Japanese Strawberry Shortcake (Japanese Christmas Cake)

Quick Summary: Japanese strawberry shortcake, also called Japanese Christmas cake or Kurisumasu Keki, is a light Genoise sponge layered with soft, fresh whipped cream and juicy strawberries. It is airier and less sweet than Western strawberry shortcake and is the classic festive cake in Japan.

What is the Japanese strawberry shortcake?

Japanese strawberry shortcake (イチゴのショートケーキ), also known as Korean strawberry shortcake, fresh cream strawberry cake, Chinese strawberry cake, or simply fresh cream cake, is a highly sought-after dessert in Asian nations.

Shortcake was introduced to Japan by Rinemon Fujii, the founder of Fujiya, who first released it in 1922.

Why is Japanese strawberry shortcake a Christmas cake?

In Japan, this light genoise sponge layered with whipped cream and fresh strawberries is the iconic Christmas dessert. The tradition took hold in the postwar decades, when the red-and-white cake came to symbolize celebration and prosperity, and its festive colors matched the season perfectly.

Today, Japanese bakeries sell it by the thousands each December, and it is enjoyed alongside other seasonal favorites, such as the Japanese strawberry roll cake.

Why you'll love this recipe

• Light and airy. The fluffy Genoise sponge and soft, fresh whipped cream melt in your mouth, unlike the heavy buttercream of traditional cakes.
• Not too sweet. Ripe, fresh strawberries and lightly sweetened cream let the fruit shine.
• Festive and beautiful. The red and white color duo makes a stunning centerpiece for Christmas or any celebration.
• Make-ahead friendly. Assemble it half a day in advance so the flavors blend beautifully before serving.
• Fully customizable: Perfect for experimenting with other fruit and flavors. Get started by downloading this complimentary 10-page fruit flavor pairing chart.

Ingredients

For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.

• Eggs: Use large-sized whole eggs at room temperature. Bring them to the kitchen counter about 45-60 minutes before you start.

• Sugar: The recipe calls for white granulated and icing sugar. Process sugar in a food processor a few times to make icing sugar.

• Flour: Use all-purpose flour, which is plain flour in the UK. You can replace the flour and corn starch with cake flour if desired.

• Cornstarch is an effective aid for tenderizing the flour's tough proteins and so effectively prevents the development of gluten.

• Whole milk is added to make the cake batter.

• Honey brings moisture to the cake. Read about how to make cakes moist.

• Butter enhances the sponge cake's aromas, improves its color, and adds to its softness. Opt for an unsalted batter with a fat content of 82% or higher, preferably.

• Heavy cream: Choosing the right fat content is key to a beautiful cake finish. Opt for heavy cream or heavy whipping cream with at least 30% fat content. If you live in the UK, choose double cream.

Heavy cream with 30% milk fat has a lighter, smoother texture than double cream with 48% milk fat. Also, whipped cream with 48% milk fat whips more easily than whipped cream with 30% milk fat, and it separates easily, so be careful when beating.

In Japan, fresh cream with 35% and 45% milk fat content is mainly used for making fresh whipped cream. They often mix high-fat and low-fat creams to make whipped cream easier to handle for decoration.

• Vanilla extract brings an exquisite flavor to sugar syrup.

• Fresh strawberries are the stars of Japanese strawberry cake. Opt for ripe seasonal strawberries that feature the best taste and flavor.

How to make Japanese strawberry shortcake

Making a Japanese strawberry shortcake involves a few steps: preparing a Genoise sponge cake, making a sugar syrup, whipping fresh cream, and assembling the cake. 

Step 1: To make sponge cake, preheat the oven to 330°F (165°C). Line the bottom of a 6-inch (15 cm) cake pan with a piece of round parchment paper. Line the sides with parchment strips. In a large bowl, sift the flour with cornstarch, then set aside.

Step 2: Place butter and milk in a small bowl over a container with hot water and let the butter melt. Mix and check the temperature of the mixture with a cooking thermometer. It must be 140°F (60°C).

Pro tip: ALternatively, use the microwave to heat the butter and milk in 30-second increments. Make sure to use a microwave-safe bowl.

Step 3: Place eggs, sugar, and honey in a heat-resistant bowl and beat with a hand whisk for 1 minute (photo 1). 

Step 4: Place the bowl over a water bath (bain-marie) and continue mixing with a whisk. Once the mixture reaches 104°F (40°C), remove the bowl from the hot water bath. 

Step 5: Using a hand electric mixer, start whisking the egg mixture on low speed for 1 minute. Then switch the mixer to high speed and beat for 10 minutes.

