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A slice of fluffy yellow Swiss roll cake filled with whipped cream, a strawberry, a green grape, and a piece of orange sits on a white plate with a gold fork. Whole strawberries and another cake slice are in the background.

Japanese Fruit Roll Cake

by Namiko Hirasawa Chen
Light and fluffy sponge cake filled with fresh whipped cream and colorful fruit, this Japanese Fruit Roll Cake makes an elegant dessert for any occasion. Follow my step-by-step instructions to make this cheerful showstopper at home.
Prep: 1 hour
Cook: 10 minutes
Chilling: 1 hour
Total: 1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2½ Tbsp unsalted butter
  • 4 large egg yolks
  • 3 Tbsp sugar
  • ⅓ cup cake flour (weigh for accuracy; click the Metric button above for weights; or learn how to measure flour with a measuring cup; visit my cake flour page to make it at home)

For the Meringue

  • 4 large egg whites (chilled until partially frozen)
  • 3 Tbsp sugar

For the Filling

  • fruit of your choice (I used 12 seedless Shine Muscat grapes, 10 strawberries, and half of 1 orange)
  • ¾ cup heavy (whipping) cream (cold; 36% or more milkfat)
  • 2 Tbsp sugar
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Before You Start: I encourage you to weigh your ingredients using a kitchen scale. For weights, click the Metric button above to convert the measurements to metric. If you don't have a scale, here's how to measure flour with a measuring cup to avoid scooping too much: Fluff the flour with a spoon, sprinkle it into the cup, and level it off.
    Gather all the ingredients.
    Nami's Tip: If it takes you a long time to cut fruit, consider cutting it ahead of time, as we can't let the cake cool for too long.
    A top-down view of baking ingredients on a wooden surface, including bowls of sugar, flour, butter, eggs in a carton, milk in a jug, strawberries, green grapes, and an orange.
  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). For a convection oven, reduce the cooking temperature by 25°F (15°C). Start boiling a kettle of water.
    Line a 15 x 10-inch (38 x 25 cm) jelly roll pan with parchment paper so it fits snugly in the corners and on the bottom. Leave some overhang on the edges so the paper is easy to peel off later.
    Two images: the left shows a corner of parchment paper folded on a wooden surface; the right shows parchment paper neatly lining a rectangular baking tray on the same wooden surface.

To Mix the Yolks and Butter

  • Place 2½ Tbsp unsalted butter in a small microwave-safe bowl and warm it in the microwave until soft and liquid.
    Side-by-side images of a microwave: on the left, a glass bowl with solid butter; on the right, the same bowl with the butter melted into liquid.
  • Do not let it cool. To keep it warm, add about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of hot water (140°F/60°C) to a slightly larger bowl, then set the butter bowl on top to nest in the water.
    Two side-by-side images: on the left, a hand pours a small bowl of melted butter into a clear glass bowl; on the right, the glass bowl now contains the melted butter on a wooden surface.
  • Separate the yolks and whites of 4 large eggs, if you haven't already. Add 4 large egg whites to a clean, dry stand mixer bowl, then place the bowl in the freezer until the whites are partially frozen (just slightly icy), about 15–20 minutes.
    A hand separates an egg yolk from the white over a bowl; next to it, bowls hold several yolks and whites, with eggshells and whole eggs nearby on a wooden surface.
  • In a separate medium bowl, lightly beat 4 large egg yolks with a whisk. Add 3 Tbsp sugar and mix well.
    Nami’s Tip: Don’t let the sugar sit on yolks—whisk it right away. Sugar pulls water out of the yolks, forming grainy, yellow lumps that don't dissolve, resulting in a denser cake with tiny specks in the sponge.
    Three-step collage of whisking egg yolks in a glass bowl: first plain yolks, then mid-whisk, and finally whisked yolks with sugar being added from a bowl. All bowls are on a wooden surface.
  • To create a double boiler, pour about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of hot water (140°F/60°C) into a larger bowl. Set the bowl with the yolk mixture on top. Stir until the sugar dissolves, then whisk vigorously until the mixture is pale, slightly thick, and falls in ribbons from the whisk.
    Nami’s Tip: Warming the yolks helps dissolve the sugar, traps tiny air bubbles, and loosens the yolks so your sponge cake bakes up lighter, smoother, and more flexible for rolling.
    A four-step process of whisking eggs in a glass bowl: the first image shows an empty bowl; the next three show eggs being gradually whisked, becoming smooth and pale yellow.
  • This is the ribbon stage. The yolk mixture should reach about 100°F (40°C). Add the warm melted butter all at once and whisk until thoroughly combined. Remove the bowl from the double boiler.
    A sequence of three images shows a person whisking a thick yellow mixture in a glass bowl and gradually adding liquid, with the mixture becoming smoother and more blended in each step.

