Fruit Cream Swiss Roll Recipe

Fruit Cream Swiss Roll is a light German-style sponge cake filled with a fresh forest fruit compote and vanilla mascarpone cream. This elegant dessert combines airy biscuit layers with a tangy berry centre and a rich whipped topping.

The first time I made this, I rolled the sponge while it was still hot. Now I always let it cool slightly before handling because the oil-based sponge is more stable than a classic fatless version. If you skip the cooling step, the heat will melt your mascarpone cream into a soup.

Mascarpone is doing more work than you’d think here. Without it, the cream filling would be too soft to hold the weight of the fruit and the weight of the sponge layers. This is the cake I make whenever I have guests because it looks impressive but actually takes less than twenty minutes in the oven.

Fruit Cream Swiss Roll Ingredients

Fruit Filling

• 250g (9oz) frozen forest fruits
• 60g (2oz) caster sugar
• 20ml (4 tsp) lemon juice
• 15g (1/2 oz) cornflour
• 10g (1/4 oz) butter

Sponge Base

• 4 large eggs
• 130g (4 1/2 oz) caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 150g (5 1/4 oz) plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder

Cream Filling

• 375g (13oz) mascarpone
• 600ml (20fl oz) double cream
• 6 tbsp caster sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla paste
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 2 sachets cream stiffener

How To Make Fruit Cream Swiss Roll

1. Prepare the fruit: Heat the frozen berries in a saucepan over medium heat until they soften and release their juices. Press the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl to remove the seeds.
2. Thicken the compote: Pour most of the fruit purée back into the pan with the sugar and lemon juice, keeping a small amount aside in a cup. Mix the cornflour into the cold reserved purée until smooth, then whisk this into the boiling pan and simmer until the mixture thickens.
3. Cool the filling: Stir in the butter until melted and smooth, then move the mixture to a clean bowl. Press clingfilm directly onto the surface of the fruit to stop a skin forming and let it cool completely.
4. Whisk the eggs: Preheat your oven to 170°C (325°F/Gas Mark 3) and line a large baking tin with greaseproof paper. Beat the eggs and sugar together for at least five minutes until the mixture is pale, thick, and has doubled in size.
5. Finish the batter: Pour in the oil and vanilla extract and whisk briefly to combine. Sift the plain flour and baking powder into the bowl and gently mix in with a whisk or large spoon until no flour streaks remain.
6. Bake the sponge: Spread the batter evenly into the prepared tin and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake for 12-14 minutes until the sponge is springy to the touch and slightly golden.
7. Shape the cake: Turn the warm sponge out onto a fresh sheet of greaseproof paper and peel away the paper used for baking. Cut the sponge into four equal rectangles and let them cool down.
8. Make the cream: Combine the mascarpone, sugar, vanilla, and lemon zest in a large bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour in the double cream and cream stiffener, then whisk on high speed until the mixture forms stiff peaks.
9. Assemble the layers: Spread a thick layer of the vanilla cream over each sponge rectangle. Pipe or spoon a line of the cooled fruit filling down the centre of each piece.
10. Final decoration: Roll the sponges or stack them as desired, using the remaining cream to cover the outside. Pipe extra swirls of cream on top and garnish with any leftover fruit or zest.

Recipe Tips

Whisk the eggs thoroughly. You need to beat them for the full five minutes to get enough air into the batter for a light sponge. If the mixture doesn’t look like thick foam, the cake will be dense and flat.

Sift the dry ingredients. Plain flour can be lumpy and if you find a flour pocket in the baked sponge, it will crack when you try to roll it. Sifting ensures the aerated eggs don’t deflate from over-mixing.

Use room temperature mascarpone. Cold mascarpone is prone to splitting or forming lumps when you mix it with liquid cream. Take it out of the fridge thirty minutes before you start the filling.

Do not over-boil the fruit. Once you add the cornflour, it only needs a minute or two to thicken. If you cook it too long, the starch can break down and the filling will become runny again.

Watch the oven closely. Because this sponge is very thin, it can go from perfect to dry in sixty seconds. It is done when the edges just start to pull away from the paper.

What To Serve With Fruit Cream Swiss Roll

This rich cake needs nothing more than a hot drink. It goes well with a cup of Earl Grey tea or a strong black coffee to cut through the sweetness of the mascarpone.

If you want a more substantial dessert, serve a slice with a few extra fresh raspberries or blackberries on the side. A small pour of single cream over the top adds a nice texture contrast to the thick filling.

How To Store Fruit Cream Swiss Roll

Fridge

Keep the cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. The mascarpone and cream filling will stay firm, but the sponge may soften slightly from the fruit moisture over time.

Reheat

This dessert is served cold and should not be reheated. Taking it out of the fridge ten minutes before serving is enough to soften the sponge while keeping the cream set.

Freeze

You can freeze the sponge layers before filling them, wrapped tightly in clingfilm for up to one month. Do not freeze the assembled cake as the mascarpone cream will lose its stable texture when it thaws.

Fruit Cream Swiss Roll Nutrition Facts

Per serving (1 of 12): Calories: 485, Protein: 6g, Fat: 34g, Carbohydrates: 39g, Sugar: 28g, Sodium: 110mg. Estimated. May vary based on ingredients and cooking methods.

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