This Banana Roll has the perfect balance of sweet and fluffy. A moist, rich banana sponge cake is rolled around a creamy flavorful cream cheese filling and dusted with powdered sugar for a delightful, mouthwatering treat.
Top this take on the classic cake roll with a drizzle of chocolate and a sprinkle of nuts for a dessert that is sure to impress.
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Going Bananas For Cakes
From decadent chocolate cakes to fluffy banana muffins, there is something special about baking with bananas. And with just a few common ingredients, you can whip up delicious cakes that will make your desserts stand out from the rest.
The sweetness of bananas in all kinds of cakes brings out the perfect blend of flavor and texture and makes delicious treats that are surprisingly easy to make and great for any occasion like my Banana Bundt Cake, Banana Snack Cake, and No Bake Banana Split Cake.
Why You'll Love This Recipe for Banana Roll
- The sponge cake is light and full of banana flavor, the perfect contrast to the cream cheese filling
- The rich cream cheese filling adds sweetness and complements the cake
- Great way to use up those overripe bananas
- Easy to make but looks like it takes hours
- Elegant to serve on any occasion
- Many variations for extra toppings or cream cheese flavoring
What is a Banana Roll?
A banana roll is a banana-flavored cake that is baked and then rolled with a filling. A roll cake is also known as a Swiss roll cake, jelly roll, cream roll, or Swiss log cake. It's believed to have originated somewhere in Central Europe, most likely Austria.
It's comprised of a thin sheet of sponge cake spread with a filling. The filling can be jam, custard, frosting, or whipped cream. It can also have additional fillings such as fresh fruit, crushed cookies, or crushed candies.
The cake is rolled into the shape of a log. When sliced, it creates a beautiful spiral which makes it an impressive dessert.
Ingredients
What you'll need for the banana sponge cake
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Ground cinnamon
- Salt
- Large eggs, divided
- White granulated sugar
- Bananas - the best banana for banana cake is very ripe
- Vanilla extract
Here's what you'll need for the cream cheese filling:
- Cream cheese, use the blocks, not the whipped variety
- Butter
- Powdered sugar
- Vanilla extract
What you'll need for garnishing the cake:
- Powdered sugar
- Chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, or peanut butter sauce.
- Toppings such as banana slices or chopped nuts.
How to Make Banana Roll
Initial prep steps for banana cake roll:
- Grease a 15x10-inch jelly roll pan then line with parchment paper. Grease and flour the parchment paper.
- Sprinkle a linen or cotton towel lightly with powdered sugar and set aside.
How to make banana sponge cake:
- In a small bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
- Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Place the egg whites in a large bowl and beat until soft peaks form then add ½ cup sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. (Egg whites are stiff when they become smooth and glossy and the peaks stand straight up.)
- In another bowl, beat egg yolks with ½ cup sugar until thick.
- Add mashed bananas and vanilla extract to egg yolks and beat until well mixed.
- Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients.
- Fold in egg whites to finish batter.
- Pour batter into the prepared jelly roll pan making sure it covers the entire surface including the corners.
- Bake for 13-15 minutes until cake springs back when touched lightly or you can see it pulling away from the side.
- Remove from oven and immediately place powdered sugar coated towel over cake. Place another pan on top (bottom of pan towards cake) and flip over carefully.
- Remove the parchment paper or silicone mat.
- Spray a clean piece of parchment paper with nonstick spray and place the sprayed side onto the top of the cake. Roll the cake, starting with the narrow end, using the towel to help lift it.
- Place rolled cake on a wire rack to cool completely.
Steps to make cream cheese cake filling:
- White cake is cooling, combine the cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract in a bowl and beat until smooth.
- Continue to beat while adding powdered sugar.
- Add more powdered sugar if needed to reach a nice spreadable consistency.
How to roll up a cake:
- When cake is cool, unroll carefully and remove the parchment paper. Leave it on the linen towel.
- Begin spreading the cream cheese filling.
- Cover the entire cake edge to edge.
- Roll the cake back up, again using the linen towel to help roll the cake evenly.
- To finish, use the linen towel to help lift it to a long serving plate. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
- To decorate, sprinkle with powdered sugar then drizzle chocolate sauce or your favorite sauce over the top. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Note you can also just decorate with just whipped cream and bananas. Cut slices to serve.
Recipe Tips
- Make sure to use an actual jelly roll pan. Cookie sheets are not an appropriate substitute because they have flat edges. A half-sheet baking pan is too big A jelly roll pan is smaller and it has a rolled edge to help contain the batter. Use a 15x10x1-inch size jelly roll pan.
- Kitchen towels washed with scented detergent or fabric softener can transfer the scent to the cake and cause the flavor to be off. It's best to wash the kitchen towel you use for roll cakes with unscented products.
