Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake Dessert Roll Recipe

This dreamy Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake Dessert Roll is a total game-changer, friends! Imagine the most pillowy soft cake wrapped around a luscious cheesecake filling, then studded with juicy fresh strawberries, all rolled up sushi-style for the cutest presentation ever! Trust me, this showstopper will have everyone asking for seconds (and your recipe) before they’ve even finished their first slice.

Why You’ll Love This Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake Dessert Roll

• Stunning Presentation: This roll looks absolutely gorgeous when sliced, revealing those beautiful swirls of cake, creamy filling, and bright strawberries.
• Perfect Balance of Flavors: The light, airy cake paired with tangy-sweet cheesecake filling and fresh berries creates an irresistible flavor combination.
• Impressive Yet Doable: While it looks fancy enough for special occasions, the technique is totally manageable even if you’re not a baking pro.
• Make-Ahead Friendly: This dessert actually benefits from chilling time, making it perfect for entertaining!

Ingredients

• All-purpose flour: Creates the foundation for our light, springy cake.
• Baking powder: Gives our cake that perfect rise and airy texture.
• Salt: Just a pinch balances the sweetness and enhances all the flavors.
• Eggs: Provides structure and richness to the cake, room temperature works best!
• Sugar: Sweetens the cake and helps create that tender crumb we’re after.
• Vanilla extract: Adds that warm, aromatic flavor that makes everything better.
• Milk: Adds moisture and helps create a velvety texture in the cake.
• Powdered sugar: For dusting the towel (prevents sticking) and sweetening our filling.
• Cream cheese: The star of our filling, make sure it’s properly softened for a smooth result.
• Whipped cream: Lightens the filling and adds a cloud-like texture.
• Fresh strawberries: The juicy, sweet berries that make this dessert truly special, pick the ripest ones you can find!

Note: Complete measurements for all ingredients will be listed in the recipe card below the article.

How to Make the Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake Dessert Roll

Step 1: Prepare the Cake

Preheat your oven and get your jelly roll pan ready with parchment paper. This step is CRUCIAL, don’t skip the parchment or you’ll be in tears later, I promise!

Step 2: Mix the Batter

Whisk those dry ingredients in one bowl while beating your eggs and sugar until they’re thick and pale (this takes a few minutes, but it’s worth it for that perfect texture). Fold everything together gently, we’re not making bread here, so easy does it!

Step 3: Bake the Cake

Spread that gorgeous batter evenly in your pan and bake just until it’s golden and springy to the touch. Don’t overbake or you’ll end up with a cake that cracks when you roll it!

Step 4: The Hot Roll

This is where the magic happens! While the cake is still HOT, flip it onto a powdered sugar-dusted towel, peel off the parchment, and roll it up with the towel inside. This “trains” the cake to roll without cracking later. Let it cool completely in this position.

Step 5: Make the Filling

Beat that cream cheese until it’s silky smooth, then mix in powdered sugar and vanilla. Fold in the whipped cream with a light touch, we want to keep all that wonderful air in there!

Step 6: Fill and Roll

Unroll your cooled cake (don’t panic if there are a few small cracks), spread that heavenly filling all over, leaving a small border, then arrange those gorgeous strawberry slices on top. Roll it back up (without the towel this time), wrap it up, and let it chill.

Step 7: Slice and Serve

Cut into sushi-style pieces and watch everyone’s eyes light up when they see those beautiful swirls!

Pro Tips for Making the Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake Dessert Roll

• Cold Cream Cheese Is a No-Go: Make sure your cream cheese is properly softened or you’ll end up with lumpy filling.
• The Roll and Towel Trick: Don’t skip rolling the hot cake in the towel, this prevents cracking when you roll it with filling later.
• Patience Pays Off: Let the filled roll chill completely before slicing for clean, picture-perfect pieces.
• Berries Matter: Pat your strawberry slices dry with paper towels to prevent excess moisture from making your cake soggy.

How to Serve

• Dress It Up: A light dusting of powdered sugar or a drizzle of strawberry sauce takes this dessert to the next level.
• Perfect Pairings: Serve with a dollop of extra whipped cream, a scoop of vanilla ice cream, or even a small glass of champagne for special occasions.
• Presentation: Arrange slices on a platter with fresh whole strawberries and mint leaves for a gorgeous display.

Make Ahead and Storage

Storing Leftovers

Keep any leftover slices in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The flavors actually develop beautifully overnight!

Freezing

You can freeze the unfilled cake roll (wrapped tightly) for up to a month. I don’t recommend freezing the filled roll as the texture of the filling and strawberries will change.

Make Ahead

This dessert is perfect for making a day ahead , in fact, it benefits from that chilling time as the flavors meld together beautifully.

FAQs

This Strawberry Shortcake Cheesecake Dessert Roll is seriously one of my favorite desserts to make when I want to impress without spending hours in the kitchen. The combination of light cake, creamy cheesecake filling, and fresh strawberries is absolutely divine! Don’t be intimidated by the rolling technique, once you try it, you’ll be amazed at how simple it actually is. Whether you’re serving this for a special occasion or just because it’s Tuesday (hey, we all deserve mid-week treats!), this dessert is guaranteed to bring smiles all around. Now go grab those strawberries and get rolling, your taste buds will thank you!