Bring on summer and my Pimms Roulade. Spring is in the air and it’s the perfect time to start with the summer roulade bakes! I adore Pimm’s and use strawberries, cucumber and mint with everything I can. This easy Pimm’s cake looks so fancy but is simple and fun to make at home.
The Pimms roulade cake is very fresh, fruity and with a touch of alcohol, this cake will be a great centrepiece for parties, barbecues and summer events. It will also be a perfect thing to make to enjoy while watching the tennis Championships from Wimbledon. It is definitely served best with a glass of Pimm’s in the sunshine. My Pimm’s Roulade looks hard but is a lot easier to make and tastes brilliant.
Why you’ll love this Pimms Roulade recipe
- Pimms is perfect as is, it’s light and fresh and smells like summer. It works so well for a cake drizzle.
- You’ll love this recipe because it’s so simple but looks stunning, it makes an amazing picnic or summer party centrepiece. Pimms Roulade is definitely my summer recipe this year.
- You can make the Pimms Roulade in advance.
Top Questions for Pimms Roulade
Can I make a roulade the day before?
What is Pimms drink made of?
Is Pimms alcoholic?
How to decorate a Pimms cake?
What is the difference between a Swiss roll and a roulade?
Making a summer roulade
Roulades look hard but although they can be tricky they are fun to make. Keeping the cake sponge moist is a really important part of the rolling. If it dries out then it might crack. Even if it does crack there is nothing wrong it will still taste wonderful and be absolutely delicious.
Pimm’s meet cake.
With Pimms having such an incredible flavour it makes it the best choice for a summer roulade. The boozy Pimms cake gives you the most iconic flavours in cake form. The soft roulade sponge absorbs the Pimms drizzle and the centre of infused fruit with cream is calling out to be eaten. The smell will entice you in and the fresh fruit will attract your eye. Once you taste it you will want seconds!
For this recipe, I tested out the new roulade tin from OXO Good Grips. It was a brilliantly non-stick and although I overfilled the tin a little, which resulted in a bit of a thicker roulade than planned. It still rolled beautifully and tasted great – and that’s the main point! A lovely tin.
Let’s get ready to roll…
Ingredients
For the full recipe and instructions scroll to the bottom of the page for the recipe card.
JAM
Like any good cake, jam is the perfect partner to whipped cream. It holds the roll together and adds another fruity taste to the Pimms Roulade. I used strawberry jam fr this recipe as it blends with the Pimms soaked fruit but you could use raspberry jam or even marmalade.
STRAWBERRIES
It isn’t Pimms without strawberries! Summer berries are perfect for almost every sweet recipe but a Pimm’s soaked strawberry atop this summer roulade cake… mm! Pass me another slice! Just chop them into medium-sized chunks and soak them in the Pimms, along with the mint leaves and some cucumber for freshness.
Of course… Pimm’s!
How to make Pimms Roulade – step by step
Before you start, preheat your oven and grease your tin.
- Add the eggs and sugar to a heatproof bowl and place over simmering water. Make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
- Whisk until the sugar has dissolved.
- Remove from the heat and continue to whisk. Whisk on high for 5 minutes and then reduce for 3 minutes until the mixture has tripled in size.
- Sieve the flour into a bowl and then gently fold into the egg and butter mix.
- Melt the butter and add a spoonful of the egg mix to it and stir before folding it back into the mix.
- Spoon into the roulade tin and bake for 15 minutes.
- When the roulade has cooked, remove it from the oven, and cover it with a slightly damp tea towel. This will help it stay soft and easy to roll.
After Cooking
- While it’s baking cut up a few strawberries, a quarter of a cucumber and a few mint leaves and soak it with the Pimm’s.
- Once the roulade has cooled completely turn out onto a piece of greaseproof paper.
- Spread a layer of jam on the roulade, whisked double cream and soaked fruits.
- Save the Pimms. Using the leftover Pimm’s drizzle it over the roulade.
- Using the greaseproof paper for grip start rolling.
- Add the remaining cream to the cake and stud with more strawberries, cucumber and mint.
Enjoy it straight away!
Top Tips
- Place a warm damp tea towel over your freshly baked Pimms roulade cake, this will help keep it soft and ready for rolling. Make sure you also keep it on the greaseproof (parchment) paper as this will make rolling much easier!
- Cracks might happen! If this is your first summer roulade cake then it’s probably not going to be your best. But don’t worry, if you struggle with making the roulade, then just cut your sheet cake into 2 or 3 and tack it like a normal cake. You can add the soaked berries, jam and double cream to each layer. I promise it will still be delicious.
Pimms Roulade Serving Suggestions
In the sun, with a big glass of Pimms and a healthy dose of friends and family. I cannot wait to hear laughter radiating from the neighbouring gardens again this year. It just feels the air with joy.
You could try adding a scoop of vanilla to your summer berries roulade for an especially refreshing dessert. Or even your favourite flavour ( I love triple chocolate but my friends have been partial to rum and raisin).
Equipment
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- Roulade tin (I used a 33cm x 23cm)
- Mixing bowl
- Electric whisk
- Kitchen Scales
- Spoon
Pimms Roulade Substitutions and variations
WINTER BERRIES
Spiced rum is one of my favourite spirits, it’s warm and full of flavour! It would pair perfectly with a roulade cake, simply soak blackberries, cherries and your other favourite wintery fruit in the spiced rum and then follow the recipe as normal. You could use blackberry jam instead of strawberry jam too!
