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Could there be a prettier dessert? It’s a Strawberry Shortcake Cake Roll filled with fresh strawberries and an easy cream cheese whipped cream!
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Do you ever get bored at work? Me too, even though I get to work with sugar and dessert all day. You’d think every day was a party, and most of the time it is, but lately? Not so much.
Here’s the dirty side of food blogging: this job is not just all about making recipes. That’s the fun part! So is the photography, and really, even the editing photos and writing. That’s the part I love, the part I get up early every morning looking forward to. No, it’s the other side of blogging that’s got me down recently: social media, the business side, taxes, competition, dealing with all the other things that are so business-y and NOT fun.
Sometimes I just want to stomp my foot and say, “I just want to bake pie gosh darn it all! Forget all that other stuff!!!”
Then my accountant calls and well, it’s back to quickbooks I go.
In these times where I just can’t stand the dirty underbelly of blogging, I get back into the kitchen. In fact, after I finish writing this post I’m going to go spend 2 days baking for a friend’s 40th birthday party tomorrow night. I’m doing a full dessert table (sans unmentionable cookies) and get this: the birthday girl LOVES PEANUT BUTTER AND CHOCOLATE. That kind of makes my life, you know: creating recipes for that kind of dessert table.
This Strawberry Shortcake Cake Roll? It was inspired by that birthday party I did last month. That friend loves fruit in her dessert, so I did a whole selection of fruity things (including mini fruit crisps). Her cake was a vanilla cake (made with my perfect vanilla cupcake recipe) and I filled with with fresh berries and did a whipped cream frosting. Everyone kept saying how good it was and I was all, whatever, and then I had a slice and I was all, damn I’m good.
That cake reminded me of those grocery store cakes my mom used to buy for birthdays when I was a kid. As a general rule, my family hates fruit in dessert but we always made an exception for those strawberry shortcake sheet cakes full of fresh berries, white cake, and fresh whipped cream.
I immediately knew I was going to recreate that cake, but I didn’t want to do a traditional layer cake. Instead, I went the route I always go: a cake roll.
This Strawberry Shortcake Cake Roll recipe is one of my favorite cake rolls to date! It starts with a fluffy vanilla cake made in a jelly roll pan. It’s an easy recipe you can make with a hand or a stand mixer. Like all my cake roll recipes, I roll it while it’s hot. (Sing to yourself: roll it while it’s hot, yeah, roll it while it’s hot…)
You fill it with fresh chopped strawberries and the BEST WHIPPED CREAM I’ve ever eaten.
You guys, if you remember ONE thing about this recipe, it’s the WHIPPED CREAM FROSTING. This recipe will be good on ANY cake or cupcake or pie. And it’s totally stable – it’ll last for days in your refrigerator in a tupperware.
What’s the secret? Cream cheese and granulated sugar. I know, right? You make the whipped cream like you’re making a no-bake cheesecake, and you mix in the heaving whipping cream in liquid form, and let it beat up to whipped cream after you’ve already mixed in the cream cheese.
It’s the PERFECT all-purpose cake frosting!
How to Make A Strawberry Shortcake Cake Roll
Let’s talk about the recipe:
If you’ve never made a cake roll before, don’t fret. It’s EASY! Check out this post for a video tutorial, this post for a photo tutorial, and this post for my general cake roll rules.
In the cake recipe, you’ll notice I mention times for mixing the eggs and sugar. Don’t skip those steps – the eggs need to be mixed for 5 minutes and the eggs and sugar for another 2. This ensures a light and fluffy cake.
Roll it while it’s hot.
The whipped cream is a MUST make. It’s a total keeper recipe; you’ll want it on everything! And you can make it ahead and keep it in a sealed container for up to a day or two before making the cake.
You can make the cake up to 1 day ahead and wrap it (rolled in the towel) in plastic wrap. I suggest filling it with berries the day you’re serving it. Strawberries tend to weep after a day or so and the cake might get a bit runny.
