Cake Roll with Cream Creese and Strawberry Jam Filling
This cake roll is the perfect way to celebrate spring and strawberry season. It has the fluffiest cake texture and it is filled with cream cheese and strawberry jam. This is a light tasting dessert, because it doesn’t contain much sugar or flour. You need only three basic ingredients and vanilla extract as an optional component for the sponge cake. I assume that most people have eggs, sugar and flour at home. If they don’t, they can easily find them in any grocery store. For the filling, I whipped together cream cheese and my favorite strawberry jam.
I’ve made this cake roll many times for my family. I’ve learned the recipe in a special high school where they were teaching me all about cooking and baking. My teacher showed me the recipe in baking class and it was so easy that I remembered it instantly. I use the same cake recipe for years and it never fails. On my website I already shared a lemon cake roll that uses this same sponge cake.
Why should you make this cake roll
If you like lighter tasting deserts this recipe is for you. Most Swiss roll recipes contain a lot of sugar and they taste pretty sweet. My cake recipe has only a quarter cup of added sugar in the whole roll.
There isn’t much sugar in the filling either. I use a jam that is sweetened with fruit juice instead of cane sugar. This means that the only sugar in the filling is naturally occurring.
You are going to need only three ingredients to prepare the sponge cake. Those ingredients are affordable and easy to find.
This cake roll doesn’t contain any baking powder or soda. I use the leavening power of the eggs. While I beat the egg whites and yolks, I incorporate air bubbles that create the fluffiest sponge cake.
You can serve this dessert for a special occasion or make an ordinary day special. For the past month I made this roll twice for my family without any reason. They just keep on requesting it.
Helpful tips about making the cake roll
The secret to achieve a fluffy sponge cake is to separate the eggs first and then beat them separately. You beat the egg yolks with the sugar until they are lighter in color and all of the sugar crystals are dissolved. Then you beat the egg whites until they form stiff peaks.
It is very important to fold in the egg whites carefully in the batter because they might lose their volume. Sifting of the flour is optional but highly recommended. When you add the flour us gentle stirring and folding to incorporate it in the batter.
When you spread the batter on the parchment paper try to form a rectangle. Don’t worry if it is not perfect. You can cut the ends once you roll it.
More tips
I used Crofter’s organic strawberry jam for this recipe. This blog post is not sponsored. I just love their products and the fact that they use less sugar in their jams.
Use cream cheese at room temperature. My favorite brand is Philadelphia original. I remove it from the fridge before I start making the cake. By the time the cake is cooled off the cream cheese is soft enough to beat with the mixer.
Don’t apply the filling on warm cake or it will melt and soak in it. This will ruin the whole cake.
When you roll the cake, some filling might get out. To prevent that leave about an inch around the edge unfrosted.
I serve the cake roll with a dusting of powdered sugar, some heavy cream and fresh strawberries, but that is totally optional. You can leave it as it is or decorate it however you like.
Store leftover roll in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Cake Roll with Cream Creese and Strawberry Jam Filling
Equipment
- Hand or stand mixer
Ingredients
For the cake roll
- 5 large eggs
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
For the filling
- 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature
- 1 cup strawberry jam
Optional ingredients
- fresh strawberries for decorating
- powdered sugar for dusting
- ½ cup whipped heavy cream for piping
Instructions
To prepare the cake roll
- Preheat the oven to 355F. Line a baking sheet (14x20in) with parchment paper. Take the cream cheese out of the refrigerator.
- Separate the egg yolks form the egg whites in two different bowls.
- Add the ¼ cup of sugar to the egg yolks and beat them with a mixer until all the sugar is dissolved and the egg yolks are lighter.
- Beat the egg whites until you have stiff peaks.
- Add the egg whites to the egg yolks and fold them in carefully.
- Sift ¼ cup of flour in in the bowl with the egg mixture. Fold and mix carefully until the flour is incorporated.
- Transfer the mixture in the pan. Using a spoon form a rectangle (about 10x12in). It doesn’t have to be perfect.
- Bake the dough for 13-15 minutes or until golden brown.
- Cool down the cake layer for 10 minutes. Place it on another sheet of parchment paper and carefully peel off the parchment paper it was baked on. Then transfer the cake on a cooling rack and cool off for 20 minutes.
To prepare the filling
- Add the softened cream cheese and the strawberry jam in a bowl and beat them until combined.
To form the roll
- Lay the cake on a flat surface and spread a thick layer of the filling evenly over cake leaving about an inch of the corners without any filling. Roll the cake up into a tight roll. Place the cake roll in a plate and dust it with powdered sugar (optional). You can also decorate with whipped cream and strawberries.
- Refrigerate the roll for at least an hour before serving. It is best if it is covered with a lid (in a cake stand).
- Store any leftovers for 4-5 days in the refrigerator.
Other strawberry recipes you might like
King Cake with Cream Cheese and Strawberry Jam Filling (Video)
Chocolate Strawberry Panna Cotta (Keto and Gluten Free)