This soft and light strawberry cake roll is the kind of dessert that belongs on every spring and summer table. A delicate vanilla sponge cake bakes up thin and flexible, then rolls around a fluffy strawberry cream cheese filling made with real strawberry flavor. It’s elegant, sliceable, and perfect for celebrations, bridal & baby showers, holidays, or anytime strawberries are in season!
I originally published this recipe in 2017, and I’ve since updated it with new photos, additional success tips, and a fluffier strawberry filling.
Today’s strawberry cake roll recipe uses a classic sponge cake base, which gets its airy texture from whipped eggs rather than butter or oil. That makes it naturally light, flexible, and ideal for rolling. The filling combines cream cheese, whipped cream, and freeze-dried strawberries for concentrated strawberry flavor without too much moisture. (You know how much we love those in strawberry cookies!)
If you’ve never made a cake roll before, don’t get nervous. From whipping the eggs to rolling the warm cake and adding the filling, I’ll walk you through every single step so you’re prepped with confidence before you even begin!
Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Cake Roll
- Light sponge cake: Fluffy texture from whipped eggs
- Real strawberry flavor: Freeze-dried strawberries pack bold flavor without extra moisture
- Soft, flexible cake (no cracking!): Rolling while warm helps create a smooth spiral without cracks
- Perfect for spring & summer: A fresh, not-too-heavy dessert for gatherings
- Make-ahead friendly
One reader, Harper, commented: “This recipe is unbelievably good, and so simple it’s almost too easy! My family is already asking when the next version will be made—they are hoping for lemon sponge and blueberry whipped cream filling. Best sponge cake ever (and no cracks when rolled)!! ★★★★★“
Strawberry Cake Roll Ingredients, Explained
- Cake Flour: Cake flour is almost 30x finer than all-purpose flour. Using it is a surefire way to achieve a light crumb.
- Baking Powder: For lift.
- Salt: For flavor balance.
- Eggs: Separate the eggs before you begin, and then allow them to come to room temperature before you use them in the recipe. (Helpful tip: it’s easier to separate eggs when they’re cold, but room-temperature egg whites whip better and into more volume.)
- Sugar: We’re using granulated sugar to sweeten the cake. Whip some of the sugar with the egg whites to make a fluffy meringue that’s the base of the sponge cake, then beat the rest with the egg yolks and other liquid ingredients.
- Buttermilk: Either whole or low-fat buttermilk works. If you can’t find it, you can use whole milk or 2%.
- Vanilla & Vanilla Bean: Use both vanilla extract and vanilla bean for pure flavor and lots of gorgeous vanilla speaks. Instead of both, you can swap in vanilla bean paste.
- Confectioners’ Sugar: It doesn’t actually go in the batter; you just need it for dusting the parchment paper before rolling the cake, to keep it from sticking. You also need it for the filling.
- Freeze-Dried Strawberries: Just like the strawberry cream cheese frosting on this reader-favorite strawberry cake, we need freeze-dried strawberries to naturally flavor (and color!) this strawberry cream filling.
- Heavy Cream: Make sure it’s cold. We’re going to whip it on its own first, and then fold the whipped cream into the rest of the filling.
- Cream Cheese: The other key ingredient for the cream filling. Make sure it’s softened to room temperature before you begin, otherwise your filling will have little lumps of cream cheese, which is less than ideal!
Why This Recipe Works (Plus My Best Success Tips)
Let’s break down the key success points so you understand the why, not just the how:
- Whipped Eggs Create a Flexible Sponge Cake: Instead of relying on butter for lift, the strawberry cake roll gets its structure from whipped eggs. The result is a light, airy sponge cake that’s flexible enough to roll without cracking. This is the same style of sponge used in my champagne cake roll, too.
- Cake Flour Keeps the Crumb Soft: Cake flour gives the sponge a delicate, tender texture. All-purpose flour can make the cake heavier and more prone to tearing. For best results, weigh the flour or spoon and level it instead of scooping directly from the bag.
- Freeze-Dried Strawberries Add Big Flavor: Fresh strawberries would add too much moisture to the filling, so freeze-dried strawberries are the secret here. They provide concentrated strawberry flavor and natural color without making the filling watery. They’re also the key ingredient in my strawberry buttercream.
- Gently Fold the Batter: After combining the wet and dry ingredients, gently fold in the whipped egg whites. This keeps all the air in the batter, which is what gives the cake its light texture.
- Line the Pan for Easy Release: Spray the jelly roll pan before adding parchment paper so the parchment stays in place while you spread the batter. Then spray the parchment, too. This creates a very nonstick surface and helps the cake release easily after baking. (Sponge cakes are known for sticking!)
- Roll the Cake While It’s Warm: As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, roll it up in parchment paper dusted with confectioners’ sugar. This step “trains” the cake into its spiral shape while it’s still flexible, making it much less likely to crack later.
- Chill Before Slicing: After filling and rolling the cake, refrigerate it before slicing. Chilling helps the filling set and gives you cleaner, neater slices.
Strawberry Cream Filling
The filling is a light and fluffy whipped strawberry cream filling—lighter than strawberry frosting and perfect with this delicate sponge cake.
- Made with real strawberry flavor
- Smooth, spreadable, and pipeable texture
- Thick enough to hold its shape in the roll
If you love a generous swirl of filling, this recipe delivers! There’s enough filling for the cake roll plus extra for piping or spreading on top. If you plan to just fill the cake roll (not add any on top), you can halve the ingredient amounts.
I like to add some fresh strawberries to the filling, as well. Be sure to use very thin slices:
Re-roll the cake, without the parchment this time, and chill before slicing. You can keep the cake roll plain on the outside, or pipe some filling on top and garnish with fresh strawberries like I did in these photos!
