Dreamy Silky Lemon Cream Roll Cake Recipe: A Zesty Delight

Baking a delectable lemon cream roll cake offers a delightful twist on classic dessert experiences.

This silky lemon cream roll cake brings zesty brightness to your table with minimal effort.

Soft, tender sponge cake embraces a luscious, tangy filling that dances across your palate.

Each slice promises a perfect balance of delicate sweetness and citrusy punch.

Light, airy layers melt effortlessly, creating a dessert that looks impressive yet remains surprisingly simple to prepare.

Pastry lovers and home bakers will adore this elegant, crowd-pleasing treat that transforms an ordinary afternoon into a special moment.

Your next gathering deserves this show-stopping dessert that combines simplicity with sophisticated flavor.

Quick Recipe Overview

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

Calories: 290 kcal

Servings: 8

Lemon Cream Roll Cake Ingredient List

• All-Purpose Flour: Creates tender, delicate cake structure with soft crumb and perfect texture.
• Granulated Sugar: Provides sweetness and helps create light, airy cake texture.
• Eggs: Binds ingredients and adds richness, creating volume and structure for sponge cake.
• Vanilla Extract: Enhances overall flavor and adds warm, subtle aromatic notes.
• Baking Powder: Ensures cake rises evenly and maintains soft, fluffy consistency.
• Salt: Balances sweetness and intensifies other flavor profiles.

• Lemon Juice: Adds bright, tangy citrus flavor and helps activate baking powder.
• Lemon Zest: Provides intense, fresh citrus aroma and concentrated lemon essence.

• Heavy Whipping Cream: Creates light, airy texture and adds luxurious richness.
• Cream Cheese: Delivers smooth, creamy base with tangy undertones.
• Powdered Sugar: Sweetens filling and helps stabilize whipped cream.
• Lemon Curd: Introduces intense, silky lemon flavor with perfect balance of sweetness and tartness.

Tools That Help You Roll and Fill Smoothly

• Electric mixer: Essential for beating eggs, whipping cream, and creating smooth batters.
• Large mixing bowls: Needed for preparing cake batter, whipping cream, and mixing filling.
• Jelly roll pan (10×15 inch): Crucial for baking the thin sponge cake base.
• Parchment paper: Helps line the pan and prevents cake from sticking.
• Kitchen towel: Used for rolling the warm cake without cracking.
• Sifter: Important for evenly mixing dry ingredients and preventing lumps.
• Spatula: Helps fold egg whites and spread filling smoothly.
• Zester or grater: Perfect for creating lemon zest garnish.
• Serving platter: Provides a beautiful presentation for the finished roll cake.

Make a Lemon Roll Cake That’s Light and Tangy

• Fire Up The Oven

Crank the oven to a toasty 350F. Grab a jelly roll pan and give it a generous coating of grease. Line it with parchment paper, then give the paper another quick grease.

• Whip Up The Cake Base

Grab egg yolks and sugar, beating them until they transform into a fluffy cloud. Splash in vanilla and lemon juice, mixing until everything looks silky smooth. In another bowl, sift flour, baking powder, and salt together. Slowly blend dry ingredients into the yolk mixture.

Separately, whack those egg whites until they form stiff mountain peaks. Gently fold the whites into the batter, keeping everything light and airy.

• Bake To Perfection

Pour the batter into the pan, spreading it evenly. Slide into the oven and bake for 10-12 minutes. The cake is ready when it bounces back after a gentle touch.

• Create The Cake Roll

While the cake is warm, flip it onto a towel dusted with powdered sugar. Peel off the parchment paper and roll the cake with the towel from the short end. Let it cool completely in its cozy rolled position.

• Craft The Creamy Filling

Whip the cream until soft peaks appear. In another bowl, blend cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon curd, and zest until smooth. Fold the whipped cream into the mixture gently.

• Assemble The Delightful Roll

Unroll the cooled cake and spread the lemon cream filling across its surface. Roll the cake back up (without the towel) and place it seam-side down on a serving plate.

• Chill And Decorate

Refrigerate the cake for an hour to set. Dust with powdered sugar and sprinkle some lemon zest on top before serving.

Tips That Keep Your Cream Filling Just Right

• Let eggs and cream cheese sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before mixing to ensure smoother, more even blending and better texture.
• Use a gentle, sweeping motion when incorporating egg whites to maintain the cake's airy, light structure and prevent deflating the delicate mixture.
• Always roll the warm cake in a towel immediately after baking to help it retain flexibility and prevent cracking when filling later.
• Brush the unrolled cake with simple syrup or extra lemon juice for an intensified citrus flavor and added moisture.
• Swap regular flour with a 1: 1 gluten-free flour blend to make the recipe suitable for those with gluten sensitivities.

