South African Jam Roll / Swiss Roll - One of the best Sunday treats

The South African jam roll (also called the Swiss Roll) is a delightful sponge-cake treat that brings back childhood memories of tea time with friends and family.

People use phrases like “jam roll recipe South Africa”, “how to make jam roll SA”, “South African tea cake jam roll” and even “cheap jam roll recipe”, when they search for this “easy-to-make-perfection-recipe”. These searches reflect its popularity as a budget-friendly dessert that still feels special.

PREP TIME: 15 mins

BAKING TIME: 20 mins

RATING:

 4.5/5

Sweet Stuff!

The South African Recipe for a Jam Roll or Swiss roll

Ingredients:

4 Eggs
165 ml Castor Sugar
50 ml Coldwater
200 ml Self-raising flour
2 ml Salt

Method:

Separate the eggs into different mixing bowls.
Bowl 1: Beat the egg yolks and sugar until creamy.
Bowl 2: Beat the egg whites until stiff.
Now carefully fold them into the egg yolk mixture together with the flour.
Spread the mixture onto a well-greased 23 x 32 cm baking tray and bake for 15 minutes.

Taking your swiss roll out of the oven:

While it is baking, sprinkle a clean, dampened tea towel with caster sugar.
As you take the roll from the oven, turn the cake out onto the tea towel.
Roll it up, gently, and leave, covered for a few minutes, until it has cooled down.

Now it is ready to open again, spread with your favorite toppings, and then roll it up again. Should you decide to decorate the roll with icing or a spread on top, I would recommend that you don’t add the sugar to the tea towel but still use the tea towel to make it easy to roll.

Remember it rolls easier when warm. So work quickly.

Next time you make this recipe: share some photos to our new Facebook page:

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What is a Jam Roll (Jam Roll vs Swiss Roll)

Typically it is a rolled sponge cake filled with either, cream, jam, caramel, or a combination of all. It all depends on how decadent you want to be. A South African jam roll and a Swiss roll look similar, but they’re not quite the same. In South Africa the Swiss roll is usually made with a whipped cream, or chocolate filling. While the South African jam roll, on the other hand, is a bit more rustic and homely – filled with apricot jam while still warm, then rolled up and sprinkled with sugar. No cream, no fancy fillings—just that comforting, old-fashioned taste that’s perfect for Sunday tea or a quick dessert when guests drop by.

Origin of the Swiss Roll

DID YOU KNOW: Although it is called a ‘Swiss roll’ the origin of this recipe is believed to be in Austria and not in Switzerland as you might think. (This is according to Wikipedia.)

When it comes to toppings...

You have many options.

Swiss Roll / Jam Roll / Cream Roll / Caramel Roll / if all depends on what you love.

You can fill the roll with:

Cream
Jam (apricot or strawberry jam is always favorites to use)
Caramel
Jam and cream combination
Cream and caramel combination
Chocolate and cream
Nutella …

The top of the roll can be decorated with icing, or just leave it with the castor sugar on top. You can even decorate with summer fruit to make a beautiful summer dessert. Or melted chocolate and nuts – my favorite…

Tips from the Chef

A fabulous party trick is to add a few drops of food coloring to your dough mix and make a few interesting creations.

For a Swiss Chocolate and Coffee roll: Add 25ml cocoa and 3 ml instant coffee to the dry ingredients. Decorate with chocolate, cream, and sprinkle with peppermint crisp.

To make it easier to spread the jam, pre-heat the jam in the microwave only for a few seconds.

Always make sure the cake is cooled before you spread the filling.