Fluffy Strawberry Swiss Roll
A light and airy Chinese-style cake roll with a creamy strawberry filling. This delicate dessert features a tender sponge cake baked thin, then rolled around sweet whipped cream studded with strawberry jam.
Story
This classic Asian-style Swiss roll is surprisingly approachable once you master the technique. The key is folding the meringue gently into the yolk batter to maintain that airy texture. Chill the finished roll for best slicing results.
Ingredients
eggs
4 large, separated
vegetable oil
40g (3 tablespoons)
milk
40g (3 tablespoons)
cake flour
45g (1/3 cup)
sugar
55g total (45g for meringue, 10g for cream)
cornstarch
5g (1 teaspoon)
lemon juice
5 drops
heavy whipping cream
200g (about 1 cup)
strawberry jam
2 tablespoons
Instructions
1
Prepare your equipment
Ensure your mixing bowl is completely clean and dry. Any oil or moisture will prevent the egg whites from whipping properly. Separate the eggs while cold, then let the whites chill in the freezer for 10 minutes—they'll whip up with more volume.
2
Make the yolk batter
In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, vegetable oil, and milk until combined. Sift in the cake flour and cornstarch, then mix using a gentle Z-shaped motion until you have a smooth, lump-free batter.
3
Whip the meringue
Add lemon juice to the chilled egg whites. Using an electric mixer on medium speed, beat while gradually adding 45g sugar. Continue until you reach soft, glossy peaks that curl slightly when the beaters are lifted—this is the soft peak stage.
4
Combine the batters
Add about one-third of the meringue to the yolk mixture and fold gently with a spatula until mostly incorporated. Then pour this mixture back into the remaining meringue and fold carefully until no white streaks remain. The batter should be fluffy but pourable.
5
Bake the sponge
Line a 9x13 inch baking pan with parchment paper. Pour in the batter and spread evenly with an offset spatula. Bake at 325°F (165°C) for 12-15 minutes until the top springs back when lightly touched. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then invert onto a clean towel and peel off the parchment.
6
Make the filling
While the cake bakes, whip the heavy cream with 10g sugar until it holds stiff peaks. Fold in the strawberry jam gently to create a swirled effect. Refrigerate until ready to use.
7
Roll and chill
Spread the strawberry cream evenly over the cooled cake. Starting from one short end, roll the cake up tightly using the towel as a guide. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before slicing. Dust with powdered sugar before serving.
