Raspberry Swiss Roll Cake (with Video)

My Raspberry Swiss Roll Cake recipe looks simply stunning, and tastes creamy and moist, studded with fresh raspberries. It looks fancy, but not to worry, the recipe is easy to make–even for a beginner baker. Watch the video below to see my tricks for making the perfect Swiss roll with raspberries.

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Rolled cakes like my Pumpkin Roll and Chocolate Cherry Roll look so fancy served on a platter at a party, and slices are just as impressive. Learn my technique for a flawless Swiss roll cake every time!

Raspberry Swiss Roll Video

This is the cake I made for my Mother’s birthday and she loved it (everyone did)! I love that this Raspberry Swiss Roll ahead, so it’s ready before crunch time for any size gathering. The cake, syrup, and filling make for a tasty and elevated dessert.

Raspberry Cake Roll Recipe

Every single time I make this Raspberry Swiss Roll recipe, I always feel so proud of my beautiful creation, but really, it’s not hard, since all you need is to learn the easy technique to keep it from cracking.

The secret? Simply roll the hot sponge cake fresh out of the oven and let it cool. This technique sets its memory of the shape so it won’t crack when you fill and roll it up. It works with all cake roll recipes, like my Storybook Cake Roll, Tiramisu Yule Log, and Poppy Seed Cake Roll.

This recipe is filled with a sweet and creamy filling with layers of raspberry flavor. It’s perfectly sweet and beautiful. In fact, I included this cake roll recipe in the Natasha’s Kitchen Cookbook and it really is as yummy as it looks!

Ingredients for Raspberry Swiss Cake Roll

There are 3 parts to this raspberry cake roll recipe: the moist sponge cake, raspberry syrup and raspberry cream. The ingredients are mostly pantry staples, but check for substitution suggestions.

Sponge Cake Ingredients

• Confectioners’ sugar – AKA powdered sugar to dust over your kitchen towel before rolling up the cake – it keeps your cake from sticking.
• Dry ingredients – all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Be sure to measure correctly for the right cake texture.
• Wet ingredients – room temperature eggs, sugar, and vanilla extract

Raspberry Filling

• Raspberry Syrup – combine raspberry preserves (I prefer seedless) with a little water to thin it out. You’ll spread this over the cake for moisture and flavor.
• Heavy cream and granulated sugar – cold heavy whipping cream and sugar beaten together make homemade whipped cream as the base for the filling.
• Mascarpone – this is similar to an Italian cream cheese with higher fat content. In a pinch, you can use softened cream cheese like I did with my Blackberry Cake Roll.
• Raspberries – Mash half of the raspberries to fold into the cream and use the rest for garnish. For a different taste, feel free to mix in blackberries or substitute strawberries.

How to Make Raspberry Swiss Roll Cake

We’re essentially making my famous sponge cake recipe in cake roll form. It’s perfect for absorbing moisture without getting soggy. Don’t be intimidated by the number of steps below– I added details for success, but making a jelly roll is simple.

Make the Sponge Cake

• Prep – I use my 13″x18″ rimmed baking sheet (which is larger than a jelly roll pan) with parchment (don’t grease it), turn the oven to 375°F, and dust a clean kitchen towel with the confectioners’ sugar.
• Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl: flour, baking powder, and salt.
• Beat the eggs and sugar with an electric mixer until thick and doubled in size. It takes 8 minutes in a stand mixer and closer to 10 minutes with an electric hand mixer. It’s ready when you pull up on the whisk and ribbons form and stay on the surface for a few seconds.
• Fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture in 3 batches, and then fold in the vanilla. Do not over-mix or you’ll deflate the batter. Pour into prepped pan.

5. Bake and roll – bake for 10-12 minutes, then run a knife around the edges and slide the cake and parchment paper off the pan. Use the parchment to flip the whole cake top-side-down onto the sugared tea towel. Immediately peel off the parchment, and starting at the short side, roll the cake tightly around the towel. Set on a wire rack to cool to room temperature.

Make the Syrup

• Thin the preserves by mixing with the water for a syrupy consistency.

Make the Filling

• Make the whipped cream – whip heavy cream and sugar until stiff peaks form – don’t over-beat or it will turn buttery.
• Mix in mascarpone – in a separate large bowl, combine mascarpone cheese with vanilla. Fold the whipped cream mixture in 1/3 at a time until incorporated.
• Add raspberries – coarsely mash half the raspberries in a bowl and fold them into the filling.

How to Assemble the Swiss Roll

• Add the filling – Carefully unroll the cooled cake, drizzle the syrup on top and spread it over the cake, then spread the creamy filling in an even layer to the edges. Roll the cake tightly again and set it on a platter seam-side-down.
• Serve – Cut the ends off the roll if you want (and help yourself to the extra as a built-in reward). Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour if desired for easier slicing.

Just before serving I add a fresh dusting of powdered sugar and scatter raspberries around the platter. You can make this recipe even more decadent by pouring Homemade Chocolate Ganache over the cake – yum!

This Raspberry Swiss Roll Cake recipe is such a stunning dessert, and it always turns heads. Its moist cake is wrapped around a creamy filling studded with tart and sweet raspberries. The cake tastes just as good as it looks–and it’s so easy to make with my cake roll technique.

More Impressive Desserts

Cake rolls always look so amazing, so once you try this raspberry roll cake, try these other delicious and stunning dessert recipes.

• Fruit Tart
• Flan Recipe
• No-bake Blueberry Cheesecake
• Strawberry Shortcake
• Chocolate Covered Strawberries
• Himmelstorte
• Pavlova Recipe