German Strawberry Cream Roll (Erdbeerrolle)

Learn how to make this quick and easy to follow German – style strawberry cream roll aka. Erdbeerrolle with outstanding results.

The soft, light, delicious and not too sweet sponge cake with a great hint of vanilla is filled with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. Then finished off with powdered sugar, whipped cream and halved strawberries to add a WOW- factor.

Strawberry roll cake aka. Erdbeerrolle is one of the regular cakes at our house during Summer. It’s simple and quick to make and oh-so good.

I know many people who feel intimidated by making Swiss roll, but it’s actually easier than it seems. This recipe uses whole eggs which means no egg separation, no gelatin and no rolling up the sponge cake before filling it. Makes a perfect recipe for beginners and experienced bakers.

How to make a perfect roll cake up cake

Its really quite hard to go wrong with this recipe. Just with a few tips and tricks, you too can make this German strawberry roll at home that tastes like the one you’ve tried on vacation.

• Be sure to beat the eggs, sugar and water for 8 minutes (no shortcuts)! to get a nicely fluffy and light sponge cake.
• Dust a kitchen towel with powdered/ icing sugar before putting the sponge cake on it, otherwise the sponge cake will stick when rolling it up.
• Cover the sponge cake with damp kitchen towel, otherwise it will break when rolling it up.
• Let the sponge cake cool completely before filling it. This takes around 20 minutes.
• The strawberry roll tastes over the top if you let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours before serving. I’ve also made it and ate it immediately, but letting it sit, moisten the sponge cake.

Ingredients used in making this German strawberry cream roll cake

For the sponge cake

• 100 g (3.5 oz/ about ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons) plain flour (all purpose flour)
• 100 g (3.5 oz/ ½ cup) sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
• 3 tablespoons warm water
• 4 medium eggs
• 50 g (1.8 oz/ about 1/3 cup + 2 tablespoons) cornstarch/ corn flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder

For the strawberry cream filling

• 500 ml (16.9 fl.oz/ 2 cups) heavy whipping cream, well chilled
• 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar
• 400 g (14.1 oz) fresh strawberries

For the decoration (optional)

• Fresh strawberries
• 100 ml (3.4 fl.oz/ about 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon) heavy whipping cream, well chilled
• 1 teaspoon pistachio flour
• powdered sugar/ icing sugar

You’ll also need

• Icing/ powdered sugar
• 2 kitchen towels
• about 35 x 42 cm (13.78 x 16.54 inches)) baking sheet and parchment paper
• Hand mixer with whisks

How to make roll up cake with fresh strawberries and whipped cream

Begin by preheating the oven to 200 °C (392 °F) with both up and bottom heat and lining the baking sheet with parchment paper. Then combine plain flour (all purpose flour), cornstarch (cornflour) and baking powder and sieve.

How to make sponge cake for the roll without separating the eggs

Add sugar, vanilla sugar, warm water and eggs to an empty large bowl and beat the eggs for 8 minutes. I’ve used my hand mixer to beat the eggs.

Either using a spatula or the hand mixer on the lowest speed (!) fold in the flour mixture gently. Don’t overbeat the batter if you’re using a hand mixer. You want to retain the air in the egg-sugar mixture, so that you’ll have a light and airy sponge cake.

Transfer the batter to the prepared baking sheet and smooth with a spoon or spatula

and bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until slightly brown. Keep a close eye on your sponge cake so that it doesn’t burn.

In the meantime spread out a clean kitchen towel on a countertop and dust it with powdered sugar (icing sugar), so that the sponge roll cake won’t stick to the dish towel. Then wet the second kitchen towel. (It should not be too wet though. You just want it to be damp.)

Immediately after baking put the sponge cake on the prepared dish towel upside down and gently remove the parchment paper. The best way is to tear it off a bit by bit (see photos), don’t try to remove it off at once, because you may break the sponge cake in the process.

After removing the parchment paper from the cake, cover the sponge cake immediately with a wet towel that you’ve prepared and let cool completely. This takes around 20 minutes.

While the sponge cake is cooling between the kitchen towels make the filling.

How to cut strawberries and whip cream for the filling

Wash the strawberries, cut off the stems and cut them into small pieces. (Keep 5 strawberries for decoration).

Next add 1 tablespoon vanilla sugar to the jar with very well chilled heavy whipping cream and whip until light and fluffy.

Assemble the strawberry Swiss roll

Spread the whipped cream over the cooled sponge cake, leaving a 5 cm (2 inch) margin at the top of the sponge cake.

Then scatter diced strawberries over the whipped cream. Using your hands gently press them on the top of the whipped cream, so that they will not be coming out when rolling up the sponge cake.

Carefully roll up the sponge cake lengthwise with the help of the kitchen towel beneath, such that in the end you have one long roll. You should roll up the cake towards the side with a 5 cm/ 2-inch free margin.

Put the roll on a platter or large plate and chill until consumption. Since I’ve made my strawberry roll cake before going to bed, I transferred it to a cutting board lined with a parchment paper, covered it with a clean dish towel and put it in the fridge overnight.

Decoration suggestions for your strawberry roll up cake:

• Dust with powdered sugar/ icing sugar
• Whipped cream: Whip around 100 ml (3.5 fl oz/ about 1/3 cup + 1 tablespoon) whipping cream. Using two spoons or a piping make swirls on top of the strawberry roll
• Pistachio flour: Sprinkle it over the whipped cream for a wow- factor.
• Fresh strawberries – cut whole strawberries into thin slices lengthwise and place them between whipped cream swirls.

More creamy berry dessert recipes you’ll like

• Strained whipped cream dessert with berries
• Mascaporne and mixed berry dessert
• Rhubarb crumble with strawberries

Did you make this German style strawberry cream roll recipe? I’d love to hear from you! Simply write a review and add rating to it.