To Make the Meringue

  • Set the bowl with the partially frozen egg whites in a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or use a mixing bowl and handheld electric mixer). Start mixing on low speed (Speed 2), then gradually increase to medium speed (Speed 4) until egg whites become foamy.
    Nami's Tip: Partially freezing egg whites helps them whip faster and create finer, more stable bubbles, resulting in a smoother, fluffier meringue.
    A collage of three images showing a stand mixer with egg whites being whipped. The first shows the eggs in the bowl, the second shows the mixer’s speed dial, and the third shows the eggs beginning to foam.
  • Switch to medium-high speed (Speed 6) and gradually add 3 Tbsp sugar in three additions, beating well after each until incorporated.
    Three-panel image showing sugar being poured into a stand mixer with eggs, a close-up of the mixer’s control panel, and the eggs and sugar being whisked together in the mixing bowl.
  • Sprinkle in the last addition and continue whipping until stiff peaks form. To check, lift the whisk—the meringue should hold a peak that stands straight up or bends slightly at the tip and looks glossy. Lower the speed to "Stir" for a few seconds to smooth the texture.
    Three images show a stand mixer whipping egg whites: first with sugar being added, then forming soft peaks, and finally reaching stiff, glossy peaks in the metal mixing bowl.

To Fold the Batter

  • Add one-quarter of the meringue to the yolk mixture and gently fold it in with a whisk until incorporated.
    Three-panel image showing egg white foam being added to yellow batter, then whisked in, and finally the mixture becoming lighter and well-blended as whisking continues in a glass bowl.
  • Sift ⅓ cup cake flour through a fine-mesh sieve into the bowl of batter. Gently mix with the whisk until the flour is incorporated and no dry spots remain.
    A sequence of three photos: flour is sifted into a bowl, then mixed with a yellow batter using a whisk, and finally the batter becomes smooth and uniform as it is whisked.
  • Gently fold the remaining meringue into the batter with a silicone spatula, using a cutting-and-folding motion until no streaks remain.
    Nami's Tip: Rotate the bowl one-quarter turn counterclockwise while scooping and folding clockwise until just incorporated.
    Three photos show a person folding fluffy beaten egg whites into a yellow batter in a glass bowl, gradually creating a smooth, airy mixture using a spatula.

To Bake

  • Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly with a pastry card or offset spatula.
    A collage shows cake batter being poured onto a parchment-lined baking tray on the left, and spread evenly with a spatula on the right.
  • Work it into the corners and smooth out the top. Be careful not to overwork the batter, as this can deflate the air bubbles.
    Two images show a rectangular baking pan lined with parchment paper and sponge cake batter. In the left image, a hand uses a spatula to spread the batter evenly. The right image shows the leveled batter, ready to bake.
  • Bake in the preheated oven at 350°F (180°C) for 10–12 minutes, until edges are lightly golden and top is firm to the touch, springing back when gently pressed.
    Nami's Tip: Adjust the baking time as needed for your oven. Since every oven heats differently, start checking around the 9-minute mark.
    Side-by-side images show a baking sheet with parchment paper in the oven; left: with raw batter, right: with the baked, lightly golden cake.
  • Remove the pan from the oven and tap it a few times on the counter to release any steam.
    Two-panel image: A person wearing oven mitts and a blue apron with a pink bow holds a baking tray lined with parchment paper and filled with a baked yellow cake. The second panel shows the tray resting on a wooden surface.

To Unmold the Cake

  • While the pan is hot, pull the shorter side of the parchment overhang to slide the sponge cake onto a wire rack. Let it cool slightly.
    When the surface feels dry to the touch and no warm air comes off the cake, place a new sheet of parchment paper on top.
    A person places and peels parchment paper on a rectangular sheet cake cooling on a wire rack, showing steps in handling baked cake layers.
  • Place another rack over the cake and flip it over so the bottom of the cake faces up. Carefully peel off the parchment paper. Avoid pulling from one corner only, as the cake may tear near the end. Instead, gently loosen the paper from each corner toward the center.
    Cover loosely with parchment or a clean kitchen towel to keep it from drying. Do not overcool or refrigerate—the sponge cake cracks more easily when cold.
    Two side-by-side photos: On the left, a person flips a cake on a wire rack; on the right, the same person peels parchment paper off a thin yellow cake on parchment paper.

