Description
This Japanese Strawberry Cake is a light and fluffy sponge cake layered with sweet macerated strawberries and whipped cream frosting. The cake is baked in a water bath for a moist texture and decorated elegantly with fresh strawberries, making it a perfect dessert for special occasions.
Ingredients
Units
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 pan and oven: Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of an 8-inch round cake pan and line the pan. Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°C). Prepare a high-walled pan or baking dish for a water bath and boil water to cover about one inch of the cake pan during baking. If using a springform pan, wrap the outside with foil to prevent leaks.
- Make the batter base: In a heatproof bowl, combine milk and butter, then microwave until melted and stir to combine. Sift the cake flour into the mixture and fold gently with a spatula until smooth, then add egg yolks and mix until evenly combined.
- Whip egg whites: In a clean bowl, beat egg whites at medium-high speed until frothy. Gradually add sugar while beating until glossy medium peaks form.
- Combine batters: Fold one-quarter of the whipped egg whites into the yolk mixture gently to lighten it, then pour this back into the remaining egg whites, folding gently until just smooth without overmixing.
- Bake the cake: Pour batter into the lined pan, gently tap the pan on the counter twice to release bubbles. Place the pan in the water bath, add hot water around it, and bake for 1 hour 30 minutes without opening the oven before one hour. The cake is done when a skewer comes out clean and it pulls away from the pan edges.
- Cool the cake: Run a knife around the pan edge, invert the cake onto a cooling rack and let cool completely before cutting and decorating.
- Macerate the strawberries: Slice 8 oz of strawberries into about 1/4-inch slices. Sprinkle with sugar and toss to coat. Let sit for 1 to 2 hours until glossy and sweet. Remove strawberries and reserve the juice.
- Make cake syrup: Stir sugar and hot water together until dissolved. Optionally add reserved strawberry juice for extra flavor and pink tint.
- Prepare whipped cream frosting: (Optional) To stabilize, soak gelatin in cold water for 5 minutes, then melt gently. Whip heavy cream with confectioners sugar until very soft peaks form. Mix some whipped cream into the gelatin and combine, then fold back into the bowl and whip briefly. For regular cream, whip cream with sugar to firm peaks.
- Assemble the cake: Level the cake by cutting off the browned top using toothpicks as a guide. Slice the cake horizontally into two even layers. Place the bottom layer on a cake stand, brush with syrup, spread a thin layer of whipped cream, and evenly arrange sliced strawberries. Cover strawberries with another thin cream layer. Place the top cake layer on, brush with syrup, and coat the entire cake with a thin crumb coat of cream. Apply a thicker final layer of cream and smooth the sides. Optionally pipe extra cream decoratively.
- Decorate and chill: Arrange remaining strawberries on top. If using stabilized cream, refrigerate the cake uncovered for at least 30 minutes to set. If using regular cream, serve immediately or refrigerate and serve within a few hours.
- Serve: Use a serrated knife to slice the cake. For stabilized cream, allow it to come to room temperature for about an hour for best texture before serving.
Notes
- If you don’t have a spinning cake stand, you can make one by turning a bowl or cake pan upside down and placing a flat plate or removable pie pan bottom on top.
- Do not open the oven during the first hour of baking to prevent the cake from collapsing.
- Be careful not to overwhip the stabilized whipped cream as it can start to separate.
- Using gelatin helps the cream hold its shape longer, ideal for decorated cakes that need to be displayed.
- The cake is best eaten within 1-2 days when stored refrigerated.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (approx. 1/8 of cake)
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 24 g
- Sodium: 70 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 13 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 26 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 5 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg
