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Strawberries and Cream Cake Roll

A light and fluffy sponge cake roll filled with a dreamy homemade strawberry cream cheese frosting made with freeze-dried strawberries. Elegant enough for a dinner party, easy enough for a weeknight.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time4 hours 10 minutes
Servings: 12 slices
Author: Everyday Kitchen Recipes

Ingredients

Sponge Cake

  • 1 cup cake flour spooned and leveled
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 4 large eggs room temperature, divided
  • 3/4 cup granulated sugar divided
  • 2 tablespoons buttermilk
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • seeds scraped from 1/2 vanilla bean optional
  • 1 cup confectioners' sugar for rolling

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 1 cup freeze-dried strawberries about 25g, processed to powder
  • 8 oz full-fat cream cheese softened to room temperature
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter softened to room temperature
  • 2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • salt to taste

Instructions

Make the Sponge Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350°F (177°C). Spray a 10×15-inch baking pan with nonstick spray, line with parchment paper, then spray the parchment as well. You want an extremely nonstick surface.
  • Sift the cake flour, baking powder, and salt together. Set aside.
  • Using a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites and 1/4 cup sugar on high speed for 4–5 minutes until stiff peaks form. Transfer to another bowl.
  • In the same mixing bowl (no need to clean), add the egg yolks, remaining 1/2 cup sugar, buttermilk, vanilla extract, and vanilla bean seeds. Beat on high speed for 3–4 minutes until light in color.
  • Add half of the whipped egg whites to the egg yolk mixture. Beat on low for 10 seconds. Repeat with remaining egg whites and beat on low for 10 seconds. Add the flour mixture and beat on low until just combined. Do not overmix.
  • Spread batter evenly into the prepared pan. Give the pan a gentle shake to level the batter and reach the corners. Bake for 15 minutes, or until the cake springs back when lightly poked.

Roll the Cake

  • While the cake bakes, lay a thin kitchen towel flat on the counter. Sprinkle evenly with 1 cup of confectioners' sugar.
  • The moment the cake comes out of the oven, immediately invert it onto the sugar-dusted towel. Peel off the parchment paper. Starting at the narrow end, slowly and gently roll the warm cake up inside the towel.
  • Allow the cake to cool completely while rolled in the towel. Refrigerate for about 2 hours to speed up cooling.

Make the Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

  • Using a blender or food processor, process the freeze-dried strawberries into a fine powder. You should have about 1/2 cup. Set aside.
  • Beat the cream cheese on high speed for 1 minute until completely smooth and creamy. Beat in the butter until combined. Add the confectioners' sugar, strawberry powder, and vanilla. Beat on medium-high until combined and creamy. Taste and add a pinch of salt if needed.

Fill and Finish

  • Remove the cake from the refrigerator and let it sit for a few minutes. Gently unroll the cake and flatten it out.
  • Spread the strawberry cream cheese frosting evenly over the cake, leaving a 1/2-inch border around the edges.
  • Gently and slowly re-roll the cake without the towel, rolling it tightly. Some frosting may spill out the sides — that's perfectly fine.
  • Loosely cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before slicing. Dust with confectioners' sugar and garnish with fresh sliced strawberries before serving.

Notes

Make Ahead: Prepare the cake through rolling in the towel and refrigerate up to 1 day before filling. Fully assembled cake roll freezes well for up to 2–3 months — thaw overnight in the refrigerator before slicing. For clean slices, use a sharp serrated knife and wipe between cuts.
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