This strawberry shortcake cake is a Japanese take on the classic Strawberry shortcake recipe. Japanese strawberry shortcake is made from layers of fluffy and airy sponge cake filled with whipped cream and decorated with fresh strawberries.
What is a Japanese strawberry shortcake cake?
When Japanese say ‘strawberry shortcake’ they are referring to a strawberry sponge cake filled with whipped heavy cream and decorated with fresh strawberries unlike a classic shortcake made with biscuit. Thus the name Japanese strawberry shortcake cake. It is made with airy and fluffy sponge cake.
Equipment and preparation
I used a KitchenAid Stand Mixer with a whisk attachment to make meringue. If you don’t have a stand mixer, you can use a Handheld Mixer
or a good Stainless Steel Whisk
. You also need an 18cm (7 inch) cake tin. Line the tin with parchment paper and set aside. Start preheating oven to 180°C (356°F).
No-Fail sponge cake recipe
Baking the perfect sponge cake determines the success of your strawberry shortcake cake. There are two ways to make sponge cake, beat the yolk and egg white together or separately. I used the recipe which beats the egg white and yolk separately.
The reason I used the separate method is that you need to control the whole egg mixture at a certain temperature which is bothersome. It is definitely easier to keep the separated egg white refrigerated to make a firm meringue. Then mix in the egg yolks. Flour needs to be folded into the batter with a spatula trying not to form gluten by overmixing.
When you add the butter and milk mixture to the cake batter, take a little bit of cake batter to the butter and milk mixture and combine them first. If you skip this process and simply pour the butter and milk mixture into the cake batter, the butter tends to gather at the bottom of the mixing bowl because of the butter’s relative density.
How to cut the sponge cake straight?
I don’t have one, but there is a useful tool to slice the sponge cake straight and horizontally. 
There are though, still many ways to slice sponge cake relatively straight. My sponge cake was about 5 cm (2 inch) tall so I put two wooden coat hangers together which was about 2 cm (0.8inch) high and slid the sharp bread knife along the coathangers.
Another method is to use toothpicks inserted around the side of the cake 2cm (0.8inch) high from the bottom of the cake and slide a sharp knife along the toothpicks. Also, it is easier to cut the sponge cake that has been left overnight than freshly baked and still warm. In order to avoid the cake getting dried out, after completely cooling it, wrap with cling wrap and leave it in room temperature in winter, and refrigerate it in Summer.
The reason for the syrup
After the sponge cake is sliced and before spreading the whipped cream, we need to apply syrup on to the cut surface. You do this because it prevents the sponge cake from drying out. Also the syrup adds a little sweetness to the subtle sweet sponge cake.
Whipped Cream for strawberry shortcake cake
I use pure cream (Australia) which is equivalent to heavy cream in the USA. you need to use a minimum fat content 35% or more for whipping. To whip the cream successfully, check the following tips.
- Keep the cream refrigerated until just before whipping.
- Place a large bowl with cream in it over another bowl with ice in it. Because it is important to maintain a low temperature (5-10°C/41-50°F) otherwise, the milk fat structure of the cream becomes soft and the foam collapses.
- Use a large glass or stainless steel bowl.
- You can use a handheld electric beater with medium speed to start with. When it starts to foam, switch to a stainless steel whisk to avoid overbeating.
Occasions to eat Strawberry shortcake cake
This Strawberry shortcake cake recipe was originally posted as “Japanese birthday cake” in 2016. Because this type of strawberry cake is often served for a birthday. Also Japanese often have this cake for Christmas as well. In my opinion, strawberry shortcake cakes are great for any occasion and events.
Can you freeze Strawberry shortcake cake?
I would recommend consuming the cake within a couple of days. It is not advisable to freeze any cake that has fresh fruit in it. Because fresh fruit contains a lot of moisture when it thaws, it makes the cake soggy as a result. So if you have to freeze them, remove any fruits first. You can wrap the cake with cling wrap, then place it in a ziplock bag. It will keep for about a month.
