to Store Swiss Roll Cake?
Store this cake in the fridge for up to 3 days. It will stay soft even while cold and the filling is stabilized by skim milk powder, so it holds up well!
Soft Vanilla Swiss Roll Cake with Cream Filling
The softest tender vanilla sponge cake with a vanilla cream filling and chocolate fudge or berry jam swirl! It’s easy to make and without the fuss of separating eggs!
Prep Time: 20 minutes / Cook Time: 15 minutes / Servings: 10
Ingredients:
Sponge Cake:
- 4 large eggs at room temperature
- ⅔ cup (135g) granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (142g) all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 2 tablespoon (30ml) milk
- 3 tablespoon (45ml) sunflower oil (or olive oil or canola oil)
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) apple cider or white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
Cream Filling:
- 1 ¼ cups (300ml) 35% whipping cream
- 2 tablespoon (12g) skim milk powder
- 1 tablespoon (12g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
Fudge Swirl:
- 1 recipe Easy One Pot Dark Chocolate Hot Fudge Sauce prepared and completely chilled
- or ¾ cup jam (I used Morello cherry preserves)
Instructions:
Step 1: Preheat Oven
Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Step 2: Prepare Pan
Lightly grease a 15×10-inch jelly roll pan and line it with parchment paper.
Step 3: Make Sponge Batter
Place eggs in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a large bowl if using an electric hand mixer) and beat on high speed for 3 minutes until very frothy and doubled in volume.
Step 4: Add Wet Ingredients
Gradually add sugar and beat for 5-8 minutes until pale, thick and tripled in volume.
Step 5: Add Dry Ingredients
Sift flour and baking powder into a medium bowl and whisk to blend evenly.
Step 6: Mix Wet and Dry Ingredients
Sift the dry ingredients again over and into the bowl with the beaten eggs in two parts and mix it in gently on low speed until just incorporated, then finish mixing it in by hand using a large balloon whisk or wide spatula until evenly combined, scraping along the bottom of the bowl to evenly incorporate the ingredients.
Step 7: Bake
Spread batter evenly into prepared pan using a large offset spatula. Bake for 12-15 minutes if using a 10×15-inch jelly roll pan or 10-12 minutes if using a 11×17-inch sheet pan.
Step 8: Roll Cake
Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool for a minute so it is easier to handle.
Step 9: Unroll and Fill Cake
Unroll the cooled cake and and first spread the jam or hot fudge sauce in a thin layer over the cake. Then, spread the cream filling over the surface leaving about ½-inch border. Gently but fairly tightly roll up the cake with the filling.
Step 10: Chill and Serve
Transfer it to a serving plate or a another lined baking tray, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Dust with icing sugar before slicing.
What makes this Swiss Roll Cake recipe so easy?
This recipe is easy because it doesn’t require separating eggs, and the ingredients are simple to prepare and combine. It also doesn’t crack when made correctly, making it a success every time.
What are the main ingredients in the sponge cake?
The main ingredients in the sponge cake are eggs, sugar, flour, baking powder, milk, oil, vinegar, and vanilla extract.
How do you prevent cracking in the Swiss Roll Cake?
To prevent cracking, use oil instead of butter, do not over-bake, roll the cake while it’s warm, dust with icing sugar, and allow the cake to cool completely in the rolled shape.
What should you use to grease the pan when baking the sponge cake?
You should lightly grease the pan with oil and line it with parchment paper.
How long do you beat the eggs in step 1?
You beat the eggs for 3 minutes on medium-high speed until frothy and pale.
What’s the purpose of using vinegar in the recipe?
Vinegar helps balance the taste of the cake since it isn’t too sweet and helps to soften the texture.
What is the name of the cream filling used in this recipe?
The cream filling is called “Chantilly cream.” It is light, airy, and fluffy, made from whipping cream, sugar, milk powder, and vanilla extract.
How long should the cake be chilled in the rolled shape before serving?
The cake should be chilled in the rolled shape for at least 2 hours before serving.
What temperature should the eggs be when starting the recipe?
The eggs should be at room temperature.
Is it necessary to use pastry flour instead of all-purpose flour?
No, all-purpose flour works just fine in this recipe, and pastry flour is optional for an even softer texture.