APPLE AND CINNAMON
If Autumn is upon us by the time you’ve got through all my summer recipes then swap out the berries for some caramelised apples with cinnamon. Then instead of Pimms use an apple gin, you can even cook the apples in gin to cook off the alcohol.
Storing / Making ahead of time options
This Pimms Roulade is best eaten fresh on the day you bake it. It can be kept for a day or two in an airtight container in the fridge but I doubt you’ll have any left, trust me.
Pimms Roulade FAQS
Can I make a roulade the day before?
You can make a roulade the day before but it’s best eaten on the day you make it. It will keep if you have some leftovers. Just keep it in the fridge in an airtight container.
What is Pimms drink made of?
Pimm’s is a famous British gin-based liqueur which is an icon of a British summer. It has a bitter taste which goes with herbs and citrus. You top the Pimms up with lemonade to add the sweetness. It’s best served as a tall drink and with a garnish of fresh strawberries, mint and usually a slice of orange.
Is Pimms alcoholic?
Yes, it is, Pimms is 25% alcohol so can very strong. For this recipe, I used it neat as it was being used to soak the fruit in before it went into the centre of the boozy Pimms cake. There are only about 2 portions of Pimms in this cake so it won’t get you drunk but it will have incredible Pimms flavours throughout.
How to decorate a Pimms cake?
The best way to decorate a Pimm’s cake is with lots of the iconic fruit it’s usually served with. I would recommend lots of double creams, whipped up – it helps hold the fresh fruit. Plus using the double cream doesn’t have too strong of a taste so you won’t take anything away from the Pimms flavour.
For the cucumber and strawberries, I used a small cookie cutter in the shape of a star. After cutting slices of the cucumber I punched out the shapes. I ate the offcuts to make sure no waste. For the strawberries, I sliced them up to keep them large but sometimes I use a cookie cutter to make them into hearts like you can do in my how to make strawberries into hearts here.
Add a few mints leaves too just like when you get the glass of Pimms at a party. The strawberries, cucumber and mint are such bright colours and they look incredible on a plate. This really is a show stopper dessert and the boozy Pimms cake will be the joy of your summer.
What is the difference between a Swiss roll and a roulade?
The main difference between a Swiss Rolls and a Roulade is that a swiss roll is always a sponge cake with filling filled through. However, a Roulade can be any spiralled dessert, pastry, cake or even bread!
Disclaimer – I was given the roulade tin to use. The recipe and opinions are my own.
Other Recipes you might like
Other Pimm’s Recipes
Recipes perfect for Wimbledon fortnight
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Pimms Roulade Recipe
Pimm’s Roulade
Equipment
- roulade tin (approx 33 x 23cm)
- Spoon
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter for greasing
- 4 eggs
- 100 g caster sugar
- 100 g plain flour / all purpose flour
- 30 g unsalted butter
- 400 ml double cream / heavy cream
- strawberry or berry jam
- strawberries
- cucumber
- 50 ml Pimm’s
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180ºC (160 fan) degrees.
- Line and grease a roulade tin.
- Add the eggs and sugar to a heatproof bowl and place over simmering water making sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water.
- Whisk until the sugar has dissolved and the mix is warm.
- Remove from the heat and using an electric whisk, whisk on high for for 5 minutes and then reduce to a low speed for 3 minutes until the mixture has tripled in size.
- Sieve the flour into a bowl and then gently fold into the egg and butter mix.
- Melt the butter and add a spoonful of the egg mix to it and stir before folding it back into the egg/butter/flour mix.
- Spoon into the roulade tin and bake for for 15 minutes.
- When the roulade has cooked, remove from the oven, cover with a slightly damp tea towel. This will help it stay soft and easy to roll.
- While it’s baking cut up a few strawberries (4-8), a quarter of a cucumber and a few mint leaves and mix together with the Pimm’s.
- Once the roulade has cooled turn out on to a piece of greaseproof paper. This will help you to roll it.
- Spread a layer of jam on the roulade.
- Whisk up the double cream until it’s thick and holds it’s peaks. Spread a layer on top of the jam.
- Add the Pimm’s soaked strawberries, cucumber and mint mix. Save the Pimm’s for later.
- Using the greaseproof paper for grip start rolling.
- Using the left over Pimm’s drizzle it over the roulade.
- Add the remaining cream to the cake and stud with more strawberries, cucumber and mint.
- Enjoy it straight away. If you do have any left over store in the fridge in an air tight container.
Video
Notes
- If you don’t have Pimm’s you can use any summer cup or even Sipsmith’s London Cup.
Nutrition
Please note that the nutrition information provided above is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
I love the look of your Pimms roulade Sisley, particularly the cucumber stars which are so cute! The filling looks so refreshing and perfect for summer with a glass of Pimms.
Thank you. Any opportunity to add stars and I’m there! It’s so easy to do with a cookie cutter too. Worth the extra few minutes.
Sisley, your roulade looks fantastic! So summery and perfect for a garden party. I love OXO products and didn’t know you could even get a special roulade pan!
That is so kind of you to say. It’s a great pan. Definitely worth trying out. Brilliantly non stick.
What a gorgeous looking bake! I have one of those OXO swiss roll tins I’m yet to try out – must test it with your recipe!
Thank you <3 It is a great bake and I can't wait to make it again this bank holiday weekend
This is such a great idea and perfect for a summer BBQ dessert. Love the video, so clever, 10 out of 10:-)
Thank you Camilla. That means so much coming from you.
Wow! Such a fabulous looking bake, and a great take on Pimms! I love a roulade and this would be perfect for the summer 🙂
Thank you. It’s a favourite bake of mine now and I can’t wait to make it again x