Step 6: Return the hand mixer to low speed and beat in slow circular motions for 1-2 minutes. Once you lift the beaters of the hand mixer, the batter should leave a ribbon-like mark that will remain for 3-4 seconds (photo 2).

Pro tip: Whisking the batter on low speed helps the large bubbles disappear.

Step 7: Sift ½ of the dry ingredients over the bowl and gently mix with a rubber spatula, working from the bottom of the bowl while rotating it little by little. 

Step 8: Add the remaining dry ingredients and mix in the same way. Rotate the bowl and mix until the flour disappears.

Step 9: Add 2 tablespoons of the batter to the milk and butter mixture, then mix with a mini whisk. Pour this mixture into the principal preparation and gently mix the batter.

Step 10: Pour the batter into the prepared pan (photo 3), then tap the mold from 4 inches (10 cm) to remove air bubbles. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Pro tip: The cake is ready when the gap between the pan and the cake appears, and a toothpick or a bamboo skewer is pulled from the center of the cake and remains clean.

Step 11: Remove the baked cake from the oven and tap the mold from 6 inches (15 cm) to prevent the cake from shrinking. Let it cool in the pan for 10 minutes (photo 4).

Step 12: Flip it over and let the cake slip from the mold on a wire rack. Allow the cake to cool for 10 minutes. Then turn it over and let it cool completely.

Step 13: To make sugar syrup, put granulated sugar and water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. When the sugar melts, remove from the heat and add vanilla extract. Let the syrup cool down.

Step 14: To make fresh whipped cream, pour cold heavy cream with icing sugar into a chilled bowl, and whisk with a hand whisk for 6 minutes. 6-minute cream falls in a thin line when you lift the whisk (photo 5). Stop whisking the cream at 6 minutes.

Attention: Making Japanese-style cakes, keep in mind that the whipped cream texture needed is significantly softer than what is used in Western sweets.

Step 15: Other stages of whipping the cream are the following:

• 7-minute stand: The cream is quite loose and is just enough to stay on the whisk. It is the perfect cream consistency to coat the entire surface of the cake (photo 6).

• 8-minute stand: At 8 minutes of hand whisking, the cream is about to stay on the whisk and then drop off. It is the right cream state for sandwiching the cake layers (photo 7).

• 9-minute stand: Cream makes soft corners or streaks when you lift the whisk. It is perfect for piping and cake decoration (photo 8).

Pro tip: The right cream consistently is a must for a beautiful finish to Japanese cakes. However, reaching the cream's correct state cream depends on its fat content.

Double cream may suddenly be overwhipped after 7 minutes. Heavy cream with 30% fat content has a softer finish, but if you hand whip it for more than 8 minutes, it may separate. So watch out for the cream's consistency after 6 minutes of hand whisking.

Step 16: To assemble the cake, use a serrated knife or a cake leveler to cut the bottom and the top of the cake at ⅕ inch (0.5 cm) thickness (you won't use them). Cut the remaining cake in half to get two round sponge layers.

Step 17: Wash and pat dry strawberries. Hull them, leaving 6 for decoration. Cut the rest in half lengthwise.

Step 18: Place the sponge cake layer on a turntable. Soak it with the syrup using a pastry brush. Divide the cream into two halves.

Step 19: Make an 8-minute stand with half the cream amount, then apply half to the sponge with an offset spatula.

Step 20: Arrange strawberry halves by lightly pressing them (photo 5). Apply the other half of the 8-minute stand cream and smooth it with the spatula. Place the second cake layer on top, and press lightly.

Step 21: Whip the remaining half of the cream to reach a 7-minute stand. Apply plenty of the cream on top of the cake, and smooth it with the spatula while rotating the turntable. Let the cream protrude so that it drips down the sides. 

Step 22: Fix the spatula at the 9 o'clock position and cover the sides with the cream that overflows. If it is not enough, add cream at any time.

Pro tip: Use a cake scraper to create stripes if desired.

Step 23: Smooth the rise of the edge of the top surface toward the center using a spatula. Wipe off the cream with a paper towel after each time you smooth it with a spatula, and always use a clean spatula.

Pro tip: Minimize the movement of the spatula as the cream separates. The cream tends to become crumbly when you nap repeatedly, so using a looser cream is less likely to fail.

Step 24: Transfer the cake from the turntable to a cake board or a serving plate (photo 6). Insert the spatula between the turntable and the cake, lift the cake, put it on the plate from the back, and quickly pull out the pallet to the front.

