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My gluten free lemon Swiss roll is the ultimate summer bake – light, zesty and oh-so-moreish!
The light, fatless lemon sponge is swirled together with lemon whipped cream and lemon curd for the perfect citrusy bake.
I absolutely love a gluten free Swiss roll and this lemon version is just the perfect version for summer.
Plus you can also bake up my gluten free amaretti biscuits at the same time and use them to put together my ‘lazy’ version of the Platinum Jubilee Pudding!
However you serve it up, this lemon Swiss roll is really fun and easy to bake and is a great project to make with kids.
Ingredients
There’s a full printable recipe card below with the method and quantities, but here’s a few pointers on some of the ingredients used in this recipe.
- Eggs – You’ll need four eggs in this recipe and I am using large (UK) eggs. The recipe involves separating the eggs – it’s not as hard as you might think! You’ll need to whip the egg whites up to give the mixture it’s lovely, airy texture.
- Caster Sugar – This is added to the egg whites once they’re whipped up so you get a lovely, glossy, meringue-like texture to the mix.
- Plain Gluten Free Flour – Any brand of plain gluten free flour works well here, I tend to use FREEE or Asda’s mix from the supermarkets or the Juvela White Mix which you can buy from their online shop. In the US you’ll need a gluten free All Purpose flour.
- Xantham Gum – Omit this at your peril! I use this in most of my gluten free bakes and you only need a tiny amount to vastly change the texture of your sponge. Especially needed as you’ll need it to be flexible to roll it up.
- Double Cream – You can use either double cream or whipping cream (or heavy cream in the US) to whip up for the centre of your Swiss roll.
- Lemon Curd – This is used in both the whipped cream and for spreading on the Swiss roll sponge. You could use just lemon curd if you’d rather not add the cream, or alternatively omit it from the cream if you want it to be less zesty. For me, the more lemon, the better!
Don’t forget there’s a printable recipe card below with the full ingredients list as well as a detailed method talking you through how to make this lemon Swiss roll.
How to make a lemon Swiss roll
Constructing your gluten free lemon Swiss roll is actually pretty easy, no matter how complicated you might think it looks.
Once you’ve baked the sponge, you need to roll it up so it develops a ‘memory’ and won’t crack when you fill it.
The trick is to roll is straight from the oven so it’s still warm, wrap it in a tea towel and leave it to cool completely.
This means when you unroll the sponge to fill it and roll it back up, it will roll nicely back into place and not crack or tear.
If it does tear, don’t worry – you can either decorate it with extra lemon whipped cream or just slice it up before you serve it to hide the tear.
I turn my sponge out from the oven and then I score a line around 2-inches from one of the shortest ends.
Then I roll it up completely using the tea towel to guide it into place.
I much prefer a short and fat Swiss roll as you end up getting more filling and more of a beautiful swirl!
My gluten free lemon Swiss roll recipe
Here is it, my lovely, lemony gluten free Swiss roll recipe which will serve around 8 people.
It’s super fun to make and once you’ve got the hang of rolling it up you’ll want to keep making more and more of them!
If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. I love seeing your bakes!
And please do leave a review to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me.
Gluten Free Lemon Swiss Roll
This gluten free Lemon Swiss roll is an easy bake - a fatless, super light sponge rolled up with lemon curd and lemon whipped cream. This recipe makes approx 8 slices using a 39cm x 24cm Swiss roll tin.
Ingredients
- 4 large eggs (separated)
- 110g caster sugar (plus extra for rolling)
- 90g gluten free plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- Zest of 1 lemon
For the filling:
- 150ml whipping or double cream
- 200g lemon curd
- Icing sugar (to decorate)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180'C and line a 39 x 24cm Swiss roll tin with a sheet of baking paper.
- Separate the eggs and then add the egg whites into a large metal bowl. Whisk with an electric mixer until they start to form stiff peaks - this is the point where you could tip the bowl upside-down over your head and they won't fall out!
- Gradually add the caster sugar while continuing to whisk, until the egg whites form glossy peaks. You know it's done when you can rub a tiny bit of the mix between your fingers and it doesn't feel grainy.
- Beat the egg yolks together in a small bowl then pour into the egg whites. Use a spatula to fold them in - streaks are fine, just make sure you don't knock the air out the mixture so go gently.
- Mix the flour, baking powder and xantham gum together in a bowl the sieve into the mix. Add the lemon zest and then fold in using your spatula again until there are no lumps of flour.
- Gently pour the mix into your lined tin and smooth out using a spatula. Bake in the centre of the oven for 10-12 minutes. You want the sponge to be springy and lightly golden but not too dark - if you over-bake it, it will be more likely to crack when you roll it.
- Place the tin on a cooling tray for a minute or so. Meanwhile lay out a thin tea towel and lightly dust with some extra sugar.
- After a minute, gently tip the tin upside-down onto the sugared-towel. Peel off the baking paper, going slowly so you don't rip the sponge.
- Using a knife, score a line approximately 2-inches in from one of the short edges of the sponge. Then use the tea towel to guide the sponge, to roll it up into a spiral, starting at the scored end. Once rolled, wrap tightly in the tea towel and leave to cool completely (around one hour).
To assemble your Swiss roll:
- To make the cream filling, pour the cream into a large bowl and whisk using an electric mixer until it forms soft peaks - this may take 5-10 minutes so be patient!
- Once the cream has thickened to soft peaks, stop the mixer and add 50g of the lemon curd. Continue to whisk until the cream thickens to a texture where you can spread it and it will hold its shape.
- Very gently, unwrap the sponge and then carefully unroll it. Spread an even layer of lemon curd over the sponge. Next spread the whipped lemon cream on top, using a palette knife. Make sure you go right up to the edges!
- Carefully roll the sponge back the same way as before, a little more loosely this time so as not to squish the filling out everywhere. Sprinkle with a little icing sugar and serve!
Notes
- This cake is best eaten on the day of baking but will store for 2-3 days in the fridge.
- For a dairy free option, switch to a dairy free cream.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
8Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 333Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 148mgSodium: 147mgCarbohydrates: 50gFiber: 1gSugar: 40gProtein: 6g
Need some more gluten free baking inspiration?
Want to have a go at some of the other gluten free baking recipes on the blog?
Give some of these other gluten free bakes and creations a try and see what you think!
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Just made this swiss roll for my son’s birthday. He’s not coeliac but his sister is. I’ve filled it with raspberry jam and vanilla butter icing. Looks fab and look forward to trying it. If this is successful I can see me making this again and again. Thanks for the recipe.😁