Berry Vanilla Cake Roll

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This Berry Vanilla Cake Roll is a moist vanilla cake roll filled with fresh berry filling and mascarpone whipped cream! It’s easy to make with detailed directions and plenty of step-by-step photos! So light, fruity and absolutely delicious!

Why You’ll Love This Berry Vanilla Cake Roll

Cake rolls can seem intimidating, but I’ve really come to enjoy making them. The berry and mascarpone flavor of this one is simply amazing! And as far as cakes go, cake rolls are one of the simpler kinds to make. They don’t take nearly as long to put together as a layer cake, you just have to get the hang of the rolling part and make sure it doesn’t crack. But with my helpful tips and this great recipe, I know you’ll nail it! Here are more reasons you’ll want to give this recipe a try.

• Texture – This vanilla cake roll is a little more dense than some of the more airy versions out there. After testing a more airy version of this with the same filling and everything, and doing some taste test comparisons, the more dense version won out when paired with the light whipped cream filling. Such a great texture combination!
• Easy mixing method – There’s no creaming involved in this recipe, so it’s a simpler approach. Just make sure to mix things in the right order and whip the egg whites, and you’ve got this!
• Mascarpone whipped cream – This is one of the best versions of whipped cream ever. The flavor from the mascarpone cheese is second to none! It pairs perfectly with a fruity filling.
• Berry filling – Berries are a summer staple and they give amazing flavor to this cake roll. Rather than pureeing them, they are left a little chunky, which brings even more flavor and great texture to this cake roll.
• Perfect for summer – While you could make this any time of year, it’s truly perfect for summer. It has a lovely simplicity to it and the light flavor of the vanilla, cream and berries together is so refreshing.

Ingredients and Substitutions

Here’s what you’ll need to make this berry vanilla cake roll recipe. Be sure to scroll to the recipe card below for precise measurements.

• Sugar – Used in both the berry filling in the cake, this adds sweetness, of course. It also adds some volume to the filling and moisture to the cake. I highly recommend you don’t reduce it.
• Cornstarch – To thicken the berry filling.
• Fresh lemon juice – To help bring out the flavor of the berries in the filling. I always recommend fresh lemon juice.
• Berries – I personally like using fresh berries. I think you’ll get the best flavor that way. That said, you can use frozen ones. Just try to drain some of the excess liquid. Frozen berries often have water added to them and you don’t want that to water down the flavor of your filling.
• All-purpose flour – Be sure to measure it correctly. I always recommend and use a food scale, but without one, the spoon and level method is best.
• Baking powder – For the best rise and texture in this cake.
• Salt – Don’t forget the salt! Without it, your cake will turn out bland.
• Eggs – You’ll need large eggs, not medium or extra large. You’ll need to separate the whites and yolks. It’s easiest to separate them when cold, but egg whites tend to whip up a little better at room temperature. So if you have time, separate them, then let them come to room temperature.
• Sour cream – If you don’t have sour cream available, you could try plain yogurt. I didn’t test it myself, but it should produce similar results.
• Heavy Whipping Cream – Be sure to use heavy cream or heavy whipping cream. The fat is needed for a properly whipped cream. You also want it to be nice and cold, so that it whips properly.
• Powdered Sugar – This adds a bit of sweetness to the whipped cream and helps to stabilize it.
• Mascarpone Cheese – This gives the whipped cream such amazing flavor. If you don’t have mascarpone cheese available, you could use cream cheese, which would need to me at room temperature.

How to Make This Berry Vanilla Cake Roll

Here’s a quick look at how to turn this easy berry vanilla cake roll recipe into a mouthwatering reality. Check out the recipe card below for more detailed instructions.

Make the Berry Filling

• Add to pan. Combine the sugar and cornstarch and whisk together. Add the water and lemon juice and stir together.
• Cook and mash berries. Heat until the sugar begins to melt, then add the berries. Cook until the berries start to soften and let out juices. Use your spatula to mash the berries a bit.
• Thicken sauce. Continue to cook. Remove from heat when juices have begun to thicken, about 3-4 minutes. Pour the mixture into another bowl and refrigerate until cool. Mixture will thicken as it cools.

Make the Vanilla Cake Roll

• Prep. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 17×12-inch jelly roll sheet pan with parchment paper.
• Combine dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium bowl and set aside.
• Combine wet ingredients. In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks and sugar and whisk together until well combined. Add the sour cream, then the melted butter and vanilla extract.
• Combine wet and dry. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and gently whisk together until well combined. Mixture might be little lumpy.

