Strawberry Shortcake is a classic Japanese celebration cake that is enjoyed all year round, especially on Christmas. Fluffy, melt in the mouth sponge cake with layers of fresh whipped cream and packed with delicious strawberries, there's nothing not to like about Japanese Strawberry Shortcake!
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Strawberry Shortcake
Where did it come from?
It is said that the first strawberry shortcake recipe was found in an English cook book from 1588. Shortcake in the UK usually refers to more of a biscuit (cookie) a little similar to shortbread. But the base of a strawberry shortcake as we know it, is made of a light Italian sponge cake called "genoise".
Genoise
Genoise sponge is light and fluffy, but also rich and moist. What sets it aside from a regular sponge cake is the use of butter to make it richer and more flavourful. It also uses eggs as the only rising agent, no need for baking soda or baking powder in this recipe.
Christmas Cake in Japan
Although Strawberry Shortcake or "Ichigo Shōtokēki" (苺ショートケーキ) is enjoyed during birthdays and other celebrations in Japan, its true time to shine is at Christmas. It might be very different to the raisin filled cakes you find in Europe, but the snowy white whipped cream and bright red strawberries really scream Christmas. It's a beautiful, elegant and festive dessert for sure.
Christmas in Japan
Christmas in Japan is very different to anywhere else. Firstly, it's considered a holiday for kids (presents!) and couples. It doesn't carry any religious meaning here, rather, Christmas is a time to spread happiness. We also usually celebrate on Christmas Eve rather than Christmas Day itself. And the most Christmassy food to us is Kentucky Fried Chicken and Strawberry Shortcake!
Christmas Cake
Traditionally, Japanese homes don't have ovens (although, it's changing in recent years) and so many people don't make strawberry shortcake from scratch. In fact, if you visit a Japanese supermarket near Christmas time, you will find lots of plain sponge cake bases and decorations for if you want to assemble your own Christmas cake. Of course you can just buy them too, but where's the fun in that?
Making the Sponge
The sponge is probably the most important part of strawberry shortcake.
I can't lie, making the perfect sponge cake can take quite a few attempts because ovens vary and you might need to change the heat or baking times. But I have lots of advice for you and if you follow this recipe as closely as possible, I promise you, you'll have a melt in the mouth, fluffy sponge that will surely impress your friends and family.
Equipment
So first, I recommend a few pieces of kitchen equipment for this recipe.
- Electric hand whisk - sure, it's possible to make it without one. But you run the risk of not getting enough air into your mixture and it takes a lot longer too. (If you want to try making it by hand, try buying a balloon whisk. It's especially for getting air into meringues and cakes by hand.)
- Cake tin with a removable base (See example - affiliate link) this will make it easier to remove your cake from the mould without damaging it.
- Silicone spatula - for gentle mixing.
- Icing spatula - in a pinch you can use a knife but it's harder to make it neat.
- Piping bag with star nozzle
Tips
I have made this recipe tonnes of times and here are the techniques that have worked for me!
Meringue
Getting Ready
I like to have my ingredients all measured out and ready. Egg whites in a bowl, with the lemon juice, sugar and yolks in arms reach. Make sure your bowl and whisk are clean and properly dry. If you just washed it, dry it thoroughly with a paper towel. Drops of water can affect your meringue.
Room temperature eggs
Eggs at room temperature tend to fluff up nicer than cold ones. That being said, it's easier to separate the eggs when they are cold. I usually break the eggs whites and egg yolks into two separate bowls, cover them in cling film or a damp dish towel and let them reach room temperature.
Adding lemon to the egg whites
Many people use cream of tartar to stabilize egg whites but its personally not something I keep in my cupboard. I tried both and didn't see a significant difference in the looks, but the one with lemon juice tasted better.
Soft peaks or stiff peaks?
This recipe requires you to make meringue with the egg whites. My first tip is to whisk the egg whites with the lemon juice until they have doubled in size, then add the sugar in one third at a time. I personally whisk the egg whites until they are firm peaks. This means when you take the whisk out, the peak of the meringue should point up straight rather than folding over.
Other Ingredients
How to add the yolks
I've seen lots of sponge cake recipes with different methods, but I personally find adding the yolks one by one to the meringue after it has reached stiff peaks works best. Continue mixing with the electric mixer until the egg yolks are incorporated.
Flour
First, make sure you're using a weak flour, preferably cake flour.
