This Strawberry Roll Cake (Swedish Rulltårta) is easy to make and assemble, and looks impressive with its lovely layers of golden cake, homemade strawberry filling and pastry cream. It can also be made completely ahead of time, one of the best qualities in a dessert!
This easy baking project is perfect for strawberry season. Ready to get started? Keep reading for step-by-step instructions for making this simple Strawberry Roll Cake.
Why This Recipe Works
- This cake is more pliable than most, thanks to the addition of several eggs. This flexibility is important to getting the cake to roll up nicely.
- This recipe relies on two delicious cake fillings: a luxurious vanilla pastry cream AND a homemade strawberry filling. They compliment each other perfectly!
- It can (and should) be made entirely ahead of time which makes it perfect for entertaining!
Ingredients
For the Cake:
For the Strawberry Filling:
For the Vanilla Pastry Cream:
Equipment
- 12 x 18 rimmed baking sheet
- Parchment paper
- Cotton kitchen towel or tea towel (NOT terry cloth)
How to Make This Recipe
- Begin by making the strawberry filling. Combine the cut up strawberries, cornstarch, sugar, cornstarch and salt together in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the mixture begins to bubble. Reduce the heat to medium low and continue to cook until the strawberries are saucy and tender, about 5-7 minutes. Set aside to cool completely or transfer the refrigerator until you are ready to use it.
- Next, make the vanilla pastry cream filling. Whisk egg yolks, butter, cornstarch, half and half, sugar and salt together in a medium saucepan. Place pan over medium low heat and whisk constantly until the butter melts and the mixture becomes smooth and thick, about 3-5 minutes. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl and stir in the vanilla extract. Place a piece of parchment paper directly on top of the pastry cream, followed by a layer of plastic wrap (this prevents the custard from forming a skin). Refrigerate until you are ready to use.
- Finally, make the cake. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a rimmed baking sheet (12x18) with baking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Spray parchment with baking spray and use your fingers or a pastry brush to make sure the spray is distributed evenly around the top of the parchment paper and the pan.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Combine the eggs and sugar together in the work bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, mix on low speed until foamy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated. Increase the speed to medium high and whip until the mixture is thick and pale yellow in color, about 5 minutes. Decrease speed to medium low and slowly add melted butter and vanilla.
- Remove the work bowl from the mixer and, using a fine mesh strainer, sift one quarter of the flour mixture over the top of the cake batter. Gently fold in with a rubber spatula. Repeat three more times with the remaining flour until it is all fully incorporated into the batter.
- Pour mixture into the prepared pan and even out the top. It will be a thin layer of batter. Transfer to the oven and bake until the cake is firm and springs back when touched, about 12-15 minutes.
- Let the cake cool for 5 or 10 minutes in the pan. Run a knife along the edge of the pan and invert the cake onto a clean cotton dish towel (NOT terry cloth) that has been generously dusted with powdered sugar. Peel off the parchment paper that was on the bottom of the cake while it was baking. Starting with the short side of the rectangle, roll the cake in the dusted dishcloth and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.
- Carefully unroll the cake, and spread with the Vanilla Cream Filling, leaving a 1 inch border around the edges. It will be a thin layer. Gently top with the strawberry filling. Carefully reroll the cake around the filling leaving the towel on the counter.
- Trim the ends and transfer to a serving plate (two spatulas, one on either side of the cake, works well for this). Allow to cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar and serving. The cake can be assembled and refrigerated, tightly covered, for several hours prior to serving.
Expert Tips
- Use the right cake recipe. As I said above, this cake is more pliable than most, thanks to the addition of several eggs. This flexibility is important to getting the cake to roll up nicely.
- Use baking spray to prepare the pan, and make sure that it is spread evenly. This cake is baked in a half sheet pan (12 x18) and it will release easily if you spray the pan with baking spray, cover it with a layer of parchment and then spray the parchment. I then use my fingers or a brush to make sure that the parchment and the sides of the pan are evenly coated with baking spray. This will help keep the cake from sticking to the pan or the parchment after it is baked.
- While it is still warm, roll the cake in a dish towel generously dusted with powdered sugar. This is an absolutely critical step. The cake must be rolled while it is still quite warm from the oven. It will crack and break if you try to roll it once it is cool. Since the cake is too warm to assemble with the fillings at first, it is wrapped in a cotton dish towel (NOT terry cloth) until it is cool enough to fill. This sets the rolled shape that we are ultimately looking for. The powdered sugar acts like flour here and keeps the cake from sticking to the towel.
- Once the cake is cool, carefully unroll it and spread your fillings on top, leaving a one inch border around the sides. For this recipe, it works well to put down a layer of vanilla cream and the strawberries on top.
- Carefully roll the cake up, leaving the dish towel behind. This should go smoothly assuming that you were generous enough in your sprinkling of powdered sugar on the towel.
- If any of the filling squeezes out when you roll the cake up, gently wipe away any excess with a paper towel.
- Transfer to a serving platter using a two spatulas, one at the top of the roll and one at bottom, on opposite sides of the cake. This is enough support to get it from the work surface to a pretty serving tray.
- Let the finished cake rest in the fridge for a bit before serving, anywhere from a couple of hours to a day. This will help everything meld together. Be sure to give it a fresh dusting of powdered sugar before serving as some of it may have dissolved during its time in the refrigerator.
FAQs
What is a Rulltårta?
A rulltårta is basically a Swedish version of the American jelly roll or Swiss roll cake. A thin, tender sponge cake is wrapped around a filling, usually some kind of fruit preserve, pastry cream, whipped cream or some combination of these.
