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This Storybook cake roll is moist, rolled with a vanilla butter cream, covered in decadent chocolate and the cookie crumbs give it a subtle crunch. I love that this recipe uses one frosting that turns into vanilla and chocolate cream with a couple of quick add-ins. So don’t worry, you really only make the frosting once.
This roulade is based on a classic Russian cake roll known as Tort Skazka (Торт Сказка)- which translates to “storybook cake” and it has a delicious story to tell.
This cake roll looks and tastes like something from a fancy European bakery, but you can master it at home! I baked this cake twice in 1 week (and ate it twice in 1 week!) to ensure it was perfect for you and I included every detail to make sure you succeed.
This cake is simple enough to make for a tea party with friends, but it’s also fitting for any special occasion or holiday dinner. It has impressed everyone in the family (and I have a big family!). Your taste buds will dance.
Ingredients for the Sponge Cake Roll:
1 cup sifted cake flour (click for easy tutorial on making cake flour) *measured correctly
3/4 cup granulated sugar
5 large eggs, room temp
Ingredients for the syrup:
1/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup hot water
3 Tbsp rum – I used Bacardi golden rum (it is optional, but adds great flavor)
Ingredients for the custard buttercream:
1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 Tbsp water
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk (uncooked – straight from the can)
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1/2 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp cocoa
Ingredients for the topping:
1/2 cup golden brown cookie crumbs (I used crumbs from 4 graham crackers)
What you’ll need:
11×17 rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper
How To Make The Cake Roll:
If you’ve never made a European Sponge Cake, this video will give you an idea of what the batter and process looks like. Please note the proportions are slightly different in this cake but the general process is the same.
Preheat oven to 410˚F.
1. Beat 5 eggs with white sugar on high speed for 5-6 minutes or until thick and fluffy. Next, sift in 1 cup of cake flour in two intervals and fold gently, scraping from the bottom, just until combined with no streaks of flour remaining. Spread batter evenly onto your prepared baking sheet. Bake at 410˚F for approx. 7-8 minutes or until the top is golden.
2. Once the cake comes out of the oven, remove it from the baking pan, and while it’s still hot, place a sheet of parchment or wax paper over it and roll the cake loosely (rolling it while it’s still warm helps prevent cracks later). Let the rolled cake cool to room temp, then you can remove the backing and lay it flat again keeping the same side up as before so you are rolling in the same direction after it’s frosted. (Start making syrup and frosting – see how to make frosting below).
How To Make Syrup:
1. Dissolve sugar in boiling water. Add rum and let the syrup cool to room temp.
How To Make Custard Buttercream:
1. In a small sauce pan, off the heat, whisk together 1 egg yolk, 1/2 Tbsp water, 1/2 cup condensed milk, and 1/2 tsp vanilla until smooth.
2. Place over the lowest heat and slowly increase the heat to a medium/low or just until it is lightly steaming. Continue whisking constantly until it thickens slightly – don’t let it boil. When it’s ready, it will be the consistency of uncooked sweetened condensed milk. Total time on the stove: 7-8 minutes. Remove mixture from heat and let custard cool to room temp. It will thicken more as it cools.
3. Beat softened butter in a mixer with whisk attachment for 5 minutes on high speed, scraping down the bowl as needed.
4. Add room temp custard mixture, 1 Tablespoon at a time, into the whipped butter, beating on high speed for a few seconds with each addition. Once all of the custard is incorporated, scrape down the bowl and beat another 2 minutes on high speed.
5. Divide finished cream in half. The first half will remain your white cream and you will spread this over the moistened cake. Keep the second half in the mixing bowl with the whisk attachment and add 4 Tbsp cocoa (1 Tablespoon at a time) and 1/2 Tbsp olive oil. The oil will enhance the chocolatey color. Beat on high speed 2 minutes or until all of cocoa is well incorporated (scrape down the bowl as needed).
Final Cake Assembly Instructions:
1. Once cake is room temp, brush the top of your unrolled cake roll (the side that will be the inside once it’s rolled up) evenly with the syrup (see how to make syrup instructions above). Let it sit and soak up the syrup at least 5 min
2. Spread your white cream filling in a thin layer evenly over the top of the cake (this bent icing knife makes it easy) and start rolling your cake from the same side as before, keeping a tight(-ish) roll without squeezing out the frosting. It really is just a very thin layer of frosting, but it will be just right; you’ll see!
3. Next, spread a thin layer of chocolate cream over the top of your cake. You need just enough to cover the cake and keep the crumbs on the sides.
4. Sprinkle finished roll with cookie crumbs on the sides; it was easy with a food scraper; pour crumbs along the base of the cake and use a scraper to pull them up on the sides of the cake (see pics below). Pipe remaining chocolate over the top of the cake. I made swirls across the top with a large Wilton 1M open star tip. <– click to see the frosting set I have and use for everything. It turned out so pretty and I really loved that it looked like it just walked out of a hair salon.
Refrigerate cake until ready to serve. Once the cake is chilled, it is much easier to transfer and slice. It tastes great cold straight out of the fridge or softened up to room temp.