I like to sift the flour twice, then once more when adding it to the cake batter. This makes the flour light and airy.
When adding the flour to the batter, I add it in thirds and mix gently with a spatula in-between. This helps keep as much air in the cake batter as possible.
Adding the butter
I usually melt my butter in the microwave first (40 seconds 600W) and then leave it in a warm place like on top of the preheating oven. When I'm ready to mix it in, I add 1 tbsp of milk a spoonful of the cake batter and whisk it with the butter. This will make it easier to incorporate with the rest of the cake batter, protecting those precious air bubbles.
Bam!
Before putting the sponge cake in the oven, I drop it on the counter top from about 10cm high twice. This sends the air to the surface and helps prevent sinking cakes. Then when you take it out of the oven after it's baked, drop it once from about 20cm to shock it and stop it from shrinking.
Flip it onto a wire rack and take it out of the tin straight away. Cool it upside down and don't peel off the baking paper until its cooled down. All these techniques are to prevent shrinking and sinking.
Oven tips
All ovens are different and sponge cake recipes tend to recommend between 160°C and 180°C (320°F - 356°F). It might take a few tries to get the temperature perfect as all ovens run at slightly different temperatures. I used a tall 15cm (6 inch) cake tin so I cook mine at 180°C for 23 minutes. I made a handy guide for different cake tin sizes! This is based on cooking at 180°C in an electric fan oven. (If you're cooking a bigger cake you might want to try decreasing the temperature if you find it browns too quickly)
Troubleshooting
Why is my sponge dense?
This is often to do with the meringue. If you don't whisk it enough then there won't be enough air to make it rise. That said, the same goes if you mix it too much. If you whisk too much after it gets firm peaks, you will start losing air too.
It could also be mixing the batter too much after adding the flour and butter. Stop using a whisk and switch to a silicone spatula after you've added the egg yolks.
Why did it shrink/sink?
Shrinkage can happen if your oven temperature is too high or cooked for too long. If you see the cake shrinking in the oven and its already golden brown, take it out.
It can also be because it's undercooked. Do not be tempted to open the oven while it's cooking. If you want to check it, at least don't open the oven until it's golden on top and pierce with a toothpick when you take it out, if it comes out clean then it's cooked.
Also, don't forget to drop the cake tin on a hard surface before and after putting it in the oven! The first time moves the air bubbles to the top and the drop after baking shocks the cake. It shouldn't shrink too much after that.
The top is cracked
The surface being cracked usually means that the temperature is too high so the top cooked too quickly and then ripped when the middle expanded. I cook my sponge at 180°C (356°F) but if it doesn't work for you, try lowering the temperature.
The top is too round
I cool the cake upside down to flatten it out. And you can cut it off too or use the bottom as the top when adding the whipped cream. You can also use this cut off to test the taste and fluffiness of your cake before decorating.
I hope this post helps you make the perfect sponge cake! If you have anymore questions, comment below and I'll do my best to help you!
Watch our video for how to make Japanese Christmas Cake (strawberry shortcake)
Step by step recipe
Fluffy Japanese Christmas Cake (Strawberry Shortcake)
- Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
- Yield: 1 cake 1x
Description
How to make light and fluffy Japanese Christmas Cake (strawberry shortcake) with homemade whipped cream and fresh strawberries.
Ingredients
Sponge Cake
15cm (6") cake tin (see post for different size cake tins)
- 2 eggs
- 60g caster sugar
- ½ tsp lemon juice
- 60g cake flour
- 20g butter
- 1 tbsp milk
Syrup
- 20g caster sugar
- 40ml water
- 1 tbsp your chosen liqueur (see note)
Topping / Filling
- 300g heavy cream (double cream, 45%)
- 3 tbsp powdered sugar
- A few drops of vanilla extract
- 250g strawberries (about 12 small - medium sized strawberries)
- Mint leaves (optional)
Instructions
- Measure out all of your sponge ingredients and leave them out for 30 minutes. (not the cream for whipping though) It is important that all of your sponge cake ingredients are at room temperature. You can crack the eggs while they're cold (they will separate more easily). Whites in a large bowl mixing bowl, yolks in small bowl. Make sure they're covered so they don't dry out.
- Grease your cake tin with a thin layer of butter over the base and sides and line it with parchment paper.
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (356°F) - see note.
- Add your lemon juice to the egg whites and mix using an electric mixer. Whisk until foamy and doubled in size.
