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Japanese strawberry shortcake was the first cake I attempted to make on my own. Looking back, I should have definitely started with something a little easier. The cake looked great, but it was so incredibly dense I could have thrown it and put a hole in the wall. I took it to a party and although everyone was nice about it, I’m pretty sure their jaws were feeling the pain. Since then it has gotten much better, but I was always need to fully concentrate or I mess it up. On numerous occasions I forgot all about the simple syrup. We have ended up pouring it on after the cake had been constructed. Then there’s the whipped cream…I’ve ended up having clumpy unflavored gelatin in the whipped cream. So yea, it’s been a journey in perfecting this cake.

The Japanese strawberry shortcake is a bit different than the strawberry shortcake you would eat in the US. The American version isn’t really a cake since it uses sweet biscuits with whipped cream and strawberries. The Japanese version uses sponge cake, layered with whipped cream and strawberries. Like other western influenced dishes in Japan, the origin of the dish came from another country and over time it has evolved to fit the Japanese palate. In Japan, you’ll find this cake in almost every cake shop. It’s the most popular cake!

So, the hardest part, in my opinion is making the sponge cake. If you’re looking to throw around some sponge cake and cause some damage, go crazy mixing the cake batter. I didn’t realize until later that over mixing is what caused my cake from 10 years ago to be amazingly dense. The egg whites needs to be mixed thoroughly so it gets nice and fluffy, but after that all the other ingredients need to be folded in gently so that you don’t loose the fluffiness.

Next, the whipped cream. The recipe calls for unflavored gelatin to add a bit of stiffness and that has become my enemy. You dissolve the gelatin, but for some reason, I have ended up with clumpy gelatin in my whipped cream. It’s unflavored so there’s no taste, but I’ve had to tell my cake eaters that it’s nothing to worry about and it definitely doesn’t make the cake look pretty.

The easiest part is making the simple syrup. You just need to heat up sugar and water. But for some reason I always forget to brush it on the cake. I’ve had it sitting right in front of me and I’ve still forgotten it. I literally have to keep saying “simple syrup”, “simple syrup”, “simple syrup” when I start constructing the cake so I don’t forget.

This is the perfect cake if you don’t have much of a sweet tooth. My son doesn’t eat much sweets, but has requested this cake for his birthday for the last 3 years. I’m hoping by his 10th birthday I’ll really perfect it!

Ingredients:

• Sponge Cake
  • 4 eggs
  • 120 grams of granulated sugar
  • 120 grams of cake flour
  • 3 tbsp of whole milk (room temperature)
  • 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
  • 22 grams of melted & cooled unsalted butter
• Whipped Cream
  • 1 tsp of unflavored gelatin
  • 4 tsp of cold water
  • 1 cup heavy whipping cream
  • 1/4 of powdered sugar
  • 1/2 tsp of vanilla extract
• Simple Syrup
  • 1/4 of granulated sugar
  • 1/4 of water
• 6-8 fresh strawberries

Recipe:

Sponge cake

• Separate the egg yolks and egg whites. Beat the egg whites and granulate sugar until it’s nice and fluffy. Add the egg yolks and gently mix until it’s incorporated.
• Add the whole milk, vanilla extract, and cake flour to the egg mixture. Fold them in, DO NOT mix. It will take a decent amount of time folding to make sure the flour is incorporated into the mixture.
• Add the melted butter and again fold into the batter.
• Line the bottom of the cake pan with parchment paper. Butter the sides of the cake pan and dust on the cake flour.
• Pour the cake batter into the prepared cake pan. Drop the cake pan on the counter a few times before putting it in the oven to rid of any air bubbles.
• Place in preheated oven for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.
• When the cake is done, place it on a cooling rack in the pan until cool.

Whipped cream

• Sprinkle the unflavored gelatin onto cold water in a small saucepan. Let is sit for about 5 minutes.
• After 5 minutes, place the saucepan on the stove top at low heat.
• When the gelatin has dissolved remove from the heat and let it cool to room temperature.
• In a mixture, mix the whipping cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla extract until it gets slightly stiff.
• Lower the mixing speed and add the dissolved gelatin in with the cream mixture.
• Beat on high until it gets stiff.
• Place the whipped cream in the refrigerator.

Simple syrup:

• Add the granulated sugar to the water.
• Bring the water to boil, don’t forget to stir. After bringing it to boil, remove from the heat and cool.

Building the Cake:

• Once the cake has cooled, slice in half to form the cake.
• Brush a generous amount of simple syrup on the cut side of the bottom half of the cake. Then spread a thin layer of the whipped cream. Place sliced strawberries on the layer of whipped cream. Add another layer of whipped cream on top of the strawberries.
• Place the top half of the cake back on. Brush a generous amount of the simple syrup on the top part of the cake.
• Spread the whipped cream on the top and sides of the cake.
• Halve the strawberries or keep it whole and decorate the cake.
• DONE!