Storybook Cake Roll Recipe
Ingredients
For the Sponge Cake:
- 1 cup sifted cake flour
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 5 large eggs, room temp
For the Syrup:
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 3/4 cup hot water
- 3 Tbsp rum - I used Bacardi golden rum, optional, but adds great flavor
For the Custard Buttercream Frosting:
- 1 egg yolk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 Tbsp water
- 1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk, uncooked - straight from the can
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter
- 1/2 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 Tbsp cocoa
For the Topping:
- 1/2 cup golden brown cookie crumbs, I used crumbs from 4 graham crackers
What you'll need:
- 11 ×17 rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper
Instructions
How To Make the Sponge Cake: Preheat oven to 410˚F.
- Beat 5 eggs with white sugar on high speed for 5-6 minutes or until thick and fluffy. Next, sift in 1 cup of cake flour in two intervals and fold gently, scraping from the bottom, just until combined with no streaks of flour remaining. Spread batter evenly onto your prepared baking sheet. Bake at 410˚F for approx. 7-8 minutes or until the top is golden.
- Once the cake comes out of the oven, remove it from the baking pan, and while it's still hot, place a sheet of parchment or wax paper over it and roll the cake loosely (rolling it while it’s still warm helps prevent cracks later). Let the rolled cake cool to room temp, then you can remove the backing and lay it flat again keeping the same side up as before so you are rolling in the same direction after it’s frosted. (Start making syrup and frosting - see how to make frosting below).
How To Make Syrup:
- Dissolve sugar in boiling water. Add rum and let the syrup cool to room temp.
How To Make Vanilla and Chocolate Custard Buttercream:
- In a small sauce pan, off the heat, whisk together 1 egg yolk, 1/2 Tbsp water, 1/2 cup condensed milk, and 1/2 tsp vanilla until smooth.
- Place over the lowest heat and slowly increase the heat to a medium/low or just until it is lightly steaming. Continue whisking constantly until it thickens slightly - don't let it boil. When it's ready, it will be the consistency of uncooked sweetened condensed milk. Total time on the stove: 7-8 minutes. Remove mixture from heat and let custard cool to room temp. It will thicken more as it cools.
- Beat softened butter in a mixer with whisk attachment for 5 minutes on high speed, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Add room temp custard mixture, 1 Tablespoon at a time, into the whipped butter, beating on high speed for a few seconds with each addition. Once all of the custard is incorporated, scrape down the bowl and beat another 2 min on high speed.
- Divide finished cream in half. The first half will remain your white cream and you will spread this over the moistened cake. Keep the second half in the mixing bowl with the whisk attachment and add 4 Tbsp cocoa (1 Tablespoon at a time) and 1/2 Tbsp olive oil. The oil will enhance the chocolatey color. Beat on high speed 2 minutes or until all of cocoa is well incorporated (scrape down the bowl as needed).
Final Cake Assembly Instructions:
- Once cake is room temp, brush the top of your unrolled cake roll (the side that will be the inside once it’s rolled up) evenly with the syrup (see how to make syrup instructions above). Let it sit and soak up the syrup at least 5 min.
- Spread your white cream filling in a thin layer evenly over the top of the cake and start rolling your cake from the same side as before, keeping a tight(-ish) roll without squeezing out the frosting. It really is just a very thin layer of frosting, but it will be just right; you'll see!
- Next, spread a thin layer of chocolate cream over the top of your cake. You need just enough to cover the cake and keep the crumbs on the sides.
- Sprinkle finished roll with cookie crumbs on the sides; it was easy with a food scraper; pour crumbs along the base of the cake and use a scraper to pull them up on the sides of the cake. Pipe remaining chocolate over the top of the cake. I made swirls across the top with a large Wilton 1M open star tip. Refrigerate cake until ready to serve.
Hi, Natasha. I have a quick question for you about this recipe.. Does it need the rum? I am only 19 so I can’t buy it too add.. Is there something else you could recommend using? Or will the granulated sugar and water work?
Hi Katie, water and sugar will work great. You can also add some fresh lemon juice for more flavor 🙂
I’ve used imitation rum when I was younger. Its not as good, but better than without rum. 🙂
This cake is so good! I use frangelico liquor instead of rum and it really enhanced that chocolate flavor!! Really such a good cake!
Yum! That sounds great! Thanks for your review Kristina!
Hi Natasha! Can you taste the butter in the cake? My family is not a big fan of buttery stuff, i did the cream but didn’t spread on the cake yet. Anything i can do about it?
Hi Nadia, it is a buttercream but it’s balanced nicely by the condensed milk in it. As far as I can remember, I haven’t had anyone complain that it was overly buttery.
How much cream does the recipe make? I’ve tried this yummy roll before but it has been awhile. I want to make the cream for a cake, wondering exactly how much cream this recipe makes so I can make enough to cover the cake. Thanks for sharing the delicious recipe!!