- Add the caster sugar to the egg whites, one third at a time. Make sure it's fully incorporated before adding the next third.
- Keep whisking until you reach stiff peaks. This means your meringue will be glossy and the peaks will point up without folding over. Stop as soon as you get to this point.
- Add the egg yolks one at a time, continue to use the electric whisk to incorporate each egg yolk completely before adding the next one.
- Once incorporated, remove the whisk.
- Sift your flour into a separate bowl twice. On the third time, sift one third of it into the egg mixture and fold gently with a silicone spatula. Repeat this for the next two thirds of flour.
- Melt your butter for 40 seconds (600W) in the microwave.
- Add 1 tbsp milk and mix with the butter.
- Add a spoonful of the cake batter to the butter and mix well.
- Pour the butter mixture into the cake batter and fold in gently with the spatula.
- Pour the mixture into your cake tin and smooth the top.
- Drop the cake tin onto a hard surface from about 10cm (4 inches) high. Repeat and then put straight into the oven for 20-30 minutes. (Check the cake after 20 minutes and remove once it's golden brown. I take the cake out at 23-24 minutes but ovens vary.)
Cooling
- When the sponge is cooked, take it out from the oven and drop it on a hard surface from about 20cm high (8 inches). This will shock the cake and stop it from shrinking.
- Turn upside down onto a wire rack and remove the cake tin. (Be careful, it's hot!)
- Leave to cool for an hour or so.
Syrup
- In a small pan, add 20g caster sugar, 40ml of water and 1 tbsp of a liqueur of your choice. (You can omit the liqueur if you don't want alcohol on the cake)
- Turn on to a medium heat and stir continuously.
- Keep stirring until the sugar is dissolved.
- Allow to bubble for a minute and then remove it from the heat.
Prepping Strawberries
- Wash your strawberries and dry them thoroughly with a paper towel. (This will stop any excess liquid mixing in with your cream and also stop the strawberries going mouldy.)
- Divide your strawberries so that the most beautiful ones will go on top. Trim off the stalks and place on a plate lined with kitchen paper to absorb the extra moisture from the strawberries. I recommend 7-9 for decorating the top of the cake.
- Cut the stems off the remaining strawberries and cut them into slices. How thick you cut them depends on your preference.
Whipping Cream
- Take a large bowl and add a few handfuls of ice.
- Take a smaller bowl and place it on top of the ice.
- Pour in your 300ml cream. Add 3 tbsp powdered sugar and a few drops of vanilla extract.
- Use an electric whisk (or balloon whisk if you're whisking by hand) and whip until the cream has peaks and becomes spreadable.
Assembling
- Take the cake and peel off the baking paper.
- Cut the top off the cake to make it flat and cut it in half horizontally. (I use a piece of wood as a guide to cut it evenly. You can also use the tooth pick. Measure your cake half way up and place toothpicks around the edge. Cut along them for a guide.)
- Place one half of the cake onto an easy to move surface (I use a paper plate.)
- Take a pastry brush, and brush the syrup on top of the sponge. (Be quite generous)
- Add 2-3 dollops of whipped cream to the middle and spread it out to the edges using a spatula.
- Place the sliced strawberries on top of the cream.
- Add another 2-3 spoonful's of cream and spread it out to the edges.
- Place the next sponge cake on top and again, brush with the syrup.
- Add about 4-5 scoops of whipped cream to the middle and spread it out and over the edges. This is a crumb coat so scrape off any excess into a separate bowl so that crumbs don't mix in with the rest of the cream.
- Whip up the cream a little bit more to make it a bit thicker and then add ¾ of it to the top of the sponge. Spread neatly using an icing spatula (or knife).
- Put the remaining cream into a piping bag with a star nozzle, and add swirls to the top of the cake. Decorate with strawberries, mint leaves and any other Christmassy decorations you might have!
- Enjoy!
Notes
The liqueur in the syrup is optional, you can omit completely. I use Grand Marnier orange liqueur.
All ovens are different and sponge cake recipes usually recommend a temperature between 160°C and 180°C (320°F - 356°F).
You can freeze this cake for up to one month or just the sponge for up to 3 months. I recommend freezing the sponge and making the whipped cream fresh.
You can also use the sponge for other desserts such as tiramisu or trifle!
- Prep Time: 1 hour
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Sweets
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Japanese
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