Strawberry Roll Cake (Japanese Style)

Airy, light, soft, and fluffy, Japanese strawberry roll cake is made with luscious whipped cream and juicy strawberries. It makes a perfect birthday cake or a simple afternoon tea treat. You will never want a store-bought roll cake again.

Fruit roll cake is a staple of Asian cuisine, particularly popular in Japanese and Korean bakeries. During strawberry season, a strawberry rolled cake, strawberry shortcake roll, or strawberry cream roll (these are different names of the exact roll cake) is an absolute must.

Jump to:

• Strawberry roll cake recipe
• Ingredients
• How to make strawberry roll cake
• Expert Tips
• Recipe variations
• Storing and freezing
• Recipe FAQ
• Love strawberry desserts? Try these next!
• Recipe card
• Comments

Made with a soft and fluffy chiffon cake that practically melts in your mouth, this dessert perfectly balances textures and flavors.

The rich, fluffy whipped cream complements the sweetness of the seasonal fruit beautifully.

Strawberry roll cake recipe

• Made within 50 minutes, this strawberry roll cake recipe is simple, quick, and perfect for preparing in advance.

• It is made with a Japanese-style chiffon method separating egg whites and yolks. It is a perfect roll cake with no peels or cracks.

• This is a moist cake with a lusciously light texture that melts in your mouth. Read more about how to make a cake moist.

• It is perfect for a birthday, anniversary, or another special occasion.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

• Eggs: Use chilled eggs, and separate the whites and yolks. Bring the egg yolks to room temperature and chill the whites until ready to use.

• Sugar: Use white granulated sugar for cake batter, caster sugar for meringue, and icing sugar (powdered or confectioners' sugar) for cream filling.

• Salt enhances the flavors of the cake.

• Vanilla extract: Opt for a premium vanilla extract or substitute it with vanilla bean paste in equal parts.

• Oil: Use neutral oils like grapeseed or vegetable oil, but avoid using olive, peanut, or any other types of flavorful oil.

• Milk: Use whole milk at room temperature.

• Flour: The recipe uses cake flour, which you can easily make at home. Just remove 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour from 1 cup and replace it with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. Alternatively, mix 15 grams of cornstarch with 110 grams of all-purpose flour.

• Baking powder isn't used in a classic sponge cake roll but is added to a chiffon cake roll.

• Heavy cream: Choose heavy or heavy whipped cream with a minimum fat content of 30% to create a whipped cream filling.

• Mascarpone cheese adds tanginess to the cream filling and helps stabilize the whipped cream.

• Strawberries: Opt for fresh strawberries of equal size. Avoid using frozen berries, as they alter the texture once thawed and possibly bleed into the cream.

How to make strawberry roll cake

Step 1. Prepare a classic jelly roll pan - a light-colored 15 x 10 inches (25 x 38 cm) rimmed baking sheet. Line it with parchment paper using this tutorial on how to line a Swiss roll tin.

Pro tip: Ensure to extend parchment paper for at least 1 inch (2.5 cm) beyond the pan's edges for easy removal when the cake is done.

Step 2. To make the cake, preheat the oven to 355°F (180°C). Sift cake flour and baking powder with a flour sifter and put aside.

Pro tip: Consult the vanilla Swiss roll recipe for step-by-step photographed explanations, helpful tips, and tricks.

Step 3. In a large mixing bowl, place room-temperature egg yolks, 1 ½ tablespoons (20 g) of sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Whisk a few times using a hand whisk (you don't need to whisk until it becomes pale and fluffy).

Step 4. Add oil to the egg mixture and mix. Pour in the milk and whisk until everything is combined.

Step 5. Sift the dry ingredients over the bowl and gently mix with a hand whisk.

Step 6. In a separate clean bowl, make the meringue. Whisk cold egg whites with an electric mixer until frothy. Separate sugar into three parts. Slowly add the sugar to the beaten egg whites in three batches. Beat the meringue until soft peaks form, but avoid stiff peaks.

Step 7. Stir the egg yolk mixture once, then add ⅓ of the meringue. Carefully mix with a silicone spatula. Repeat with another ⅓ of the meringue. Finally, pour the mixture into the remaining meringue and gently fold.

Step 8. Spread the batter in the even layer onto the prepared pan and smooth it using a long spatula or a dough scraper. Gently tap the pan on the table to remove air bubbles.

Step 9. Place the pan in the center of the oven and lower the temperature to 340°F (170°C). Bake for 20-21 minutes until golden brown.

Pro tip: Check the cake with a toothpick: if it comes out dry, the cake is done.

Step 10. Cut a long sheet of parchment sheet and grease it lightly with neutral oil. Make sure the baking paper is longer than the longest side of the cake.

