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close up of slice of Japanese strawberry shortcake with whipped cream frosting on a glass plate
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5 from 527 votes

Japanese Strawberry Shortcake | Japanese Christmas Cake

Japanese strawberry shortcake, aka Japanese Christmas cake, is made of soft layers of sponge cake, fresh strawberries & fresh whipped cream!
Prep Time35 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: Asian, Japanese, Korean
Servings: 6
Calories: 498kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 8 oz strawberries washed and dried

Dry Ingredients:

  • ½ cup cake flour (65g) sifted
  • ¼ cup white sugar (44g) for egg yolks
  • 2 ½ Tablespoons white sugar (37g) for egg whites
  • ¼ teaspoon baking powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt (½ g)

Wet Ingredients:

  • 3 large eggs whites and yolks separated
  • 2 ½ Tablespoons avocado oil (31g) substitute with neutral vegetable oil
  • 1 Tablespoon water (12g)
  • 1 teaspoon corn syrup (6g) substitute with honey
  • ¼ teaspoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract

Whipped cream frosting:

  • 2 cups heavy whipping cream - should be cold
  • 6 to 8 Tablespoons powdered sugar - add more or less depending on taste

Cake syrup:

  • 3 Tablespoons sugar
  • ⅓ cup hot water

Instructions

Egg Yolk Mixture:

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a medium bowl, add together egg yolks, ¼ cup of sugar, salt, corn syrup, vanilla, and water. Beat on high with a stand mixer or hand mixer until fluffy and pale yellow with ribbons form when lifting the whisk. Set aside.
    egg yolks beaten to fluffy, pale yellow ribbons falling off whisks

Egg White Meringue:

  • In a large bowl, add the egg whites and beat on high until it starts to get foamy. Start adding the 2½ tablespoons of sugar in three equal parts, beating each time to incorporate. Beat the egg whites on high until firm peaks form. When lifting the whisk from the bowl, the meringue should hold its shape while the tip drops slightly.
    side by side photos of egg whites beaten to firm peaks in a metal bowl and on a whisk

Batter:

  • Add ½ of the egg white meringue to the egg yolk mixture and gently fold it in until it's mostly mixed in. This should be light and airy. Next, sift the flour and baking powder into the yolk and meringue mixture in three equal parts, gently folding after each time.
    side by side photos of beaten egg whites being added to sponge cake batter and cake flour sifted into batter
  • Take out 2 Tablespoons of the combined batter from the previous step and mix this with the oil until it's not longer separated. Gently fold the oil mixture into the batter. Next, add the remaining half of the egg white meringue by gently folding it in.
    two photos of oil mixture next to sponge cake batter and egg whites folded into the batter

Bake:

  • Pour the batter into a round cake pan lined with parchment paper. You can use one 8 inch pan or two 6 inch pans. Bang the pan twice on a flat surface to remove large air bubbles. Bake at 350 degrees F until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. About 15 minutes for two 6 inch pans or 23 to 25 minutes for one 8 inch pan.
    sponge cake batter in three round cake pans lined with parchment paper
  • Remove the cake from the pan and remove the parchment paper. Let it cool on a cooling rack.
    three golden brown and fluffy sponge cakes cooling on a wire rack

Slice and Decorate:

  • Add the cold heavy cream and powdered sugar into a large mixing bowl and beat it on medium speed until you get medium peaks. Watch it carefully and stop the mixer before it becomes grainy. See Note 2.
    heavy whipping cream and powdered sugar in a stand mixer with whisk attachment
  • Slice the cake into even layers. See Note 3 for how to slice even layers. Make the sugar syrup by dissolving the sugar in the hot water. Then, brush on even amounts of the sugar syrup onto all the layers, including the top layer.
    Cut half of the strawberries into thick slices for the inner layer. Leave the other half whole to decorate the top of the cake.
    fluffy sponge cake sliced into layers being brushed with sugar syrup
  • Apply a layer of cream to the cake sheet and then top it with sliced strawberries. Add another layer of cream on top of the strawberries and followed by another layer of cake. Repeat as necessary.
    Next, frost the top and sides of the cake with whipped cream and decorate as desired. Place whole strawberries on top of the cake, sprinkled with powdered sugar. Serve immediately.
    grid photos of assembling strawberry sponge cake with whipped cream

Notes

  1. You can use one 8 inch cake pan or two 6 inch cake pans. Avoid using nonstick pans as the coating prevents the sponge cake from fully rising.
  2. Medium peaks - the whipped cream should be soft but hold its shape when the whisk is lifted from the bowl. The top of the peak should fall over but the body will retain its shape. The texture should be smooth with no graininess. Whipping too much will result in a grainy, lumpy texture and you may start to see cracks in the cream which indicate separation.
  3. Slice even layers: First, you want to use a sharp, serrated knife. Next, I prefer to use this cake slicer attachment that works well. Otherwise, you can use toothpicks to mark where you want to cut the layers. Pierce the toothpicks all around the cake and use that as a guide for your knife. Avoid using wire cutter cake levelers as the sponge cake too soft for that tool. 
*All cup and spoon measurements are based on the US cup which is 240ml or 8.45 imperial fluid ounces. The US tablespoon is approximately 14.8ml or 3 teaspoons. Please adjust if needed. 
**If you have a kitchen scale, please use the gram measurements as those are more precise. The US cup measurements are approximations of gram measurements for easier conversion. 

Nutrition

Calories: 498kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 38g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 202mg | Sodium: 116mg | Potassium: 179mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 1301IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 79mg | Iron: 1mg