• Whip, then fold. Add the egg whites to a large mixer bowl and whip on high speed until stiff peaks form. Gently fold about 1/3 of the whipped egg whites into the batter to loosen up the batter. Add the remaining egg whites and gently fold together until well combined.
• Bake. Add the cake batter to the prepared pan and bake for 10-12 minutes.

• Roll. Remove the cake from the oven and lift the cake out of the pan using the parchment paper. While the cake is hot, use the parchment paper the cake was baked in and carefully roll the cake up.
• Cool. Allow the cake to cool completely before filling, or the whipped cream filling will melt.

Make the Whipped Cream and Assemble

• Whip. Add the heavy whipping cream, powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt to a large mixer bowl and whip on high speed until the cream begins to thicken. Add the mascarpone cheese to the whipped cream and whip on low speed until stiff peaks form. It will happen fairly quickly.
• Unroll and add berry filling. Unroll the cake roll very carefully and spread the berry filling onto the unrolled cake.

• Add whipped cream filling. Pipe the whipped cream on top of the berry filling and then gently spread, as needed, to create a full and even layer.
• Re-roll and refrigerate. Roll the cake roll back up without the parchment paper. Wrap the cake roll up in plastic wrap with the seam side down and refrigerate for at least an hour to firm up.

• Decorate. Remove cake roll from the plastic wrap and place it on a serving platter. Dust the top with additional powdered sugar, then decorate as desired with whipped cream and fresh berries.

Pro Tips

• Right filling consistency – You don’t want your berry filling to be too thin or too thick, so keep in mind that it will thicken as is cools and don’t over cook it. When you can drag your spatula along the bottom middle of the pan, the filling should slowly come back together. There’s no need to boil it.
• Measure your flour correctly – If you add too much flour, your cake will be dry and overly dense. I always recommend a food scale, but the spoon and level method works as well.
• Mascarpone cheese temperature – The most important thing to keep in mind with the mascarpone cheese is that you don’t need to let it come to room temperature. It could actually end up too warm and become watery. I usually take it out of the fridge 5-10 minutes before using it, give it a stir and then use it. It’s naturally very creamy and once it becomes watery and too soft, it doesn’t firm back up properly.
• Cool before filling – Be sure the cake roll is fully cooled before adding the fillings. If it’s too warm, it’ll melt the whipped cream.
• Fill sooner rather than later – You want the cake to cool fully before filling it, but don’t let the fully cooled cake roll sit too long before filling it. The longer is sits, the more “set” the shape becomes and the more likely it is to crack when un-rolling it. You definitely don’t want to let the cake roll sit overnight before filling.
• Prep ahead. If you’d like to prep this ahead, you can. It holds up well. You can make the berry filling a few days ahead. Then the cake can be baked and filled and left to firm up in the fridge overnight. Then you can decorate it prior to serving.

Parchment Paper versus Hand Towel

Many cake rolls use hand towels and lots of powdered sugar for rolling up the cake. I personally prefer parchment paper. It’s naturally non-stick and isn’t nearly as messy. Plus, there’s no laundry afterwards. That said, feel free to use a hand towel, if you prefer.

How to Keep the Cake Roll from Cracking

• Roll the cake while it’s still hot. When your cake comes out of the oven, you’re going to go ahead and roll it while hot, starting at one of the shorter ends. This helps it to “form” to the shape you need it in. Rolling it while cool will lead to cracks.
• Unroll the cake roll slowly and gently. You want to be very careful and gentle while unrolling the cake roll. Work slowly, gently lifting the parchment paper to allow the cake to release from the parchment paper before rolling backwards.
• Unroll and re-roll a few times during cooling. I like to unroll and re-roll the cake a few times during cooling to help it keep it’s elasticity. I first unroll it after about 5 minutes, then after another 5 minutes, and again after another 10 minutes. From there, I might roll it out 2-3 more times after another 15 minutes or so. It should take about an hour to an hour and a half to cool completely, depending on the temperature of your home.

How to Store

Store the finished berry vanilla cake roll well-covered in the fridge. It’s best if eaten within 3-4 days. I didn’t experiment with freezing it, but it should freeze fine. The berry filling may just be a bit softer after thawing. I recommend freezing it prior to decorating it, then thawing it in the fridge before decorating and serving.

More Great Berry Recipes

• Strawberry Shortcake Cake
• Triple Berry Trifle
• Berry Mascarpone Layer Cake
• Berry Custard Trifles in a Jar
• Strawberry Cream Pie
• Fruit Pizza

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