This Strawberry Shortcake Cake Roll is the perfect Easter or spring/summer recipe. We loved it and I hope you do too!
Strawberry Shortcake Cake Roll
Recipe Video
Ingredients
For the Cake:
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup all purpose flour
- Powdered sugar to aid in rolling
For the Filling and Topping:
- 8 ounces Challenge cream cheese softened
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups cold heavy whipping cream
- 1 pound fresh strawberries plus more for topping, if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 10x15” or 10.5x15” cake/jelly roll pan with foil and spray with floured nonstick cooking spray.
- Place eggs in a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer. Beat at medium speed with mixer for 5 minutes until foamy and yellow. Add sugar and mix for 2 more minutes, until the mixture is thickened slightly. Mix in oil, baking powder, salt, and vanilla, then add flour and mix slowly until just combined. Pour into prepared pan, spreading as needed with a spatula. Tap the pan twice on the counter to release air bubbles, then bake for 10-15 minutes, or until the top is browned and the cake springs back when touched lightly. (Mine took 12 minutes, but all ovens differ.)
- While the cake is baking, lay out a clean kitchen towel onto the counter. Spread with about 1/4 cup powdered sugar.
- Remove the hot cake from the oven and carefully, using oven mitts so you don’t burn yourself, flip the cake onto the towel. This might make a mess, but that’s okay. Carefully remove the pan and foil (they’re hot!) and then, using the towel, roll up the cake from the short side. The towel will be rolled into the cake. Let this cool completely before continuing.
- Note: you can wrap the cooled cake in plastic wrap and let it sit overnight before finishing.
- Make the filling: place cream cheese and sugar in a large bowl or the bowl of an electric mixer. Use mixer to beat the cream cheese and sugar until it’s smooth and fluffy, then beat in vanilla. Slowly add the heavy whipping cream, then turn the mixer up to high and beat until stiff peaks form.
- To fill cake: wash and dry the berries very well. Slice about 3/4 of the pound into small pieces, then pat the pieces dry. Carefully unroll the cake. Spread with some of the whipped cream mixture and top with the chopped strawberries. Carefully roll the cake back up as tight as possible, unsticking it from the towel as you go. Wrap the cake roll in plastic wrap and chill until ready to top and serve.
- To serve: frost with remaining whipped cream and remaining berries. I used a 1M tip to create roses all over the cake, but you can just frost it if you wish.
- This cake is best eaten the day it is made, because of the fresh berries. It will last, fully made, overnight in the refrigerator (wrap it loosely) but the berries might weep a bit.
Recipe Nutrition
No Bake Strawberry Shortcake Dessert
Sweets from friends:
Red Velvet Strawberry Shortcake by i am baker
Easy Strawberry Shortcake by Cook Crave Inspire by Spend with Pennies
Strawberry Shortcake Tiramisu by The Slow Roasted Italian
I’m trying this today looks so delicious
Can I freeze the strawberry shortcake cake roll?
This is one I wouldn’t freeze once it’s assembled. You can make the cake and freeze it (rolled in the towel) before filling, but with all the berries and cream it might not thaw well.
I made this delicious cake a week ago and everyone went nuts, or should I say crazy 😜 over how pretty and scrumptious it was. My question is have you made this with gluten-free flour. I have a friend with a birthday coming up soon and I’d love to make this for her and she’s gluten-free.
I have not tried a cake roll with GF flour. If you try it let me know – I’ll add that to my list of things to test!
I’ve made it GF…lots of times…it just requires more tender care and powdered sugar when rolling and unrolling. Lol!
You can make it GF. I used King Arthur Gluten Free baking mix. It was excellent!
I’ve made this many time! In fact, have the cake portion cooling in my refrigerator waiting for the filling right now (using it for a dinner with friends tonight!)
Just wondering if anyone has tried making this with other fruits: blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and if so, how did they turn out?
Love your delicious recipes 👍😋
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