To Prepare the Fruit

  • While the cake is cooling, prepare the fruit of your choice; here's how to prepare strawberries, grapes, and an orange. Cut off the tops and tips of 10 strawberries to create flat surfaces. Line them up end to end so the cut surfaces touch. You will need about 10 inches of strawberries.
    Nami's Tip: Flat-cut surfaces help the fruit line up straight without gaps to create a beautiful cross section when you slice the cake.
    Close-up of hands slicing strawberries on a wooden cutting board. The left side shows a hand cutting the berry, while the right side shows several neatly sliced strawberry pieces in a row.
  • Likewise, cut off both ends of 12 Muscat grapes. Line them up end to end so the cut sides touch. You will need about 10 inches of grapes.
    Nami's Tip: Place a paper towel underneath to absorb excess moisture.
    A hand slices green grapes on a wooden cutting board; next to it, halved strawberries and grapes are neatly lined up on a paper towel in a metal tray.
  • Cut off and discard both ends of 1 orange. Then, remove the peel with a knife. Cut out the orange segments, leaving the membranes behind. Line them up end to end. You will need about 10 inches of orange segments (I used half an orange).
    A three-panel image showing hands slicing an orange, cutting it into wedges, and rows of strawberries, green grapes, and orange slices lined up on a towel.

To Make the Whipped Cream

  • When the cake is completely cool, combine ¾ cup heavy (whipping) cream and 2 Tbsp sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer.
    Nami's Tip: Chill the bowl and whisk for 10 minutes. Cold cream whips faster and holds peaks better.
    A collage showing two steps: on the left, milk being poured into a stand mixer bowl; on the right, a hand adding a bowl of sugar to the same bowl with milk, under a wire whisk attachment.
  • Beat on high (Speed 8–10) until firm and spreadable, so it won’t ooze out of the cake when you're rolling it up.
    Three side-by-side photos show a stand mixer whipping cream from a liquid state to soft peaks, then to stiff peaks, with the whipped cream becoming thicker and fluffier in each stage.

To Assemble the Fruit Roll Cake

  • When the filling is ready, place a slightly damp towel or nonstick silicone baking mat under the parchment paper with the cake on top. This will help prevent the paper from slipping.
    Using a sharp knife, diagonally trim about ½ inch (1.3 cm) off one short end of the cake to reduce overlap when rolling.
    Two images side by side show hands using a large knife to trim the edges of a rectangular yellow sponge cake resting on parchment paper and a silicone baking mat.
  • Using an offset spatula, spread a thin layer of whipped cream to within ½ inch (1.3 cm) of the cake's edges. Spread it thicker at the front (starting short edge) and thinner toward the sides and back (ending edge). This helps prevent the cream from shifting when you roll.
    A person spreads a layer of white cream filling over a rectangular yellow sponge cake using an offset spatula on a baking mat.
  • Arrange the fruit in three rows. Line up the strawberries about 1 inch away from the cake's front edge. Next, arrange a row of grapes ½ inch behind the berries and the orange segments about 1 inch behind the grapes. Press the fruit gently into the cream.
    Nami's Tip: Place firm fruits, like strawberries or bananas, at the front of the roll to help form the core.
    A person arranges halved strawberries on a rectangular cake covered with whipped cream, next to rows of green grapes and orange slices.
  • Starting at the strawberry edge, use the parchment to lift and roll the cake over the filling.
    Two images showing hands rolling a sheet cake with whipped cream topped with rows of strawberries, green grapes, and orange slices using parchment paper.
  • Make a small, tight roll, ending seam side down. If there are any gaps or excess cream on the sides, smooth them out with an offset spatula. Using a long ruler, tuck the top sheet of parchment under the roll, then continue rolling it tightly in the remaining parchment to secure the shape and keep the filling inside.
    Two side-by-side images show hands rolling a sheet cake with parchment paper. The left image has arrows and text indicating to tuck in the edge, while the right image shows the rolling process continuing.
  • Fold both ends closed, then wrap the roll cake in a kitchen towel. Chill in the fridge with the cake's seam side down for at least 1 hour to firm up.
    Nami's Tip: Mark the seam side so you know which side should rest face down in the fridge.
    Two images side by side show hands rolling a yellow cake sponge in a striped kitchen towel on a red and tan baking mat, preparing it to cool and keep its shape.

To Serve

  • Unwrap the roll cake. For a pretty presentation, slice ½ inch (1.3 cm) from both ends to show the beautiful swirls.
    A person in a blue apron with a red tie wraps a rolled cake in parchment paper using a striped kitchen towel on a wooden surface.
  • Use a warm knife to slice neat pieces, wiping it clean between cuts (dip in hot water and dry). Transfer to dessert plates and serve.
    A hand slices a yellow sponge cake roll on parchment paper; next to it, a plated slice shows cream, a strawberry, an orange segment, and a grape inside the roll, with tea cups and more slices in the background.

To Store

  • Wrap leftovers tightly in plastic wrap, store in an airtight container, and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2–3 days. Fruit roll cake does not freeze well. When frozen and thawed, the fruit releases moisture, which can make the whole cake watery.
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