Strawberry Swiss Roll

Strawberry Shortcake Roll is light yet rich, sweet yet balanced; and it makes a beautiful centerpiece for any brunch, birthday, or dessert after dinner. The combination of strawberry jam and fresh berries brings out the luxurious shortcake flavor, while the tang of the cream cheese keeps the cake roll from being overly sweet.

This elevated version of strawberry shortcake comes in the form of a soft sponge cake roll layered with strawberry jam and filled with a creamy, tangy cream cheese whipped filling. It's basically a Swiss roll (sponge cake that is rolled up with a filling of jam and cream cheese).

Why it works

The cream cheese filling and the strawberries are so good together and at the same time contrasting to the sweetness of cream cheese that if you were to make this delicious strawberry shortcake roll on the baking show, Paul Hollywood would offer you a handshake from just looking at it and Mary Berry would say: "this cake looks as though it's going to be rather good for me." And this alone is a good enough reason to try it.

Ingredients

• Cream cheese: Let the cream cheese soften a bit.
• Eggs: Use large eggs
• Whole milk with ½ teaspoon vinegar stirred in it to lower the PH of the milk, basically making it buttermilk.
• Vegetable oil: I like to use avocado oil, but olive oil is my next favorite. If you don't have either, go for the regular canola oil then.
• Vanilla extract
• Cake flour: I prefer to use cake flour in the strawberry shortcake roll because it will make the cake lighter, more tender due to less protein content.
• Baking powder and salt
• Strawberry jam
• Sugar
• Whipping
• Fresh strawberries

How to make strawberry shortcake roll

Preheat your oven to 350° F. Line a 10x15-inch jelly roll pan with parchment paper and lightly grease the surface. Leave an extra inch of paper on each end. Next make the sponge batter by beating the eggs and sugar on high speed for about 3 minutes, until they become very frothy and have doubled in volume. The mixture should reach the "ribbon stage," meaning it falls in thick ribbons and can briefly hold the shape of a figure "8" when lifted with the beaters.

• Combine wet ingredients: In a small bowl, whisk together the milk, oil, and vanilla. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the mixture into the whipped eggs, mixing gently until just combined.
• Combine dry ingredients: In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture, being careful not to deflate the batter.

Pour the batter into the prepared jelly roll pan and spread it evenly. It will be quite runny.

Bake the shortcake for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the cake is golden and springs back lightly when touched. As soon as the cake is done, run a knife along the edges, then roll up gently in the parchment paper.  Let it cool completely, rolled up.

While the cake cools, prepare the cream cheese filling:

• In a mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with granulated sugar and vanilla extract until smooth and fluffy.
• In a separate bowl, whip the cold heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
• Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture gently until combined.
• Fold in the diced strawberries.

Once the cake is completely cool, carefully unroll it and spread a thin, even layer of strawberry jam over the surface.

Then, spread the cream cheese filling on top of the jam in an even layer.

Roll the cake back up (without the parchment paper), and place it seam side down on a serving platter. Dust the top with powdered sugar.

The final step is to decorate strawberry shortcake roll with whipped cream.

Tips for making this recipe

• Use room-temperature eggs to help achieve the airy, light texture your sponge needs.
• Don't skip the beating time-whipping the eggs properly is what gives this cake its structure without needing much leavening.
• Warm the milk slightly before folding it in to help maintain the batter's volume.
• Cut the parchment paper an inch or two longer than the pan.  Roll the cake in the parchment paper.
• Roll the cake while it's hot to set its shape and prevent cracking later.
• Spread the jam in a thin, even layer-too much will make the roll slippery or messy when slicing.  You can heat the jam just a little for easier spreading.
• Soften the cream cheese fully to avoid lumps in the filling.
• Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese slowly to keep the filling light and smooth.
• Chill the cream cheese filling before spreading if it feels too soft to hold its shape.
• If your cake cracks slightly during rolling, cover the top with powdered sugar or whipped cream to hide imperfections.
• Use a serrated knife to slice the cake cleanly, and wipe the blade between each cut for neat presentation.

More delicious strawberry recipes

• Strawberry Margarita
• Strawberry Lasagna
• Strawberry Crumb Bars
• Strawberry Caprese Skewers