The recipe for a Japanese fruit roll cake is what I am going to present today. In addition, you will find a lot of tips and tricks for it to turn out perfectly. At the end you will find ten recipes for different sponge rolls. Yes, I have more than ten recipes for sponge rolls on my blog, this shows how much I love them. They come together quickly, don’t need a lot of time in the oven and they have this airy and light feel to it. On top of that there is an endless variety of what you can fill them with. In Argentina and Uruguay it is even common to fill the roll with savory ingredients. The main recipe below shows a Japanese fruit roll cake, it is filled with lightly sweetened whipped cream and some fresh fruits. It can be served in about 45 minutes from start to finish and is perfect for drinking with a cup of tea or coffee.

As my blog article twelve tips for perfect sponge batter remains among the top ten to this present day, I decided to give you some more tips for making a sponge ROLL. A sponge roll has some particularities, which don’t exist for a cake layer. So let’s have a look at it.

#1 Unlike a sponge cake, the roll should be more elastic and flexible

Relax, you don’t need to worry that your roll will crack once you roll it. In order for this not to happen, keep a few points in mind. This already starts with the batter.

#2 For this usually butter or oil is added

I usually get best results if I beat egg whites and egg yolks separately. If you are interested in this part, check this blog article. As it is so vital that your roll is stable and flexible, usually butter or oil is added, see rcipe below. Adding melted, yet slightly cooled butter is definiteyl surperior as butter tastes amazing. However, having the butter at the right temperature can be tricky. This should be around 45 degrees Celsius. I usually just play by ear and wait a little before I add the melted butter to the batter. But this can be tricky, if the butter still is too hot, this means that your cake may sink or doesn’t turn out. If you have never made a sponge cake or sponge roll, I would recommend trying recipe with oil, which also tastes great. If you don’t mind melting butter and waiting a bit for it to cool off, go with melted butter, it carries more flavor than oil.

#3 Use the recipe of 4, this will fill a full baking sheet

The recipe of four is easy to remember, four ingredients and of each 4 or 40. 4 eggs, 40 grams of cake flour, 40 grams of butter and 40 grams of sugar (twice). This is the recipe I use below and it is enough to full a standard baking sheet. The advantage is that you can spread the batter fully to the rim and don’t need to worry about a smaller pan size. Usually you should be able to get about 8 large slices of cake, if rolling up from the short end. If rolling up from the long end, even more.

#4 Line the baking sheet with parchment paper

I have tried many things, but the best way to get the roll off is using parchment paper, you can normally peel it off. while it still is warm.

#5 Keep an eye on the roll when baking

On average a roll needs between 10-15 minutes in the oven. I would recommend setting a timer for 10 minutes and watch your roll without opening the oven door. If it looks golden, it is ready to be taken out. Mine usually needs between 10-12 minutes, even if using the same recipe, you really need to keep watch.

#6 Flip the hot roll onto a kitchen towel and spray the parchment paper with water

One of the most important to remember is to roll the roll while it still is warm, otherwise it will crack easily. So what I do is that I carefully release any edges that somehow got stuck to the baking sheet, take the corners of the parchment paper with my finger tips and then flip it onto a kitchen towel. Now immediately spray the parchment paper with water and wait a little bit.

#7 Remove the parchment paper immediately and roll up with the kitchen towel

Now try to peel off the parchment paper while the roll is still warm. Once done, immediately roll up the sponge roll inside of the kitchen towel and let it cool off like that. This usually only takes between 10-15 minutes, so you can use this waiting time to make the filling.

Credit: Just one cookbook

Print Recipe

Japanese Fruit Roll

Prep Time: 30min – Cooking Time: 15min – Total Time: 45min

This Japanese fruit roll cake is filled with whipped cream and fresh fruits. It is a light and airy dessert.

Ingredients

• Sponge Roll
• 40 grams of butter
• 4 eggs, divided
• 40g + 40 grams of regular sugar
• Optional: 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 40 grams of cake flour
• 
  
• Filling
• 180 grams of heavy cream
• 20 grams of regular sugar
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• Three fruits of your choice, best is with three different colors
• Optional: Icing sugar for dusting

Instructions

1

For the sponge roll line a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Melt the butter and set aside, divide the egg whites and egg yolks into two separate big bowls. Weigh 40 grams of sugar into a small bowl and the 40 grams of flour as well.

2

Now beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form, then add the sugar, beat on high until you have stiff peaks and it looks glossy. Weigh another 40 grams of sugar and add to the egg yolks, also add vanilla extract. Then, without cleaning the beaters, beat the egg yolks on high for a few minutes until lighter in color and thicker in consistency. Sieve the flour on top, mix in briefly, add the melted butter and beat again. Now add the merinuge in three steps, using a folding motion with a spatula. Try not to take out any air. Once combined, spread evenly on the baking sheet and bake for 10-15min or until golden, do not open the oven door. Once done, flip on a kitchen towel, the parchment paper facing upwards. I usually grab the roll with my fingertips and then flip it, it is not as hard as it seems. Spray the parchment paper with a bit of water, then peel off. Roll the roll from the short side inside the kitchen towel while still warm and let cool off in the towel.

3

Meanwhile for the filling whip the cream, sugar, and vanilla extract until stiff. Wash, peel and cube the fruits if necessary. Best is, if you cut them in a way so that they have an even side.

4

Unroll the roll, spread the whipped cream evenly, then create three rows with fruits, leaving some space in between (see pictures). Then roll, the seam facing downwards and transfer to a long plate. Cover tightly and chill until further use. You can chill overnight. If always chilled and covered airtight, it will keep for a few days.

Further Sponge Roll Recipes

Rolls with Berries

Pictured from left to right: #1 strawberry cream roll, #2 strawberry roll, #3 raspberry roll, 4. raspberry cream roll, and #5 blueberry roll

Fruity and other sponge rolls

From left to right: #1 lemon roll, 2. cranberry orange roll, #3 mango roll, #4 tiramisu roll and #5 pumpkin apple roll