The frosting on my walnut cake is pretty much the same concept, just increased and you don’t have to add nuts. https://natashaskitchen.com/2016/12/20/royal-walnut-cake-video-recipe/
This roll will rock your tastebuds, I’m not kidding. It was so flavorful and soft, not too sweet just perfect. I will be making it again. I’m posted bunch of pictures on your FB page of some recipes I’ve made from your website
Awesome!! This review definitely makes me smile! 🙂
Hello, Natasha! This cake looks delicious and easy, and I am planning on making for a friend’s party this weekend. I was wondering if it is possible to make the syrup and the filling/frosting ahead of time. How long do they keep?
Hi Angie, with this cake, you can make the syrup several days in advance and refrigerate but I would suggest using the frosting soon after it is made. Once you refrigerate it, it firms up and it just doesn’t work quite as well. You can also fully assemble the cake and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze it for 2-3 months (wrapped several times in plastic wrap after it’s been refrigerated so the frosting is firmed up and doesn’t get squashed by the plastic wrap). Make sure to thaw completely and then let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes or more for the frosting to soften before serving.
IIn the video you used baking powder in the fluor but it is not in the recipee.Do you use baking powder ?
I’ve started adding it recently but it isn’t necessary for this recipe to work.
Hi, I just made this and I was wondering if the frosting is supposed to taste buttery. I hadn’t put it in the refrigerator yet would this maybe be why? That it was room temp? I’m worried I made a mistake.
This frosting is not overly sweet so I guess you could say it tastes a little buttery. Did you change anything in the recipe?
No ifollowed your recipe to the T. But maybe my taste buds are used to the store-bought buttercream cakes which tend to be on the sweeter side. But other than the taste it turned out great.
i’m planning on making this for christmas eve for my ukrainians family-but is it really a russian/ukrainian cake? and i am kind of squeaking about outing a raw egg yolk in for the custard buttercream, but is it actually a raw egg because i didn’t really understood how it worked. thanks! it looks great in the picture, though.
Yes it is a Russian/Ukrainian cake and there is no raw egg yolk in the cream. You heat the cream sufficiently so the egg is no longer raw. I hope that puts your mind at ease 🙂
Hi Natasha good evening I’m planning on making this cake tomorrow or sometime next week thing is I’m not sure if I have umbrella would something drambuie or a bourbon of some sorts be a good substitute just looks really way good and it’s similar to the way my mom made it for certain Jewish holidays or for special occasions and I’m having such nostalgia of sorts I’ve done really a ok with your dessert and other recipes made your kotlety the basic one last night this site is number one with me
I’m so happy to hear you are enjoying my recipes. Thank you for sharing that with us 🙂
Cool beans great to hear it so can I submitted a bourbon liquor for sorts not place of the rum
Hi Tzivia, I haven’t tried that before but I think it would work 🙂
Oven should be convection or normal baking
Hi Wardah, I always use normal (conventional) oven settings.
Hi Natasha,
The video of you making the sponge cake and the recipe for this cake is different from each other. I’m guessing I just follow the ingredients for this recipe for the rolled cake?
Hi Charlene, yes, the sponge cake video is to give readers who have never made a sponge cake, a good idea of what the batter and process of making a sponge cake looks like. I’ll make sure to specify that in the notes but yes, follow the recipe that is posted for this cake specifically. Thanks! 🙂
Natasha what if custard cream got to a boiling like a second do i have to redo it?
Hi Kate, if it didn’t curdle or turn lumpy, it will still be ok 🙂
Hi Natasha!
I have a quick question for you. If I wanted to make the sponge chocolate how should I modify the recipe?
I was thinking take out some flour and replace with cocoa? Help! Thanks:)
Hi Julie, You can take out 2 to 3 Tbsp of flour and replace with cocoa, just sift the cocoa and flour together to evenly disburse it. 🙂
Perfection!!! Thank you very much for this perfect recipe!!!
I’m so happy you loved it! Thank you 🙂
Hey Natasha! Awesome recipe. About to start making it. Just wondering, what you commented about the “standard 8oz measuring cup” has gotten me really confused. How many oz or grams is in one of YOUR cups, you use use in this recipe?
Thanks a bunch!
Hi Layan, these are standard American measuring cups that I use: http://amzn.to/1oI7msY.
H8 Na5asha, question for you. Can I use a regular flour for this cake? Or can you mix potato starch , or has to be a corn starch?? Thank you
Hi Tanya, It’s best with cake flour (the results are the softest), but I think it would still work with all-purpose flour. To be honest, I haven’t tried making cake flour with potato starch and I haven’t really seen anyone else do it either.
Hi Natasha,
Do we brush the cake with the entire syrup made ??
Hi Yamini, yes I used the entire amount. You don’t have too if you prefer a drier cake. 🙂
Thanks for this recipe it looks delicious i want to try it so please could you tell me about your measuring cups becaus it differentiate from one country to another and thanks !!
I use standard 8 oz measuring cup. Hope this helps 😀.
Its delicious. Just wondering if it can be made into a cake? And what portions would you use to make a round cake? Thanks
I couldn’t really guess without experimenting but you’d probably want to double your frosting. You could use the same proportions for the cake but it probably wouldn’t be a very tall cake.