This strawberry cake roll is one of those recipes that builds confidence fast. It teaches technique, delivers beautiful results, and tastes like something straight from a bakery case. You can absolutely do this. And then… try this chocolate cake roll next!
Description
This strawberry cake roll features a light, vanilla bean-speckled sponge cake, fluffy strawberry cream cheese filling, and plenty of real strawberry flavor from freeze-dried strawberries. Be sure to read the recipe carefully before beginning, because both timing and technique are keys to success!
Cake
Strawberry Cream Filling & Topping
- Read the recipe through before beginning. Be prepared to move quickly as soon as the cake comes out of the oven.
- Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 10×15-inch jelly roll pan with nonstick spray or grease with butter, then line it with parchment paper so the cake releases easily in step 8. Spray or grease the parchment paper as well. (Sponge cakes are known for sticking, so we want an extra nonstick surface here.)
- Make the cake: Using a hand mixer or a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and 1/4 cup (50g) of sugar together on high speed until stiff peaks form, about 4 minutes. Transfer to another bowl.
- Using the same mixing bowl (no need to clean it), add the egg yolks, remaining sugar, buttermilk or milk, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds. Beat on high speed until light in color and slightly thickened, about 3–4 minutes. The mixture will be thin and a little bubbly on top. Add half of the whipped egg whites to the egg yolk mixture and beat on low speed for 5–10 seconds to gently combine. Add the remaining egg whites and beat on low speed for another 5–10 seconds. Do not over-mix.
- Using a fine mesh sieve, sift the cake flour, baking powder, and salt over the batter. Using a silicone spatula, gently fold everything together until just combined. Do not over-mix. The batter will be light and fluffy.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. I find a small offset spatula helpful for this. Gently tap or shake the pan so the batter reaches the corners and smooths into an even layer.
- Bake for 14–16 minutes, or until the top lightly springs back when touched. Do not over-bake.
- Meanwhile, prepare to roll the cake: Place a large piece of parchment paper or a thin kitchen towel flat on the counter and dust it evenly with the confectioners’ sugar. As soon as the cake comes out of the oven, immediately run a knife around the edges to loosen it from the pan. Carefully invert the warm cake onto the prepared parchment/towel, then slowly peel off the parchment paper it baked on. Starting with a short end, gently but tightly roll the warm cake up with the parchment/towel. The cake will still be warm.
- Allow the cake to cool completely while rolled up. This takes about 3 hours at room temperature, or you can refrigerate it for about 2 hours to speed things up. Once cooled, you can keep the rolled cake covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 day before filling.
- Remove the cake from the refrigerator and let it sit for a few minutes while you prepare the filling.
- Make the filling: Using a blender or food processor, pulse the freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder. You should have about 1/2 cup. Set aside.
- Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip the cold heavy cream on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 4 minutes. Transfer to another bowl. Using the same mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese on high speed until completely smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Add the confectioners’ sugar, strawberry powder, and vanilla and beat until combined and creamy. Gently fold in the whipped cream. The filling will be light and fluffy. You will have enough to both fill and decorate the cake.
- Fill the cake: Slowly unroll the cooled cake. Spread about half of the filling evenly on top, leaving about a 1/2-inch border around the edges. I use a small offset spatula for this. Top with sliced strawberries, if using. Gently roll the cake back up, this time without the parchment/towel. Cover loosely and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes and up to 1 day before slicing and serving. Cover and refrigerate the remaining filling as well to use for topping in step 15.
- Pipe or spread the remaining filling on top before slicing or serving. Garnish with fresh strawberries, if desired. I used Wilton 1M piping tip on the pictured cake roll.
- Cover leftover cake roll tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: You can prepare the cake through step 9, then cover and refrigerate the rolled-up cake for up to 1 day before filling and assembling. The assembled cake roll also freezes well for up to 2–3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before topping, slicing, and serving.
- Special Tools (affiliate links): 10×15-inch Baking Pan | Fine Mesh Sieve | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand) | Silicone Spatula | Linen Towels | Food Processor | Small Offset Spatula | Piping Bag (Reusable or Disposable) | Wilton 1M Piping Tip
- Pan Size: I strongly recommend using a 10×15-inch jelly roll pan for this recipe. Different pan sizes create a cake that’s either too thick or too thin, which can lead to cracking, under-baking, or difficulty rolling.
- Cake Flour: I strongly recommend using cake flour in this recipe. You can usually find it next to the all-purpose flour in the baking aisle. In a pinch, you can use this homemade cake flour substitute.
- Buttermilk: I recommend buttermilk for flavor, but you can use whole milk or 2% milk in a pinch. For best taste and texture, I don’t recommend nonfat or nondairy milk.
- Vanilla Beans: If you can’t get your hands on vanilla beans, substitute both the vanilla extract and vanilla beans for 2 teaspoons of vanilla bean paste. If you have neither, increase the vanilla extract to 2 teaspoons.
- Where to Buy Freeze-Dried Strawberries: I usually find them at major grocery stores in the dried fruit section or at Target, Trader Joe’s, Aldi, Walmart, or online here or here. They tend to be more expensive online. Do not use the chewy/gummy dried strawberries. You need FREEZE-dried strawberries, which grind into a powder. If you’re still having trouble finding them, try this delicious strawberry whipped cream from my strawberry shortcake cupcakes as the filling.
- Filling Amount: There’s enough filling for the cake roll plus extra for piping or spreading on top. If you plan to just fill the cake roll (not add any on top), you can halve the filling ingredient amounts.
- Update in 2026: I updated the filling recipe. The recipe used to be this strawberry cream cheese frosting, but I felt it was too heavy. Instead, I took out the butter, reduced the sugar, and replaced with more heavy cream, which instead makes a fluffy strawberry whipped cream cheese filling. Nice and light paired with the light cake roll!