Other Japanese cakes
Check out other Japanese cakes great for any occasions on Chopstick Chronicles – Japanese souffle cheesecake – Hojicha chiffon cake – Sweet Potato granola cake
Stay connected
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Strawberry shortcake cake
Ingredients
sponge cake
- 3 eggs 1/2 cup
- 115 g sugar 3/4 cup
- 100 g plain flour
- 40 g milk 2 tbsp + 2 tsp
- 25 g unsalted butter 1/4 butter stick
Syrup
- 60 g water 1/4 cup
- 30 g sugar 2 tbsp
Decoration
- 250 ml fresh whipping cream 1 cup
- 20 g sugar 1 tbsp + 1 tsp
Instructions
- Line an 18cm (7 inch) round cake tin with parchment paper and set aside. Start to preheat the oven to 170 °C (338°F).
- Separate the egg yolk and egg whites.
- Place the egg whites in an electric mixer and gradually (at three different times) add the sugar into the mixer bowl.
- Beat the egg whites and sugar until stiff peaks form.
- Combine the egg yolks through the egg white mixture.
- Fold the sifted flour through the egg mixture 3-4 times.
- Mix the milk and melted butter together in a small bowl.
- Take a small amount of the egg white mixture and put it into the milk and butter bowl and mix together then add it all into the egg white mixture and mix altogether.
- Pour the mixture into the 18cm lined round cake tin.
- Bake for about 40 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
- If a skewer comes out clean, the cake is baked. Turn the oven off and remove the cake tin.
- Drop the cake tin onto the kitchen bench from 10 cm (4 inches) high.
- Cool it in the tin for 5 minutes then turn onto a wire rack upside down.
- Turn it back and remove the parchment paper. Let it cool completely.
- Wrap the cake with cling wrap and leave it in room temperature overnight.
- Slice the cake horizontally into two slabs *1
- Combine water and sugar to make syrup.
- Brush the syrup on the two cut sides of the cake.
- Whip the cream and spread it on one side of the sponge cake. *2
- Decorate with sliced strawberries and spread more whipped cream over the strawberries.
- Top with the other side of the cake and spread whipped cream over the whole cake.
- Decorate with strawberries and raspberries or your choice of decorations.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Hi, I made this today but found my whipped cream was not able to hold well and looked rather “thin” when I used it to frost the sides of the cake. I used cold 35% fat cream and beat until soft peak. How can I stabilise the cream better so that I can use it to frost the whole cake like yours?
Second thing is my cake came out a little crumbly (?), it’s not as airy and fluffy as those I’ve bought from patisseries. I used cake flour and chilled in fridge for about an hour before cutting and decorating. Any advice how I can make it softer? Thank you!
Hi Anne, did you brush with syrup? before you decorate? You can also add a little bit(1/4 tsp) of cream of tar tar to stabilise.
How much sugar did you use in your whipped cream?
Hi Karen a tablespoon 😀
Just made the recipe- and the cake is delicious! Light and spongy!!
Hi! Am about to try this recipe now.. but I was wondering if this simple whipped cream can hold its shape without melting if left out in room temperature? Was thinking of opting for a stabilized whipped cream (mixing in gelatin).. wonder if that could work for this cake?
No Sarah, it will melt in room temperature
Hi! I would like to know what type of plant leaves did you use for your decoration on the cake? Is it mint?
Hi Rowie yes it is mint.
The flour is not converted to cups so I’m not sure how much I need.
Thank you Kathleen, I will have a whole post dedicated to measurement conversion soon. I was taught to measure precisely to bake delicate cakes at high school baking club. My teacher was very strict 😀 But now I am aware many people do not even have a kitchen scale, so will have a conversion chat. Stay tuned and thank you for dropping by.
Wow. It looks delicious. I love strawberry cakes. So, I will try to make it. Your recipe will help me. Thanks for sharing.
You are welcome 😀
HI! Is ot whitr sugat or caster sugaf?
Hi Lei I used caster sugar.
