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This melt-in-your-mouth fluffy and moist Blackberry Lemon Cake Roll (a.k.a. Swiss Roll) is easier than you think! The cake batter has just 4 ingredients and the whipped blackberry frosting is ridiculously simple to make.
This cake only looks like it took forever but really it has simple ingredients, comes together quickly and is definitely a show-stopping cake! Take a bite of this Blackberry Lemon Cake Roll and you’ll have no words, only sound effects…. mmm…
Watch the Blackberry Lemon Cake Roll Video:
The combination of blackberries and lemon just makes my mouth water. P.S. You can make this cake roll a day in advance, cover and refrigerate and it will be just as good the next day. Hooray for make-ahead desserts!
That topping looks so lovely but it’s the easiest part of the cake!!
Tools You Will Need (affiliate):
Flour Sifter or fine mesh sieve
18×13 (half sheet) rimmed baking sheet
parchment paper to line baking sheet
clean tea towel or linen towel
flexible spatula
High powered stand mixer*
Piping Bag and Large Open Star Wilton 1M Tip
*If using a good electric hand mixer instead of a stand mixer, add 2 min to eggs/sugar mixing time.
The Ingredients are surprisingly really simple but the results are awesome!
⬇️Print-Friendly Blackberry Lemon Cake Roll Recipe:
Blackberry Lemon Cake Roll (VIDEO)

Ingredients
Sponge Cake Ingredients:
- 5 large eggs, room temp
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
For the Lemon Syrup:
- 1/4 cup warm water
- 1 Tbsp granulated sugar
- 4 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, from 1 med/large lemon
For the Blackberry Frosting:
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened
- 8 Tbsp 113 grams unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 6 oz blackberries, chopped (reserving 6 whole berries to garnish)
Optional Garnish:
- 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream, chilled
- 1 Tbsp powdered sugar
- 2 lemon slices, cut into triangles
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line the bottom of an 18x13 baking sheet with parchment paper (do not grease).
- Add 5 eggs to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment and beat on high speed 1 min, or until foamy. Gradually add sugar and beat on high 7 min. It will be thick, fluffy and tripled in volume**
- Whisk together flour and baking powder and sift into egg batter one third at a time, folding to incorporate between each addition and scraping from the bottom to catch hidden flour pockets. Stop mixing when you no longer see streaks of flour.
- Transfer to lined baking sheet and bake right away at 350˚F for 13-15 min (mine took 15 min) or until top is golden. Remove from oven and right away run a thin edged spatula or knife around edges of your cake to loosen from the pan. While cake is hot***, invert cake face down onto a clean, dry linen towel, remove parchment paper then roll cake into the towel. Let cool to room temp (30 min - 1hr) in a draft free room.
- Meanwhile, combine all ingredients for lemon syrup (water, sugar, lemon juice), stir to dissolve sugar and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 8 oz softened cream cheese, 8 Tbsp softened butter and 1 cup powdered sugar. Beat together starting on low speed to incorporate sugar, then turn the mixer up to high speed for 2-3 min or until whipped, white and fluffy, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add coarsely chopped blackberries and stir into cream with mixer on low, just until incorporated.
- Carefully Unroll cake and loosen from the towel. Brush the top evenly with your lemon syrup. Put dollops of blackberry frosting over the surface and spread evenly. Roll the cake tightly in the same direction you rolled it the first time. Slice off the edges if desired and dust generously with powdered sugar.
- For the topping, beat together 3/4 cup heavy cream with 1 Tbsp powdered sugar for 2 min on high speed until fluffy and spreadable. Transfer to a large piping bag with a large open star tip and pipe 6 flowers over the top, placing a fresh blackberry and lemon triangle into the center of each one.
Notes
***To prevent cracks in cake roll, it should be rolled in the linen towel right after it comes out of the oven.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
This sponge cake base in this blackberry lemon cake roll is amazing! It takes on moisture really well and won’t get soggy for several days. Hungry for More? Check out all of my many cake recipes using this easy European sponge cake base.
Ready, Set,… Bake!! Enjoy this my friends! 🙂
Is it okay if I use frozen blackberries instead of fresh ones?
Hi Elena, I think it would work but keep in mind they will be more juicy so it might make your frosting slightly looser. I would thaw them in the refrigerator and then pat dry on paper towels.
Made this 3 times and its always been a hit!!
WOW! Sounds like you have a new favorite! Thanks for sharing Liya 🙂
Wow. So good. Just finished making it and sampling the ends. Followed your recipe exactly and had no issues at all. Came out perfect. Thank you!
Ha ha, those ends are the best!! 🙂 I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your awesome review! 🙂
Good to know! Thanks for the tip Marilyn!
