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Could there be a prettier dessert? It’s a Strawberry Shortcake Cake Roll filled with fresh strawberries and an easy cream cheese whipped cream!
This Strawberry Shortcake Cake Roll was inspired by a birthday party I went to. My friend loves fruit in her dessert, so I did a whole selection of fruity things (including mini fruit crisps). Her cake was a vanilla cake (made with my perfect vanilla cupcake recipe) and I filled with with fresh berries and did a whipped cream frosting. Everyone kept saying how good it was and I was all, whatever, and then I had a slice and I was all, yeah it is.
That cake reminded me of those grocery store cakes my mom used to buy for birthdays when I was a kid. As a general rule, my family hates fruit in dessert but we always made an exception for those strawberry shortcake sheet cakes full of fresh berries, white cake, and fresh whipped cream.
I immediately knew I was going to recreate that cake, but I didn’t want to do a traditional layer cake. Instead, I went the route I always go: a cake roll.
How to make a Strawberry Swiss Roll
- This Strawberry Shortcake Swiss Roll recipe is one of my favorite cake rolls to date! It starts with a fluffy vanilla cake made in a jelly roll pan. It’s an easy recipe you can make with a hand or a stand mixer.
- Like all my cake roll recipes, I roll it while it’s hot. (Sing to yourself: roll it while it’s hot, yeah, roll it while it’s hot…)
- You fill it with fresh chopped strawberries and the BEST WHIPPED CREAM I’ve ever eaten.
- You guys, if you remember ONE thing about this recipe, it’s the WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING. This recipe will be good on ANY cake or cupcake or pie. And it’s totally stable – it’ll last for days in your refrigerator in a tupperware.
- What’s the secret? Cream cheese and granulated sugar. I know, right? You make the whipped cream like you’re making a no-bake cheesecake, and you mix in the heaving whipping cream in liquid form, and let it beat up to whipped cream after you’ve already mixed in the cream cheese.
Click to see the recipe card below for full ingredients & instructions and below the recipe card for process shots.
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Cake Roll Tips from the Expert
- If you’ve never made a cake roll before, don’t fret. It’s EASY! Check out this post for a video tutorial, this post for a photo tutorial, and this post for my general cake roll rules.
- In the cake recipe, you’ll notice I mention times for mixing the eggs and sugar. Don’t skip those steps – the eggs need to be mixed for 5 minutes and the eggs and sugar for another 2. This ensures a light and fluffy cake.
- Roll it while it’s hot.
Strawberry Shortcake Cake Roll Recipe
Recipe Video
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ cup (150g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon (15ml) vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup (93g) all purpose flour
- Powdered sugar to aid in rolling
For the Filling and Topping:
- 8 ounces (226g) cream cheese (softened)
- ½ cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups (474ml) cold heavy whipping cream
- 1 pound fresh strawberries (plus more for topping, if desired)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 10×15” or 10.5×15” cake/jelly roll pan with foil and spray with floured nonstick cooking spray.
- Place eggs in a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat at medium speed with mixer for 5 minutes until foamy and yellow. Add sugar and mix for 2 more minutes, until the mixture is thickened slightly. Mix in oil, baking powder, salt, and vanilla, then add flour and mix slowly until just combined. Pour into prepared pan, spreading as needed with a spatula. Tap the pan twice on the counter to release air bubbles, then bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the top is browned and the cake springs back when touched lightly. (Mine took 12 minutes, but all ovens differ.)
- While the cake is baking, lay out a clean kitchen towel onto the counter. Spread with about 1/4 cup powdered sugar.
- Remove the hot cake from the oven and carefully, using oven mitts so you don’t burn yourself, flip the cake onto the towel. This might make a mess, but that’s okay. Carefully remove the pan and foil (they’re hot!) and then, using the towel, roll up the cake from the short side. The towel will be rolled into the cake. Let this cool completely before continuing.
- Note: you can wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap and let it sit overnight before finishing.
- Make the filling: place cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer. Use mixer to beat the cream cheese and sugar until it’s smooth and fluffy, then beat in vanilla. Slowly add the heavy whipping cream, then turn the mixer up to high and beat until stiff peaks form.
- To fill cake: wash and dry the berries very well. Slice about 3/4 of the pound into small pieces, then pat the pieces dry. Carefully unroll the cake. Spread with some of the whipped cream mixture and top with the chopped strawberries. Carefully roll the cake back up as tight as possible, unsticking it from the towel as you go. Wrap the cake roll in plastic wrap and chill until ready to top and serve.
- To serve: frost with remaining whipped cream and remaining berries. I used a 1M tip to create roses all over the cake, but you can just frost it if you wish.
- This cake is best eaten the day it is made, because of the fresh berries. It will last, fully made, overnight in the refrigerator (wrap it loosely) but the berries might weep a bit.
Recipe Nutrition
Step-by-Step Photos
It’s a keeper! Had extra strawberries I was looking to use, but my usual strawberry roll calls for cake flour, which I didn’t have on hand. So glad I came across this recipe. I was skeptical since it is a very simple recipe, but it is perfect as written. Best part, my roll didn’t crack (I am told I make an amazing pumpkin roll, but occasionally they crack and I am told this roll was even better). Took it to work and it was gone by noon. Thank you for sharing!
So glad you like the recipe! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thank you so much for the recipe! Looking forward to making this for upcoming church homecoming! I love making cake rolls especially when they come out with cracking! I was wondering if you could use a strawberry sauce over the cream cheese filling instead of fresh strawberries? I appreciate any advise you could give me! Thanks again!
Yes I don’t see why not! Enjoy!
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