- Use a linen or cloth kitchen towel. Do not use a terry cloth towel because the lint will transfer to the cake.
- Make sure to use parchment paper to line your baking sheet. This helps make sure that the cake won't get stuck in the pan.
- Do not overbake the cake because it will cause cracking.
- Make sure to wrap the cake in the towel right out of the oven to prevent the risk of cracking.
- Be sure to use powdered sugar on your kitchen towel.
- Be very patient, careful, and slow when rolling and unrolling the cake. Rushing can cause cracks.
- Allow the cake to cool completely before adding the filling or else the warm cake will melt the filling and cause it to spill out of the cake.
Recipe Variations
- Banana Cream Pie Roll: Make the filling by combining banana pudding with whipped cream (1:1 mixture). Sprinkle graham cracker crumbs or crushed vanilla wafers and place thin banana slices on top filling before rolling the cake.
- Banana Nut Roll: Stir in ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans into the batter. Sprinkle chopped nuts on top of the cream cheese frosting before rolling the cake.
- Banana Roll with Whipped Cream Filling: Use stabilized whipped cream instead of cream cheese frosting. See this guide on how to make stabilized whipped cream.
- Caramel Banana Roll: Drizzle caramel sauce over the frosting before rolling the cake. And drizzle caramel sauce over the finished cake.
- Chocolate Banana Roll: Add ¼ cup cocoa powder to the dry ingredients. Use chocolate cream cheese frosting instead of regular cream cheese frosting.
- Nutella Banana Roll: Spread Nutella on top of the frosting before rolling for a decadent and chocolatey twist on the classic banana roll. Warm Nutella and drizzle it over the top of the cake.
- Strawberry Banana Roll: Use strawberry cream cheese frosting (see my chocolate strawberry cake for the recipe).
How to Store and Freeze
Storing: Wrap the cake tightly with plastic wrap. Store it in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Freezing: Wrap the cake with a layer of plastic wrap and then either wrap it again with a layer of aluminum foil or place the plastic-wrapped cake in a plastic freezer bag or freezer-safe container. Freeze it for up to 3 months. Thaw it in the fridge overnight.
More Cake Recipes with Fruit
Find lots of delicious and easy cake and dessert recipes right here on 2CM!
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Banana Roll
Equipment
Ingredients
Banana Sponge Cake
- ¾ cup flour
- ¾ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 large eggs separated
- 1 cup granulated sugar divided
- 2 very ripe bananas mashed
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Filling
- 8 ounces cream cheese softened
- 6 Tablespoons butter room temperature
- 1 cup powdered sugar + more for dusting on top
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Garnish: powdered sugar, chocolate sauce, chopped nuts
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F
- Grease a 15 x 10-inch jelly roll pan, line with parchment paper then grease and flour parchment paper.
- Sprinkle a clean kitchen towel (linen or cotton) lightly with powdered sugar and set aside.
Banana Sponge Cake
- In a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together.
- In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat egg whites until soft peaks form then add ½ cup sugar and continue until the whites form stiff peaks. Set aside.
- In another bowl, beat egg yolks and the remaining ½ cup sugar until thick.
- Continue to beat the egg yolks while adding mashed bananas and vanilla extract. Beat until well mixed.
- Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients.
- Gently fold in egg whites.
- Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Make sure to get it into each of the corners.
- Bake for 13 to 15 minutes or until the top of cake springs back when touched lightly or you can check to see if the cake is pulling away slightly from sides of pan..
- When cake is done, remove from oven, place powdered sugar-covered towel over the cake then place another cookie sheet on top (with flat bottom facing cake). Flip over carefully. Remove parchment paper.
- Spray a clean piece of parchment paper with nonstick spray and place over the warm cake, sprayed side down. Roll cake with towel and paper immediately starting from the narrow end. Place on a wire rack to cool completely.
- While the cake is cooling, make the filling.
Cream Cheese Filling
- Beat the softened cream cheese, butter, and vanilla extract until smooth,
- Add in the powdered sugar as you continue to beat. You may need slightly more powdered sugar to reach the right spreading consistency.
To finish:
- Carefully unwrap the cake. Remove the parchment paper from the top but leave it on the linen towel.
- Spread the cream cheese mixture smoothly and evenly over the cake.
- Roll the cake back up using the linen towel to help you lift the cake without breaking it and to keep the roll even.
- Place carefully on a long white serving plate. Let it chill in the refrigerator at least 2 hours or overnight.
- When ready to serve, let sit for 5-10 minutes, then sprinkle with powdered sugar. Drizzle with chocolate or caramel sauce and chopped nuts. Or opt for just whipped cream and banana slices. Cut into slices to serve.
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