Can I skip the wrap in cling paper and leave overnight step?
Hi Eileen yes you can but why? You can’t expect same result though.
Hi can i use frozen strawberry in between layers without changing anything else?
Yes Farhan but be careful to remove excess moisture off the frozen strawberry.
Does the cake use cake flour or plain flour? It says plain in ingredients but in comments says cake flour?
Also can you please tell me if i make this in 6 inch pan do i need to make any changes and any idea in bake time?
Hi Hina, Cake flour.
We dont get cake flour in our country? Can i do a subsititute? The one where yiu combine flour with cornflour?
Hi Hina, flour have different names in different country. You just need to look protein percentage. Cake flour protein percentage is around 8-9 %.
Hi, made this recipe twice, with a plain flour the first time, and after seeing your comment made the second one yesterday with cake flour. The cake flour one turned out very dense, is it the expected outcome of Japanese shortcake?
Hi Claire no, Japanese shortcake sponge is fluffy.
Hello! Love your recipe!
What’s the weight of the egg yolk and egg white in Grams please? Thank you 🙂
Hi Cel, I have not measured them but the egg I used were about 50g each.
Hello! Me again 🙂 Just wondering If it would be fine to cover the cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream? worried that the cake might collapse as the whipped cream filling is too light? Hope to hear from you 🙂
Hi Cel, this sounds like the cake could taste fabulous. I guess there is only one way to find out 😉 Please let me know how it turns out. Better still send a slice through the mail 😀
Thank you for the step by step instructions. I baked one today. And it was delicious.
You are welcome Pearl 😀
Hi! I was going to make the cake for a get together tomorrow and was wondering if it’s absolutely necessary for it to sit over night or if I can let it sit for a couple hours?
Hi Joslyn it’s ok to just let it sit for a couple hours 😀
Thank you for your recipe. My family and I love it so much 😘😘
Thank you Sainapa 😀
Hello! Thanks for sharing this recipe!
I’ve tried strawberry shortcake 4 times already, the first 3 times using the eggs mixture method, and the fourth using your recipe the separated method. It’s indeed easier to control. My cake came out better than the first 3 cakes (no longer taste like butter cake), but my family and I feel it’s still not airy and fluffy enough. I’m wondering if it’s the flour that I use could be the issue (I used plain flour instead of cake flour), or is it the folding? How do you know if the folding is done? When the cake is out of the oven, it was still “springy”, but after removing the parchment to let it cool completely, it became a little hard. Would need your advice, I don’t know what went wrong 🙁
Hi Matilda, yes I think it could be the flour you use?
Hello! I am planning on making this cake for my dads birthday but am planning on transporting it 3 hrs away after I assemble it. Do you think it will be ok in the car for that time?
Hi Susie, if you can transport in a esky, or whip up cream at your dad place and decorate there?
I was hoping to make this recipe – is plain flour the same as all purpose flour? Or did you use cake flour?
Thanks! 🙂
Hi Ann, use cake flour.
IMG_8672.HEIC
I had a 9 inch pan and just doubled the ingredients! I didn’t have a stand mixer and so I just used a whisk, very hard! Make sure to whip the egg whites without the sugar, I made the mistake of doing them together and it didn’t work so I started over then just did the egg whites and then after they formed peaks put the sugar in! Cake is nice and dense! Would definitely do with a mixer next time!
Hi,
Can I use whipping cream with 35% fats instead of heavy cream ?
Hi Sarah yes 😀
Hello, thank you for providing such a nice recipe! i tried to make it today but my cake didn‘t rise much.Granted my cake tin is 22 cm but it didnt rise at all. Would you recommend I double the recipe or maybe add baking powder? Thank you so much! I hope you and your loved ones are doing well in these trying times 🙂
Hi Rim Thank you my family and myself are well :D. Sorry to hear your cake did not rise. Yes your cake tin is about 5cm which is quite bigger than mine. So yes you can try with double amount but I am not sure about adding baking powder. It is may be the merengue causing or how all ingredients combined?