A Swiss roll, jelly roll, or cream roll is a type of sponge cake roll filled with whipped cream, jam, or icing. The origins of the term are unclear. In spite of the name "Swiss roll", the cake originated in Central Europe[citation needed] rather than Switzerland as the name would suggest. It appears to have been invented in the nineteenth century, along with Battenberg, doughnuts and Victoria sponge.
The shape of the Swiss roll has inspired usage as a descriptive term in other fields, such as in optics and many forms of the term "jelly roll".