Thank you…What a wonderful combination of lemon and black berries. I made the recipe twice: once with the filling with the cream cheese and once with a whipped cream filling (1 cup whipping cream, 1 tbsp vanilla instant pudding, 1 tsp. icing sugar and then adding the berries. Both recipes are tasty; however the whipped cream filling seems lighter and the berries have more flavour. A hit! Will definitely make again. Thank you!
You’re welcome Marilyn! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I also am having the issue of the cake sticking to the parchment paper (not wax), it also stuck to the towel a bit.
Why is it sticking to parchment?? So weird… Help Natasha!!
Farrah, the best advice I can give you is to remove the parchment as soon as it comes out of the oven and while the cake is hot. It will stick a little and doesn’t come of completely clean as there is no fat added to the cake so that is normal and expected.
Thanks for this recipe! I made it for a friend’s birthday for her celebration and pictionary night (group game); the cake roll was a hit – not too sweet which everyone in our group appreciated. Yummy!
I’m so happy to hear that you all loved the cake roll! It sounds like a fun party and happy birthday to your friend!! 🙂
Hi Natalya. I made this cake roll for a family get together and people loved it.. I was asked for a recipe. I refered them to your yummy site! Thank you thank you thank you:)
You’re welcome! Thanks for the referral and sharing your great review!
love love love this cake.
made it for easter everyone loved it.
did step by step how you explain churn out very good.
That’s great hear Irina! Thanks for sharing!
I had to make this cake again and again because it was so good. Thanks for the recipe.
Elena, thanks again for another great review 😬
I don’t a have a linen towel. Will a flour sack 100% cotton towel do?
Hi Carol, I think those would work fine and I hope you love the cake roll!
Do the eggs have to be room at temperature?
Hi Galina, it is best for the eggs to be at room temperature. If they are not, you will need to beat them 3-5 minutes longer.
My cake stuck to the parchment, and also the tea towel. Ugh. So disappointed. I used the same tea towel I usually use for a roll cake, but usually I dust it with powdered sugar. And I usually greasebthe parchment. I may try again. It is salvageable.
Hi Cherie, since this is a classic European genoise sponge cake base and does not have any oil or butter in the cake batter, it won’t make much of a difference to grease the parchment paper. It does however help to peel it back as soon as it comes out of the oven and to never use wax paper. Also, I have tested using powdered sugar and it just became moist and caused the cake to stick to the towel.
hi Natasha! I made this cake today..it tastes good, but I had a problem rolling it back with all frosting inside.. i just could not enroll it, it fell apart on me..
Hi Natalie, did you roll the cake initially while it was hot out of the oven per the instructions? If you skip that step, the cake doesn’t form the “muscle memory” to create the roll without cracking. I hope that helps for next time!
i did roll the cake initially.. I think i might have put too much lemon syrop which made it saggy.. One more question: Can you skip the butter to make it healthier?
That could be – in one of my tests with this cake, I also had quite a bit more syrup and it was too moist to transfer the cake easily. I think my cupcake frosting would also work well here (which doesn’t have butter)
THis cake looks amazing! I have a question…could I make it into a 9′ layer cake? I just bought a beautiful round cake stand with glass cover and I’m dying to use it!
Hi Eva, you could make it work well as a 9″ layer cake. Use the proportions for my sponge cake recipe to make a double layer 9″ cake 🙂
Does this cake need to be refrisgerated or can I leave it in my cake stand on the counter ?
Hi Brooke, this cake can be left at room temperature overnight 🙂
How long do these flowers from whipping cream last? If I do it a day before, are the flowers still going to be fine? Or will they melt and fall off?
Hi Tanya, as long as you whip the cream until stiff and spreadable/pipe-able, it won’t fall off. I had the cake roll in the refrigerator overnight and did not have the flowers fall off. I think it’s best to pipe them on just before serving though so you can generously dust the roll with powdered sugar and then pipe on fresh swirls. The powdered sugar can get a little moist when refrigerated overnight.
I did it today.
It’s delicious but I had problem to enroll the cake (maybe I used the wrong towel).
The cake was sticky and break so I put it in the freezer and cover it with cream to hide the breaking part:)
But for the taste!!! Delicious
I will definitely try again.
Hi Marie, a light tea towel or linen towel work best because they let the cake breath a little better. I hope that helps! I’m so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
The cream cheese brand is Raskas.
Oh yes! Thank you!! 🙂
Natasha, what is the brand of cream cheese do you use?
I use the big block from Costco. I think it starts with an “R” – I threw away the package! :-O If you don’t shop at Costco, I would suggest Philadelphia brand.