Australian Lamington Swiss Roll Recipe – Classic Coconut & Chocolate Cake

In celebration of Australia Day (Jan 26) I made a Lamington roll cake. Missed the holiday? No problem — a Lamington roll cake is delicious any day of the year.

What’s a Lamington Roll Cake?

A Lamington roll cake is a soft sponge baked in a thin sheet, filled with jam and whipped cream, rolled up, then coated in chocolate sauce and rolled in coconut.

It’s a delightful twist on the classic Australian Lamington — those familiar squares of sponge or butter cake dunked in chocolate and coconut.

What makes this version special is how the jam inside and the chocolate outside soak into the sponge, creating layers of flavor and a pleasant, moist texture.

This cake is straightforward to make from scratch. The process breaks down into three main steps:

• Make the sponge cake.
• Whip the cream, prepare the chocolate sauce, and get the coconut ready.
• Assemble and coat the rolled cake.

The batter comes together quickly, and the cake bakes in about 10 minutes. Whipping the cream is fast, and the chocolate sauce takes only a few minutes on the stove. The most challenging part is letting the rolled cake cool before finishing and serving.

What You Need

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup strawberry jam (or your favorite flavor)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded or desiccated unsweetened coconut
• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar (for chocolate sauce)
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/3 cup milk

Kitchen Tools

• Mixing bowls
• Sifter
• Hand mixer or stand mixer
• Spatula
• 10 x 12 inch (25 x 30 cm) jelly roll pan
• Parchment paper
• Clean tea towel (for rolling while warm)
• Wire cooling rack
• Palette knife
• Serving platter

How to Make an Australian Lamington Roll Cake

Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C).

Beat 3 eggs in a stand mixer (with the whisk attachment) or with a hand mixer until light and foamy. Add 1/2 cup sugar one tablespoon at a time while continuing to beat.

Sift 2/3 cup flour and 1 tablespoon cornstarch into a bowl, then gently fold the dry ingredients into the egg mixture using a spatula. Pour the batter into a parchment-lined 10 x 12 inch (25 x 30 cm) jelly roll pan and spread it evenly.

Bake for about 10 minutes, until the cake is dry to the touch and springs back slightly.

While the cake bakes, lay a clean tea towel on the counter and dust it generously with powdered sugar to prevent sticking.

When the cake is done, carefully turn it out onto the sugared towel and peel off the parchment. Place the parchment back over the top, then roll the cake up with the towel on the bottom and the parchment on top. Rolling while warm helps the cake hold its shape and prevents cracking. Let the rolled cake cool completely.

While the cake cools, whip 1 cup heavy cream to stiff peaks.

To make the chocolate sauce, combine 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 cup cocoa powder, 1 tablespoon butter, and 1/3 cup milk in a double boiler or in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water. Stir until the butter melts and the mixture is smooth and glossy.

Assembling the cake: carefully unroll the cooled cake and spread the 1/4 cup jam over the surface, leaving a small border around the edges. Spread a thick, even layer of whipped cream on top of the jam. A narrow margin around the edges helps prevent the cream from spilling out when rolling.

Roll the cake up again and place it seam-side down on a wire rack set over a sheet of wax or parchment paper to catch drips. Spoon the chocolate sauce over the top and sides until the cake is thoroughly coated. Immediately sprinkle the unsweetened shredded or desiccated coconut over the cake to adhere to the chocolate.

Let the coated cake set, then slice and serve.

This recipe produces a light, not overly sweet cake with a lovely balance of jam, whipped cream, chocolate, and coconut. It keeps well in the fridge covered with plastic wrap for up to five days.

If you try this Lamington roll cake, let me know how it turns out!

Yield: 8 servings

Australian Lamington Roll Cake

Celebrate Australia Day—or any day—with this classic roll cake.

Prep Time
30 minutes

Bake Time
10 minutes

Cooling Time
30 minutes

Total Time
1 hour 10 minutes

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2/3 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/4 cup strawberry jam
• 1 1/2 cups shredded, unsweetened coconut

Chocolate Sauce

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/3 cup milk

Instructions

1. Heat oven to 400°F / 204°C.
2. Beat eggs until light and fluffy, then add sugar one tablespoon at a time.
3. Sift flour and cornstarch and gently fold into the batter.
4. Pour batter into a 10 x 12 inch (25 x 30 cm) jelly roll pan lined with parchment.
5. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the cake springs back slightly.
6. Place a sugared tea towel on the counter, turn the warm cake onto it, peel off the parchment, then roll the cake with the towel inside and parchment outside; let cool completely rolled up.
7. Whip heavy cream to stiff peaks. Unroll the cooled cake, spread jam, then whipped cream, leaving a small border around the edges.
8. Roll the cake again and set seam-side down on a wire rack over a sheet to catch drips.
9. Make the chocolate sauce by stirring powdered sugar, cocoa, butter, and milk together over simmering water until smooth.
10. Spoon the chocolate sauce over the cake and immediately cover with coconut.
11. Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes

Based on a classic lamington roll recipe.