Description
This Japanese Strawberry Cake is a delicate and fluffy sponge cake layered with lightly sweetened whipped cream and fresh macerated strawberries. Featuring a moist cake base baked in a water bath for tenderness, it’s filled and frosted with smooth whipped cream, then decorated with juicy strawberries for a light, refreshing dessert perfect for special occasions.
Ingredients
Scale
Cake
- 80 g (1/3 cup) whole milk
- 50 g (3 1/2 tablespoons) unsalted butter
- 75 g (1/2 cup + 1/2 tablespoon) cake flour
- 4 large egg yolks
- 4 large egg whites
- 70 g (5 1/2 tablespoons) sugar (caster sugar if available)
Strawberries
- 12 oz to 1 lb (340 g to 450 g) strawberries, divided
- 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
Whipped Cream Frosting
- 280 g (10 oz) heavy whipping cream
- 2 tablespoons confectioners sugar
- 3/4 teaspoon gelatin (Optional)
- 2 tablespoons cold water (Optional)
Cake Syrup
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 3 tablespoons hot water
Instructions
- Prepare the cake: Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of an 8” round cake pan and line the pan with it. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Prepare a high-walled pan or baking dish for a water bath that fits your cake pan. Boil water enough to cover 1 inch of the pan. If using a springform pan, wrap the outside with foil to prevent leaks. Combine milk and butter in a heatproof bowl and microwave until melted, then sift cake flour into the mixture and mix gently until smooth. Add egg yolks and mix until combined.
- Beat egg whites: In a clean bowl or stand mixer, beat egg whites at medium-high speed until frothy. Gradually add sugar while beating until glossy medium peaks form. Fold 1/4 of the beaten whites into the yolk mixture until smooth; then fold this mixture back into the remaining whites until just combined, avoiding overmixing.
- Bake the cake: Pour batter into the lined pan and drop the pan twice from 5 inches height onto the table to release large bubbles. Place the cake pan in the water bath pan, add hot water to cover 1 inch, and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes until a skewer comes out clean and edges pull away. Do not open the oven for the first hour. Release cake from pan edges with a knife and cool completely on a rack.
- Prepare macerated strawberries: Slice 8 oz (225 g) strawberries into 1/4 inch slices. Toss with 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar and let sit for 1-2 hours until glossy and sweet. Remove strawberries from liquid and reserve the syrup. Combine cake syrup sugar and hot water, dissolve sugar; optionally mix in reserved strawberry liquid for extra flavor and slight pink tint.
- Prepare whipped cream: For stabilized cream, soak gelatin in cold water 5 minutes, then melt gently. Whip heavy cream with confectioners sugar until very soft peaks form. Mix a scoop of cream into melted gelatin, then add back to whipped cream and whip briefly to soft peaks. For regular cream, whip heavy cream with confectioners sugar to firm peaks.
- Assemble the cake: After cooling, mark cake height with toothpicks and slice off the browned top, discarding it. Slice cake into two even layers. Place bottom layer cut side up on stand, brush with syrup. Flip top layer upside down and brush with syrup. Spread whipped cream thinly on bottom layer, arrange macerated strawberries evenly, spread more cream over strawberries, then place top layer on. Cover cake with thin layer of cream, smoothing edges. Add a thicker final layer of cream and smooth. Use remaining cream to pipe decorations if desired.
- Decorate and chill: Arrange remaining strawberries on top as decoration. If using stabilized cream, refrigerate uncovered for at least 30 minutes to set. If using regular cream, serve immediately or refrigerate and serve within a few hours. For best texture with stabilized cream, let cake return to room temperature about 1 hour before serving.
Notes
- If you don’t have a rotating cake stand, you can improvise by placing a flat plate or removable pie pan bottom on top of an inverted bowl or cake pan to help with smooth frosting.
- Do not open the oven during the first hour of baking to prevent the cake from collapsing.
- Stabilized cream sets better for piping and longer display but should not be made far in advance to avoid setting before decorating.
- Use a serrated knife to slice cake layers carefully for clean cuts.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/8 of cake)
- Calories: 280
- Sugar: 20 g
- Sodium: 50 mg
- Fat: 15 g
- Saturated Fat: 9 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 29 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 4 g
- Cholesterol: 95 mg