Step 11. Remove the tray from the oven and lightly tap it on the table to prevent shrinkage. Immediately flip it onto the parchment paper oiled in advance. Peel off the bottom layer of parchment paper.

Step 12. Using a long serrated knife, cut the edges of the cake on both long sides and one short side. Cut the opposite short side about ½ inch (1.5 cm) diagonally, away from the cake. Allow the cake to cool to room temperature.

Pro tip: This type of cake doesn't require to pre-roll with a tea towel.

Step 13. To make whipped mascarpone cream, combine cold heavy cream, cold mascarpone, and icing sugar in a stand mixer bowl. Whisk together until it becomes medium-stiff peaks.

Pro tip: Consult the mascarpone frosting recipe for step-by-step photographed explanations, helpful tips, and tricks.

Step 14. To assemble the rolled cake, spread the cream with a thin layer onto the cake, leaving the angled cut empty. Add more cream at the beginning of the roll (the side opposite the angled cut).

Step 15. Wash and pat dry strawberries, then cut the leafy ends. Place whole strawberries side by side in a row over the mounted cream (photo 1). Add more cream, covering the strawberries (photo 2).

Step 16. Cover strawberries with cream, leaving a small gap of approximately 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) at the end (photo 3).

Pro tip: To achieve optimal visual appeal, apply a generous amount of cream at the roll's starting point and a thinner layer at the angled cut. Failing to do so will cause the cream to ooze out when rolled up.

Step 17. Use the parchment paper to roll the cake gently, creating the cake's core with strawberries and cream. Lift the paper and continue rolling, finishing with the cake seam side down (photo 4).

Step 18. Tight the roll cake with a metal baking sheet, a long offset spatula, or a ruler: watch a video on how to tightly wrap a cake roll.

Step 19. Wrap the rolled cake in parchment paper, keeping the roll's edge at the bottom. Cover the cake ends with parchment or cling wrap. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

Step 20. Gently remove the parchment paper from the cake. With a sharp warm knife, make a clean cut at both ends of the roll. Transfer it to a serving tray.

Step 21. To make Chantilly cream, whip cold heavy cream with icing sugar until it forms medium-stiff peaks.

Pro tip: Consult the Chantilly cream recipe for step-by-step photographed explanations, helpful tips, and tricks.

Step 22. Transfer the cream into a pastry bag with a plain 12 mm tip and pipe it onto the cake. Top the cream with halved strawberries.

To serve, slice the rolled cake into 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick slices. Warm the knife with hot water and wipe the blade between each cut.

Expert Tips

1. Read about how to make a cake roll for useful tips and tricks.
2. Every oven is different, so you may need to adjust the baking time. Download this free oven temperature conversion chart.
3. Choose a light-colored jelly roll pan that reflects heat rather than a dark pan that absorbs it and causes the cake to brown. If unavailable, place a Teflon sheet at the bottom of your rimmed baking sheet.
4. Make sure to slightly cool the cake before spreading the cream filling.
5. To recalculate the amount of ingredients for another size of the baking sheet, use this simple cake pan calculator.

Recipe variations

• Cake batter: Replace about 3 tablespoons (17-20 g) of the cake flour with unsweetened cocoa powder to make a chocolate Swiss roll.
• For a lemon-scented roll cake, add 1 teaspoon of lemon powder to the flour mixture.
• For a matcha-flavored roll cake, replace 1 ½ tablespoons (10 g) of cake flour with matcha powder.

• Cake roll filling: Use halved strawberries or smaller strawberry pieces instead of whole berries when arranging them over the cream. Alternatively, you can also try using whole fresh grapes for a different twist.

• Flavoring: Enhance your cake batter or whipped cream with almond or coconut extract instead of vanilla.

• Cake roll cream filling: Fresh whipped cream is classic for a Japanese-style strawberry cake roll, but you can experiment with buttercream, chocolate, caramel, or cream cheese filling.

• Rolling method: Roll traditionally "skin" side out or with the "brown layer" facing inwards. Alternatively, you can peel off the brown skin while the cake is still hot right from the oven.

• Decoration: Leave your roll cake plain, sprinkle it with powdered sugar and chocolate shavings, or decorate it with fresh berries.

Storing and freezing

Store this strawberry cake roll in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Can you freeze strawberry cake roll? Cover it with plastic wrap, then aluminum foil, and freeze it at -0.4°F to 5°F (-18°C to -15°C) for 2 months. To thaw, bring the cake to the fridge overnight.

Recipe FAQ

Love strawberry desserts? Try these next!

• Japanese Strawberry Shortcake
• Swedish Strawberry Cake
• German Strawberry cake
• Korean Fresh Cream Cake
• Strawberry Chantilly Cake
• Strawberry Clafoutis 
• Or browse all the cake recipes

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Recipe card

The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.