Ways to Slice and Serve This Sweet Roll

• Zesty Citrus Celebration: Pair this lemon cream roll cake with a chilled glass of sparkling prosecco or a light limoncello to enhance the bright, tangy flavors.
• Refreshing Accompaniment: Serve alongside fresh berries or a small scoop of lemon sorbet to complement the cake's creamy texture and zesty profile.
• Elegant Presentation Trick: Dust the cake with powdered sugar just before serving, and add thin lemon slice curls or fresh mint leaves for a professional, Instagram-worthy look that elevates the dessert's visual appeal.
• Morning Indulgence Twist: Transform this dessert into a decadent breakfast treat by serving thin slices with a dollop of Greek yogurt and a drizzle of honey for a delightful morning surprise.

Keep the Cake Fresh and Bright All Week

• Store this delicate roll cake in an airtight container within the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. Cover loosely with plastic wrap to maintain moisture and prevent drying.
• Wrap the entire roll cake tightly in plastic wrap, then aluminum foil. Freeze for maximum 1 month. Thaw slowly in the refrigerator overnight before serving to maintain texture.
• When storing individual cake slices, place parchment paper between each piece to prevent sticking. Stack gently in a sealed container for easy grab-and-go treats.
• Always serve chilled for the best lemon cream consistency. Remove from refrigerator 10-15 minutes before serving to soften slightly and enhance flavor profile.

FAQs

• Is the lemon cream roll cake difficult to make?

The cake requires some baking skills like beating egg whites and folding techniques, but it’s manageable for intermediate home bakers with careful attention to detail and following steps precisely.

• Can I substitute ingredients if I don't have exactly what the recipe calls for?

You can replace lemon juice with bottled lemon juice and use store-bought lemon curd if homemade isn’t available. For cream cheese, use mascarpone as an alternative, but the flavor might slightly change.

• Why do I need to roll the cake while it's still warm?

Rolling the cake while warm helps prevent cracking and makes the cake more flexible, allowing it to hold its rolled shape when you add the filling later without breaking or splitting.

• How do I know if my egg whites are properly whipped?

Egg whites are perfectly whipped when they form stiff, glossy peaks that stand straight up when you lift the beater, and they don’t slide around in the bowl when tilted.

Silky Lemon Cream Roll Cake Recipe

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4.5 from 40 reviews

• Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
• Yield: 9 1x

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Description

Lemon cream roll cake delivers a zesty symphony of citrus delight from Italian pastry traditions. Delicate sponge and silky cream complement each other, creating a refined dessert perfect for afternoon tea or elegant gatherings.

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Ingredients

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• 4 large eggs
• ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
• 1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream
• ½ cup (65 g) all-purpose flour
• 4 oz (115 g) cream cheese
• ½ cup (60 g) powdered sugar
• ¼ cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice
• 3 tbsps lemon curd
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ tsp baking powder
• ¼ tsp salt
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• Powdered sugar (for garnish)
• Lemon zest or slices (optional, for garnish)

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Instructions

1. Prepare Baking Canvas: Activate oven to 350F (175C). Meticulously grease a 10×15-inch jelly roll pan, line with parchment, and re-grease to ensure seamless cake release.
2. Craft Foundational Batter: Whip egg yolks and sugar into a pale, voluminous fusion. Introduce vanilla and lemon juice, creating a harmonious blend. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt, then gently integrate into yolk mixture until achieving a silky, uniform texture.
3. Develop Meringue Structure: Whisk egg whites to stiff, glossy peaks. Delicately fold into batter through three gentle motions, preserving the mixture’s ethereal lightness.
4. Bake and Initial Shaping: Distribute batter evenly in prepared pan. Bake 10-12 minutes until surface rebounds when lightly touched. Immediately invert warm cake onto sugar-dusted kitchen towel, remove parchment, and roll from short edge while warm.
5. Compose Luxurious Filling: Simultaneously whip heavy cream to soft peaks and blend cream cheese, powdered sugar, lemon curd, and zest into a smooth cream. Merge whipped cream with cream cheese mixture, creating a light, airy filling.
6. Assemble and Finalize: Unroll cooled cake, spread filling evenly, and re-roll without towel. Position seam-side down on serving platter. Refrigerate minimum one hour to set.
7. Presentation: Before serving, elegantly dust with powdered sugar and adorn with delicate lemon zest or refined lemon slices.

Notes

• Measure Precisely: Use exact measurements for flour, sugar, and eggs to ensure the cake’s light, airy texture and prevent dense or flat results.
• Fold Gently: When incorporating egg whites, use a delicate folding technique with a spatula to maintain the batter’s airiness and prevent deflating the whipped whites.
• Temperature Control: Allow ingredients like eggs and cream cheese to reach room temperature before mixing to create smoother, more consistent textures in the filling and batter.
• Rolling Technique: Roll the cake while it’s still warm to prevent cracking and help it maintain a flexible shape, using a sugar-dusted towel to prevent sticking and ease the process.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour
• Category: Desserts
• Method: Baking
• Cuisine: American

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 9
• Calories: 305
• Sugar: 24 g
• Sodium: 160 mg
• Fat: 23 g
• Saturated Fat: 13 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
• Trans Fat: 0 g
• Carbohydrates: 25 g
• Fiber: 0 g
• Protein: 4 g
• Cholesterol: 109 mg