Gluten Free Strawberry Swiss Roll Cake

This gluten-free strawberry Swiss roll cake takes the classic vanilla sponge roll and gives it a spring glow-up with a fresh strawberry cream cheese filling. This is the kind of dessert I want for Easter, Mother's Day, Memorial Day, or any early summer gathering when strawberries finally taste like strawberries again.

A slice of strawberry Swiss roll cake on a plate with a fork, garnished with fresh strawberries; the rest of the cake and more strawberries are in the background.

Save This Recipe!

Receive this recipe directly in your inbox! Plus you'll get new dessert recipes every week!

Skill Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Flavor Remix: Swap the strawberries for raspberries for a tangier berry cream cheese filling.
Allergy Watch: Gluten Free, Nut-Free

Swiss roll cakes can be a little dramatic. Pretty, yes. But dramatic. The trick is keeping the sponge cake flexible enough to roll without splitting and keeping the filling sturdy enough that the spiral stays put.

The strawberry cream cheese filling is where this cake really shines. Fresh berries are cooked down first, which removes excess water and concentrates the flavor. That means you get a vibrant strawberry filling without watery slices of fruit or expensive freeze-dried berries. I also tested the filling with the traditional cream cheese frosting method, but found that adding cold cream cheese prevented the mixture from becoming too thin.

I tested two rolling methods, including my preferred steam cool method, which keeps the sponge soft and flexible so the cake rolls with fewer cracks and holds its pretty spiral after slicing. But if you have experience with the tea towel method, I have provided instructions for that. My method is a little shorter on total time, and I think it yields more consistent results with cleaner slices.

Ingredient Notes

Gluten-Free Flour: Use any 1:1 gluten free flour blend with xanthan gum, like Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Flour or King Arthur Measure for Measure.
Cornstarch: By mixing in cornstarch, we are essentially turning our 1:1 flour into a gluten free cake flour.
Eggs: The sponge gets its lift from whipped eggs, so room temperature eggs are worth it here. Cold eggs do not whip as quickly or as fully.
Cream of Tartar: Just a little will help stabilize the egg whites and set your swiss roll up for success.
Vanilla Extract: Or use an equal amount of vanilla paste.
Fresh Strawberries: You can use forzen but the compote will take longer to reduce down.
Butter: Use unsalted butter or reduce the salt added by ¼ teaspoon.
Cream Cheese: Use cold full fat cream cheese for the best texture.

Bowls and containers of ingredients labeled: granulated sugar, strawberries, butter, powdered sugar, gluten-free flour, cream of tartar, cream cheese, vanilla extract, cornstarch, and eggs.

After strawberry season is over, you can swap the filling for a fresh blueberry filling using my berry buttercream recipe.

Blueberry Frosting

How to Make Gluten-Free Strawberry Roll

A step-by-step visual guide for making gluten-free swiss roll with starwberries. You can skip to the recipe for the full written instructions.

Side-by-side images of a mixing bowl with foamy egg whites on the left and stiffly whipped egg whites with a whisk attachment on the right.

Beat the Egg Whites

Start with just the egg whites, slowing beating until they are foamy (left hand picture). Then increase the speed and add the cream of tartar. Once you get to almost soft peaks beging to slowly add the sugar.

A metal mixing bowl containing a smooth, pale yellow batter mixture, with some batter splattered on the sides of the bowl.

Beat the Egg Yolks

In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks with the remaining sugar and vanilla until pale and thick. The mixture should fall in ribbons when lifted with the beater. This step builds structure and gives the sponge its soft, bendy texture.

Three-step process of baking: sifting flour, folding whipped egg whites into batter, and mixing until smooth in metal bowls on a white surface.

Fold in the Flour and Egg Whites

Fold in the gluten free flour and cornstarch in stages, alternating with the whipped egg whites. Gentle folding keeps the batter airy. If you stir too aggressively, the sponge can bake up dense and crack when rolled.

Bake

Spread the batter evenly in the pan and bake just until the top springs back when lightly pressed.

Four-step process showing a gluten free sponge roll being dusted, lifted, rolled in a towel, and cooling on a wire rack.

Cool the Cake- Beginner Method

Turn the warm cake onto the sugared towel, peel off the parchment, and roll it in the towel while it cools. This trains the sponge to hold a curve.

A rectangular baking pan with an unbaked crust on the left; the same pan covered with aluminum foil on the right.

Cool the Cake- Preferred Method

Cover the hot pan tightly with foil as soon as it leaves the oven. The steam keeps the cake soft and flexible. Once cooled, spread on the filling, roll the cake, and chill it so the spiral sets before slicing.

A metal saucepan filled with smooth, red sauce sits on a white surface.

Make the Compote

Puree the fresh berries and combine with sugar. Whisk constantly over a low boil until the mixture reduces to 3 to 4 tablespoons.

Four mixing bowls showing buttercream in stages: plain, whipped, with strawberry puree added, and finished pink strawberry buttercream.

Make the Strawberry Filling

Start with a buttercream base before adding the cooled strawberries and cold cream cheese.

Three-step process of making a cake roll: spreading pink filling on cake, rolling the cake with filling, and the finished rolled cake on a cooling rack.

Assemble

Spread the strawberry cream filling evenly over the cake, leaving about ½ inch uncovered at the end that will be the center of the roll. Gently roll the cake and trim off the ends. You can top with powdered sugar or pipe on additional filling.

Recipe Tips

Do not overbake the sponge. Pull it when the top springs back and the cake looks set. A dry sponge is much more likely to crack.
Fold gently, but do not under mix. You want the flour incorporated without streaks, but the batter should still feel light.
Use the steam cool method for fewer cracks. Covering the hot cake traps moisture and keeps the sponge flexible.
Cool the strawberry compote before adding it to the filling. Warm puree can soften the cream cheese mixture and make it too loose.
Chill before slicing. That hour in the refrigerator helps the filling firm up so the strawberry spiral stays neat.
Trim the ends after chilling. The ends are usually less tidy, and trimming them gives the cake that bakery case look.
Double the Filling. Double the filling recipe to make enough of the recipe to frosting the outside.

A strawberry Swiss roll cake with pink cream filling and sliced strawberries on top, placed on a white platter next to fresh strawberries and a red checkered cloth.

Make Ahead and Storing

Make Ahead: The strawberry compote can be made 1 to 2 days ahead and stored in the refrigerator. The whole roll can also be assembled a day ahead.

Storing: Store covered in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Freezing: Do not freeze.

📖 Recipe

Recipe Questions

Can I use sliced strawberries in the filling?

I do not recommend it for make-ahead storage. Fresh sliced berries release juice and can make the cake soggy after a few hours. Instead, add them on top as decoration or serve on the side.

Why did my Swiss roll crack?

The cake may have been overbaked, cooled in a cold room, or rolled after it became too dry. My steam cool method helps prevent cracking by keeping the sponge soft and pliable.