This raspberry roll cake is made with moist chocolate sponge cake, decadent cream, and fresh raspberries. Nail the shape with a simple kitchen trick!

This raspberry roll cake is like chocolate-covered fruit in cake form. The rich, chocolate sponge cake is perfectly balanced by the tart and tangy fresh raspberries. I love making it for my hubby on Valentine’s Day because it’s just so darn romantic!
Roll cakes might look super technical to make, but they’re actually quite simple to assemble. With a little kitchen trick to nail the shape, you’ll impress your guests with such a pretty presentation, while also expanding your skills in the kitchen. Learning that tastes delicious…what’s not to love?!
How Do You Form a Perfect Roll Cake?
Here’s a foolproof technique to getting a perfect spiral cake that anyone can master.
- Once the cake comes out of the oven, immediately place a clean kitchen towel over it.
- Grab the bottom of the parchment paper or silicone baking mat on the short side and begin to roll the cake up with the towel, gently folding it as you go.
- Place the cake seam side down on the counter and allow it to cool completely before you unravel and frost it. If you rush to unroll before it’s cooled, it will stick to the towel and break apart.
How to Make Raspberry Roll Cake
Making this raspberry roll cake requires under 10 ingredients and just a little technical skill. Below, find a rundown of the recipe before you get to baking.
- Make the Cake Batter: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until the mixture doubles in volume. In a separate bowl, use a fine-mesh sieve to sift the flour and cacao together. In thirds, fold in the flour to the egg mixture with a spatula.
- Bake & Roll the Sponge Cake: Spread the batter onto a lined rimmed baking sheet or jelly roll pan and bake for 12 minutes. Place a kitchen towel over the cake and roll it up short-side first. Place it seam side down and allow it to cool at room temperature.
- Make the Cake Cream: Unroll the cake and spread the mashed raspberries over it. While the raspberries are soaking into the cake, beat the confectioner’s sugar, cacao, and cold heavy whipping cream together until stiff peaks form. Spread a thick layer of the cream over the fresh raspberries.
- Assemble the Cake: Roll the cake back up and use the remaining cream to frost the outside. Decorate the cake with fresh raspberries, chocolate ganache, and a dusting of cacao. Refrigerate until you’re ready to enjoy!






Tips & Tricks
Here you’ll find a handful of tips and tricks to help you nail this raspberry roll cake recipe.
- Allow the roll cake to cool completely before unraveling it. To prevent the roll cake from sticking to the towel and breaking apart, allow it to cool completely at room temperature before you attempt to unravel it.
- Use a silicone baking mat. A silicone baking mat will not only save you money on parchment paper, but it will also make it so much easier to roll the cake up. It’s sturdier and easier to grip.
- Use extra cold heavy whipping cream. Extra cold heavy whipping cream makes for the fluffiest cake cream. Why? Cold dairy emulsifies better. If you have to, stick the heavy whipping cream in the freezer for 5 minutes before you whip it.
- Keep the cake refrigerated. Keep the cake refrigerated until you’re ready to serve it. This will help it continue to develop its flavor, while also making it more sturdy.

