Japanese Strawberry Shortcake
Japanese Strawberry Shortcake is a perfect mix between the classic American strawberry shortcake and angel food cake. Paired with fresh strawberries and light and fluffy homemade whipped cream! Best served 24 hours after assembly!
Servings: 10 - 12 slices
Calories: 215kcal
Equipment
- 8 x 8 Baking Pan (one is fine but two is preferable)
Ingredients
- 1 Lbs Fresh Whole Strawberries
Cake
- 4 Large Eggs
- ⅔ Cup White Sugar
- 1½ tsp Vanilla Extract or Vanilla Bean Paste
- 2 Tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 1 tsp Baking Powder
- 1 Tbsp Milk
- ¾ Cup All Purpose Flour
Whipped Cream
- 2 Cups Heavy Cream
- 1½ tsp Vanilla Extract
- 3-5 Tbsp White Sugar
- Pinch Kosher Salt
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 320°.
- Separate eggs whites and yolks (make sure you don't get any yolk in the white or the recipe won't work!)
- Whip the egg whites and slowly drizzle the sugar into the whites until they reach a medium to stiff peak consistency.
- Mix together the vanilla extract and egg yolks.
- Fold in the egg whites into the yolks by folding half of the egg white mixture into the yolks, then fold the remaining the whites into egg mixture. Be gentle as you do this, you don't want to deflate the mixture.
- Fold the all purpose flour and baking powder into the egg mixture gently.
- Then mix in the vegetable oil and milk.
- Line the 8 x 8 baking sheet with parchment paper and pour 1/3 of the batter into each of the trays.
- This is a 3 layer cake, I had to bake the cake three times but the process will speed up if you have two of the 8 x 8 sheets. You want 1/3 of the batter in each go in the oven.
- Bake for 14 - 16 minutes, the cake bakes very quickly but will still be a little soft and pale so take it to the 12 minute mark before you pull it from the oven. Let it take on a very pale golden color before you remove it.
- Let the cakes cool fully before you ice and stack them.
Whipped Cream
- Whip the heavy cream and slowly add sugar in until the cream takes on a thick consistency. Taste the cream once you get to the 3 tbsp make and add more if you want some.
- Add the vanilla extract and a pinch of salt and set aside while the cakes cool and you prep your strawberries.
Assembly
- Rinse and thoroughly dry your strawberries. Cut the tops off and slice the regular sized ones in half and the large ones into quarters. Reserve few of your best looking strawberries for the top but don't cut them.
- The cream needs to be split evenly between 3 sections, so be mindful as you frost the cake. The strawberries will be split between two.
- Place down one layer of the cake and spread some of the cream on cake. Add half of the strawberries and spread more of the cream on top of the strawberries. Spread the cream to the edge of the cake. You should have used 1/2 of the cut strawberries and 1/3 of the cream.
- Add the second layer of cake and repeat the above step.
- Add the final layer of the cake and spread the remaining cream on the cake. You don't need to spread any cream on the side of the cake as we will be trimming the edges.
- Once the top layer of cream is applied, trim about 1 cm of the cake off on each side so you can see perfect layers and cross sections of the cake on all four sides.
- (Save the trimmings and enjoy them with any of the leftover cream!)
- Place the remaining whole strawberries on the top of the cake and serve the next day. Don't use cut strawberries on the top because they will leak juices and mess up the cream.
- This cake is best served after sitting and soaking for 24 hours!