I said that I was going to make 2 different cakes and only use one buttercream. This is really me being lazy.

But when you think lazy, homemade Swiss rolls don’t usually come to mind.

A while ago, I made a pumpkin swiss roll for Canadian Thanksgiving and all I got was a cracked, goopy, ugly mess. I would have shared the recipe, but I was so unsatisfied with it, I didn’t think it was worth sharing. As a result, I was on a man hunt to find a good Swiss Roll Recipe that is almost crack proof!

Yeah, so I made a Swiss roll that didn’t crack AND it looked and tasted delicious! My only gripe, it’s a thin cake. I mean, it’s a really thin cake. The first time I made it, I was just so amazed that I didn’t need to pre-roll the cake in a towel to prevent the cake from cracking. But it is such an unbelievably thin cake layer!

At first, I rolled it lengthwise (as we were taught as children making rolls or rolling up posters), but It became this ridiculously long and narrow cake. The proportions were just so off that I sincerely didn’t like it. In fact, the photo below makes it look more filled out than it actually is.

So round 2!

Again, following the instructions on youtube, I made this cake again and rolled it width wise and it turned out awesome! The cake itself was a pretty standard sponge layer, but it was so versatile. I didn’t have to pre-roll the cake before filling it. It is seriously the easiest Swiss Roll recipe I have ever made.

Again, I wish the cake wasn’t as thin as it was. I did try doubling the recipe to make a thicker swiss roll, but it didn’t turn out. Maybe I’ll try again another day. But right now, I would stick with the recipe as is. Maybe in the future, I’ll figure out how to make a bigger version of it, but right now, I can successfully make mini swiss rolls. 

Mini Swiss Roll

2 large eggs (separated)
30 grams of granulated sugar
20 grams of flour
1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract
30 grams of vegetable oil
approximately 1/2 of any filling you would like (nutella is delicious, as is the Raspberry Buttercream)

11″ by 8″ pan

Turn on the oven to 400 degrees

With an electric whisk, slowly whisk the egg whites to soft peaks and then add the granulated sugar. Slowly, continue whisking until firm peaks.

Using a hand whisk (to not over beat or deflate), whisk in one egg yolk at a time. Do not dump both yolks in or you will deflate the meringue.

Mix the flour into the batter in 2 batches. When it is just fully incorporated, with a soft spatula, fold in the vanilla and oil until just mixed.

Pour the thick batter into a 8″ by 10″ pan lined with parchment paper (important!). Make sure to fill in the corners.

Carefully drop the pan from a short height (a couple of inches) to pop some of the bigger air bubbles.

Toss in the oven for 10 minutes.

Let it cool completely flat. When cool, flip the cake onto a clean tea towel and peel off the parchment.

Spread a layer of the filling of your choice and slowly/gingerly/carefully roll the edges width wise.

Cover in plastic wrap and place in fridge. Slice and enjoy!