Storage Tips
Whether you have a portion of your cake to store in the refrigerator or want to freeze it whole, find all the top storage tips here.
- Refrigerator: The best way to store leftover roll cake is in an airtight cake container in the fridge. This will keep it from soaking up any lingering smells in your refrigerator, while also preventing it from getting damaged in between snacking. It should stay fresh for up to a week.
- Freezer: If you don’t plan to eat the roll cake within a week, freeze it whole. To do so, place the cake on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and pop the sheet in the freezer uncovered. Once completely frozen, wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap and store it for up to 1 month. To thaw, place it in the fridge overnight.
FAQ
Can I use jam instead of fresh raspberries?
You can use raspberry jam instead of fresh raspberries, but the flavor will be a bit different and slightly sweeter.
Can I use this same batter to make a cake versus a roll?
Yes, the same batter can be used to make a traditional cake versus a roll. Swap out the baking sheet for a round cake pan and you’re set!
Why does this cake not call for baking powder or baking soda?
This roll cake doesn’t call for any baking powder or baking soda because the eggs make it ultra fluffy.
Can I freeze this cake whole?
Yes, this roll cake is perfect for freezing and can be kept on hand for up to 1 month.
How long does this roll cake last in the fridge?
This raspberry roll cake lasts up to a week when stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
More Decadent Chocolate Cakes
- Cake Prague – Coffee-spiked cake with chocolate ganache
- Ferrero Rocher Cake Roll – Chocolate and hazelnut cake
- Zebra Cake Recipe – Kid-friendly marble cake
- Drunken Cherry Cake (Classic Recipe) – Chocolate and cherry liqueur cake
Recipe
Ingredients
- 6 eggs, room temperature
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 cup flour
- 4 tbsp cacao powder
- 3 cups mashed raspberries
Cream
- 1/2 qt heavy whipped cream extra cold
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 3 tbsp cacao powder
Decoration
- 1 cup fresh raspberries
Instructions
Cake Roll
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Prepare ingredients for the cake.
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar together until the mixture doubles in volume.
- In a separate bowl, sift the flour and cacao together.
- In thirds, fold the flour into the egg mixture with a spatula just until well-combined. Be extra careful not to over mix the dough.
- Spread the dough onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat (10" X 15" is a perfect size). Bake for 12 minutes.
- Remove the cake from the oven and place a kitchen towel over it. Starting with the shorter side, roll up the cake into a spiral.
- Let the roll cool completely at room temperature.
Filling & Topping
- Unroll the cake and discard the parchment paper. Spread the mashed raspberries over the cake and let them soak into the cake while you work on the cream.
- Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the powdered sugar, cacao, and extra cold heavy whipping cream together until the mixture forms stiff peaks.
- Spread a thick layer of cream over the raspberries and roll the cake back up.
- Using the remaining cake cream, frost the entire outside of the cake. Decorate it as you wish with fresh raspberries, chocolate, and cacao.
- Keep the cake refrigerated until you're ready to serve it. Slice and enjoy!
Thank you for the video and the step by step instructions. I do not have a jelly roll pan, but I do have a 10 x 15 inch stoneware pan. Will that work or should I go out and buy a jelly roll pan? Thank you!
Hi there, you can use a baking sheet, you don't need to buy the jelly roll pan. Either one will work great. I hope this helps. Wishing you the best of luck!
Looks like a great recipe and would like to try it for the holidays. I’d like to make it a day before we host a holiday but afraid that the sponge cake will soak all the moisture in from raspberries and the cream and the cake will become too wet the next day. Or will it be ok?
Hi Olga, You can make the cake a day ahead. It will soak in some of the flavors and be extra tasty the next day! Good luck and Happy Holidays!
So decadent and amazing! This cake roll was the perfect thing for my Mom's birthday. It was a huge success!
Love that, Macie! Glad you all enjoyed it.
This is so easy to make and gorgeous too! Love it!
Thank you, Diane! This cake is a fun one to make!
This cake was absolutely delicious and everyone asked me for the recipe!
Woohoo! Sounds like it was a winner. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Thanks for the recipe! It was so quick and yummy to make. Here's a pic of how it turned out!
Wow!!! I just love it. The chocolate on top adds an extra something. Thanks for sharing
A peek of the roll I made for a friends gathering. It was so yum thanks!!
Amazing, thank you for sharing your feedback with us!
Lol oh my goodness I was having issues with posting the pic last night now it posted a million of them!! ? sorry! Overload! Mabye there is a way to delete them? Lol
I'll delete one of them. Thank you so much for doing that.
Natasha, thank you for your blog. I am Russian - Ukrainian and the things you wrote about your experiences are very touching and familiar to me. I've made th recipe and the cake layer came out nice (haven't tasted it yet, but looks and smells great). It's 2,5 - 3 cm high (used a pen exactly the size you've recommended) and i wonder isn't it too thick for a roll..
Oh, it's sounds so delicious! Tell me how it turned out, or share a picture.
Thanks for the supportive words, I love and appreciate very much!
So, here it is: since I failed (or maybe was just scared 🙂 to roll the layer (it was like 3 cm thick), I desided to make the 'Drunken cherry' cake of it. I cut my cake layer so that to make a square of it. I cut the rest into small cubes, the square layer - horizontally into 2 thin layers. I mixed the cubes with the cherries, the syrup and the cream and put the filling between the layers. The cake was superb. Thanx!
Wow! I love this idea. Your cake does look really thick. Thanks for sharing your recycle method. Good job, it looks awesome!
Thanks a lot for the inspiration and a wonderfull sponge cake recipe!
Made this roll today and oh wow! This is so delicious and quick to make! Thank you so much for the recipe! Love your blog!!
This look so beautiful, you are creative! Btw, I love you for adding your photo. It gives me so many ideas for creations.
Thanks Natalya for these recipes :)) this cream is heavenly by the way i couldn't stop eating it ?
can I make this dough into a cake not a roll? or it wont turn out?
Yes, you can make a cake out of this dough. Doesn't have to be a roll.
would it matter if i use raspberries jam or it need to be the fruit itself?
You can also use jam, it would taste a little different but I am sure it would be just as great.
I am a bit confused. All the ingredients call for one roll or two? I only want to make one. Do I cut the recipe in half then? On the bottom it says it makes 2 rolls
This recipe makes one larger roll, about 12 servings.
Hi, Natalya, I love roll, and raspberry and cocoa should be very tasty together... While reading comment , I'm confused of nr. Of eggs (12 for 2 rolls, or 6 for 2?; cream ingredients are for 2 rolls too?). Thanks for great recipes!!!!
Recently I have updated the recipe to just one roll, assuming that it would be too much for most families.
My mom has this dought recipie. Uses it for almost everything!! Love it:)
Yeah, its a perfect easy dessert to make in hurry 🙂 What cream does your mom use with the roulade?
12 eggs? Mine turned out like absolute rubber. Guess I didn't beat them long enough. But really, TWELVE EGGS?
Hi Mary, you can divide the recipe and just make one roll. Yes, the ingredients are listed correct. You do need to beat eggs for long enough to make the dough fluffy.
i use jam or jelly sometimes instead of fruit, makes the roll moist.
That is a great idea when fruits are not in season. Thanks for suggestion 🙂
yes, you can also replace with many other fruits
How would it be without the raspberries? Just don have any on hand.
no baking soda needed. 🙂 Eggs make it fluffy
No baking powder or baking soda needed?
Perfect, give me your feedback 🙂
this looks awesome.. i make cake rolls often when i don't have a lot of time for a cake and want a homemade dessert. Will definitely try this soon
It was so good! I added roasted almonds to it too before wrapping it! And drizzled chocolate on top
That's awesome!!! This roll is definitely a keeper in our family 🙂
Share picture with us!