Description
This strawberry cake roll features a light, vanilla bean-speckled sponge cake, fluffy strawberry cream cheese filling, and plenty of real strawberry flavor from freeze-dried strawberries. Be sure to read the recipe carefully before beginning, because both timing and technique are keys to success!
Ingredients
Cake
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature and divided
- 3/4 cup (150g) granulated sugar, divided
- 2 Tablespoons (30ml) buttermilk or whole milk
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- seeds scraped from 1/2 vanilla bean*
- 1 cup (118g) cake flour* (spooned & leveled)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 Tablespoons (15g) confectioners’ sugar, for dusting parchment
Strawberry Cream Filling & Topping
- 1 heaping cup (about 25g) freeze-dried strawberries*
- 1 cup (240g/ml) heavy cream, cold
- 8 ounces (226g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 1 and 1/2 cups (180g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (or vanilla bean paste)
- optional: 1 cup (about 160g) thinly sliced fresh strawberries
- optional, for garnish: more fresh strawberries
Instructions
- Read the recipe through before beginning. Be prepared to move quickly as soon as the cake comes out of the oven.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 10×15-inch jelly roll pan with nonstick spray or grease with butter, then line it with parchment paper so the cake releases easily in step 8. Spray or grease the parchment paper as well. (Sponge cakes are known for sticking, so we want an extra nonstick surface here.)
- Make the cake: Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and 1/4 cup (50g) of sugar together on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 4 minutes. Transfer to another bowl.
- Using the same mixing bowl (no need to clean it), add the egg yolks, remaining sugar, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds. Beat on high speed until light in color and slightly thickened, about 3–4 minutes. The mixture will be thin and a little bubbly on top. Add half of the whipped egg whites to the egg yolk mixture and beat on low speed for 5–10 seconds to gently combine. Add the remaining egg whites and beat on low speed for another 5–10 seconds. Do not over-mix.
- Using a fine mesh sieve, sift the cake flour, baking powder, and salt over the batter. Using a silicone spatula, gently fold everything together until just combined. Do not over-mix. The batter will be light and fluffy.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. I find a small offset spatula helpful for this. Gently tap or shake the pan so the batter reaches the corners and smooths into an even layer.
- Bake for 14–16 minutes, or until the top lightly springs back when touched. Do not over-bake.
- Meanwhile, prepare to roll the cake: Place a large piece of parchment paper or a thin kitchen towel flat on the counter and dust it evenly with the confectioners’ sugar. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, immediately run a knife around the edges to loosen it from the pan. Carefully invert the warm cake onto the prepared parchment/towel, then slowly peel off the parchment paper it baked on. Starting with a short end, gently but tightly roll the warm cake up with the parchment/towel. The cake will still be warm.
- Allow the cake to cool completely while rolled up. This takes about 3 hours at room temperature, or you can refrigerate it for about 2 hours to speed things up. Once cooled, you can keep the rolled cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 day before filling.
- Remove the cake from the refrigerator and let it sit for a few minutes while you prepare the filling.
- Make the filling: Using a blender or food processor, pulse the freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder. You should have about 1/2 cup. Set aside.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cold heavy cream on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 4 minutes. Transfer to another bowl. Using the same mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese on high speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners’ sugar, strawberry powder, and vanilla and beat until combined and creamy. Gently fold in the whipped cream. The filling will be light and fluffy. You will have enough to both fill and decorate the cake.
- Fill the cake: Slowly unroll the cooled cake. Spread about half of the filling evenly on top, leaving about a 1/2-inch border around the edges. I use a small offset spatula for this. Top with sliced strawberries, if using. Gently roll the cake back up, this time without the parchment/towel. Cover loosely and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes and up to 1 day before slicing and serving. Cover and refrigerate the remaining filling as well to use for topping in step 15.
- Pipe or spread the remaining filling on top before slicing and serving. Garnish with fresh strawberries, if desired. I used Wilton 1M piping tip on the pictured cake roll.
- Cover leftover cake roll tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: You can prepare the cake through step 9, then cover and refrigerate the rolled-up cake for up to 1 day before filling and assembling. The assembled cake roll also freezes well for up to 2–3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before topping, slicing, and serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 10×15-inch Baking Pan | Fine Mesh Sieve | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Linen Towels | Food Processor | Small Offset Spatula | Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable) | Wilton 1M Piping Tip
- Pan Size: I strongly recommend using a 10×15-inch jelly roll pan for this recipe. Different pan sizes create a cake that’s either too thick or too thin, which can lead to cracking, under- or over-baking, or difficulty rolling.
- Cake Flour: I strongly recommend using cake flour in this recipe. You can usually find it next to the all-purpose flour in the baking aisle. In a pinch, you can use this homemade cake flour substitute.
- Buttermilk: I recommend buttermilk for flavor, but you can use whole milk or 2% milk in a pinch. For best taste and texture, I don’t recommend nonfat or nondairy milk.
- Vanilla Beans: If you can’t get your hands on vanilla beans, substitute both the vanilla extract and vanilla beans for 2 teaspoons of vanilla bean paste. If you don’t have vanilla bean paste or a vanilla bean, increase the vanilla extract to 2 teaspoons.
- Where to Buy Freeze-Dried Strawberries: I usually find them at major grocery stores in the dried fruit section or at Target, Trader Joe’s, Aldi, Walmart, or online here or here. They tend to be more expensive online. Do not use the chewy/gummy dried strawberries. You need FREEZE-dried strawberries, which grind into a powder. If you’re still having trouble finding them, try this delicious strawberry whipped cream from my strawberry shortcake cupcakes as the filling.
- Filling Amount: There’s enough filling for the cake roll plus extra for piping or spreading on top. If you plan to just fill the cake roll (not add any on top), you can halve the filling ingredient amounts.
- Update in 2026: I updated the filling recipe. The recipe used to be this strawberry cream cheese frosting, but I felt it was too heavy. Instead, I took out the butter, reduced the sugar, and replaced with more heavy cream, which instead makes a fluffy strawberry whipped cream cheese filling. Nice and light paired with the light cake roll!