How do I store this strawberry roll cake?
Store the cake tightly covered in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve, anywhere from a couple of hours to 1 day. As I mentioned above, at least a couple of hours of time in the refrigerator is recommended as it helps the cake meld together.
How can I vary this roll cake?
You could use a different fruit filling in place of the strawberries here, or even a high quality store-bought jam. You can skip the cream filling altogether and focus solely on a fruit filling. Or, substitute a layer of whipped cream for the pastry cream.
How can I keep my cake from cracking when I roll it up?
Be sure to roll the cake in a generously powdered sugar-dusted kitchen towel while the cake is still warm from the oven. This sets the shape of the cake in a roll shape prior to adding the filling and makes it much less likely to crack when you roll it back up with the filling inside. Some recipes call for vegetable oil instead of melted butter which may make your cake more pliant (but sacrifices the buttery flavor). As long as you roll the cake in the towel while it is warm, you should be fine.
Related Recipes
Looking for more delicious recipes featuring strawberries? Give one of these blog favorites a try!
Strawberry Roll Cake (Swedish Rulltårta)
An easy and delicious rolled vanilla cake filled with a homemade strawberry filling and vanilla pastry cream.
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Servings: 9 servings (on 9-inch cake)
Calories: 300kcal
Equipment
- 1 12 x 18 rimmed baking sheet
- 1 cotton kitchen towel (tea towel) NOT terry cloth
- Parchment paper
Ingredients
For the Strawberry Filling:
- 1 pound strawberries cut into ½ inch pieces
- ¼ cup granulated sugar
- Pinch of salt
For the Vanilla Cream Filling:
- 2 large egg yolks
- 1 ½ tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 cup half and half or whole milk
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
For the Cake:
- baking spray (such as Pam for Baking)
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- powdered (confectioner's) sugar for dusting
Instructions
- Make the Strawberry Filling: Combine all ingredients in a medium saucepan. Place the pan over medium heat and stir occasionally until the mixture begins to bubble. Reduce the heat to medium low and continue to cook until the strawberries become saucy and tender, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Filling should be completely cool before assembling the cake. (Filling can be made up to a week in advance).
- Make the Vanilla Cream Filling: Whisk egg yolks, butter, cornstarch, half and half, sugar and salt together in a medium saucepan. Place pan over medium low heat and whisk constantly until mixture is smooth and thick, about 3-5 minutes. Strain mixture through a fine mesh strainer into a clean bowl. Stir in vanilla. Place a piece of parchment paper directly on top of the pastry cream, followed by a layer of plastic wrap (this prevents the custard from forming a skin). Refrigerate until you are ready to use. (Vanilla Cream Filling can be made 1-2 days in advance.)
- Make the Cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a rimmed baking sheet (12x18) with baking spray and line the bottom with parchment paper. Spray parchment with baking spray and use your fingers or a pastry brush to make sure the spray is distributed evenly around the top of the parchment paper and the pan.
- Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Combine the eggs and sugar together in the work bowl of a stand mixer. Using the whisk attachment, mix on low speed until foamy, about 2-3 minutes. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to make sure everything is incorporated. Increase the speed to medium high and whip until the mixture is thick and pale yellow in color, about 5 minutes. Decrease speed to medium low and slowly add melted butter and vanilla.
- Remove the work bowl from the mixer and, using a fine mesh strainer, sift one quarter of the flour mixture over the top of the cake batter. Gently fold in with a rubber spatula. Repeat three more times with the remaining flour until it is all fully incorporated into the batter.
- Pour mixture into the prepared pan and even out the top. It will be a thin layer of batter. Transfer to the oven and bake until the cake is firm and springs back when touched, about 12-15 minutes.
- Let the cake cool for 5 or 10 minutes in the pan. Run a knife along the edge of the pan and invert the cake onto a clean cotton dish towel (NOT terry cloth) that has been generously dusted with powdered sugar. Peel off the parchment paper that was on the bottom of the cake while it was baking. Starting with the short side of the rectangle, roll the cake in the dusted dishcloth and allow it to rest for 15 minutes.
- Carefully unroll the cake, and spread with the Vanilla Cream Filling, leaving a 1 inch border around the edges. It will be a thin layer. Gently top with the strawberry filling. Carefully reroll the cake around the filling leaving the towel on the counter. Trim the ends and transfer to a serving plate (two spatulas, one on either side of the cake, works well for this). Allow to cool completely before dusting with powdered sugar and serving. The cake can be assembled and refrigerated, tightly covered, for several hours or up to a day prior to serving.
Notes
Let the finished cake rest in the fridge for a bit before serving, anywhere from a couple of hours to a day. This will help everything meld together. Be sure to give it a fresh dusting of powdered sugar before serving as some of it may have dissolved during its time in the refrigerator.
Nutrition
Calories: 300kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 154mg | Potassium: 169mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 466IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 1mg
If you loved this recipe, give it a star review! Also, snap a picture of your Strawberry Roll Cake (Swedish Rulltårta) and share it with me on Instagram using the hashtag #truenorthkitchen and tagging me @true_north_kitchen.
Monica lacey
I am from Sweden and my mama made this all the time. Now my granddaughter wants us to make it so I hope it turned out good. Thank you for sharing this receipt.
Kristi
Hi Monica,
Thank you for the nice comment! Such a lovely and delicious cake. I hope you like it!
Kristi
Kristi
An easy, impressive and make ahead dessert!