Pro tip: Alternatively, use a cake lifter to help transfer the cake with the spatula.

Step 25: To decorate the cake, whip the remaining cream to stiff peaks, and place it into a piping bag fitted with Ateco pastry tip 829. 

Step 26: Squeeze a bit of cream from the inside of the cake rim, and when the cream reaches the rim, gently pull it toward the center. Continue to decorate the top of the cake. 

Step 27: Refrigerate the cake for 2-3 hours. Place halved or whole strawberries in the center of the cake before serving.

Expert Tips

1. Use a kitchen scale for precise ingredient measurements.
2. Sift dry ingredients twice to avoid lumps: first over a clean bowl, then over the beaten eggs.
3. Don't overmix the cake batter.
4. Avoid overbaking: the longer you bake, the harder the cake becomes.
5. Do not work near hot appliances or in a heated room when working with heavy cream. Make sure to chill the mixer's beaters and the bowl or whisk the cream over the ice bath.
6. For the best results, opt for a hand whisk instead of an electric mixer. Avoid using a stand mixer to prevent overwhipping the cream.
7. Make sure strawberries are thoroughly dried before adding them as a cake layer to prevent sogginess and prevent juices from releasing into the whipped cream.
8. Make-ahead option: Make the Japanese Christmas cake a half day in advance and refrigerate. The cream, sponge, and strawberries will blend beautifully. Decorate the top of the cake with plump strawberries before serving.

Recipe variations

The cake, also known as a white Christmas cake, symbolizes the winter season and is traditionally served on Christmas Eve. Japanese people usually place a chocolate Santa on top.

• Feel free to decorate the cake with candles or other chocolate Christmas decorations.

• Replace vanilla extract with Kirsch (Kirschwasser) to flavor the sugar syrup.

• Arrange a strawberry layer as you desire: slice berries to ⅕ inch (5 mm) thickness, or place whole strawberries upright or on their sides to feature a round cross-section.

• Swap red strawberries for Japanese white strawberries, or pineberries, a hybrid between Japanese white strawberries and Florida strawberries.

• If strawberries are out of season, use seedless red or green grapes to make a Grape Shortcake.

• Finally, go for a three-layer cake with a golden ratio of 1:1 when the whipped cream and sponge cake layers are about ½ inch (1 cm) thick.

Storing & freezing

Store this cake under a glass dome in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Can you freeze Japanese strawberry shortcake cake? It is not recommended to freeze the whole cake, but you can freeze the sponge cake for up to 3 months.

Thaw it in the fridge overnight or at room temperature for a few hours. Apply the fresh whipped cream and decorate with fresh strawberries.

Recipe FAQ

What's the difference between strawberry cake and strawberry shortcake?
Strawberry cake is made with sponge or regular cake layers sandwiched with buttercream or cream cheese frosting and cooked strawberry filling. Japanese strawberry shortcake uses fluffy sponge layers, fresh whipped cream, and fresh strawberries. The difference lies in the cake layers and the cream and fruit that accompany them.

Why is it called a Japanese Christmas cake?
The round shape and red-and-white color duo of the cake echo the Japanese flag, and it became a festive tradition inspired by American-style Christmas, introduced to Japan. Today, it is the classic celebration cake sold across Japan during the holiday season.

What is Kurisumasu Keki?
Kurisumasu Keki is the Japanese name for this Christmas cake. It is made with light, fluffy sponge cake, filled with fresh whipped cream, and decorated with fresh strawberries.

Why is my whipped cream not staying firm?
Fat content and temperature are key. Use heavy cream with at least 30 percent fat, chill the bowl and whisk, and work in a cool room. Whip only until the cream reaches the right stage for each layer, since Japanese-style cream is softer than Western frosting and separates if overwhipped.

How do I get a fluffy, airy sponge?
Whip the eggs, sugar, and honey over a warm water bath until pale and doubled, then finish on low speed to remove large bubbles. Fold in the sifted dry ingredients gently so you do not deflate the batter, and avoid overbaking.

Where can you buy a Japanese Christmas cake?
During the holiday season, it is sold in cake shops across Japan. If you live elsewhere, look for it at a local Japanese grocery store or bakery, or make it at home with this recipe.

Love sponge cakes? Try these next!

If you like Japanese strawberry sponge cake, you may like other sponge cakes on the blog:

• Triple Berry Cake
• Italian Mimosa Cake
• Uruguayan Cake Chaja
• Fresh Fruit Cake
• Jordgubbstårta (Swedish Strawberry Cake)
• Or browse all the cake recipes.

Want more delicious and beautiful recipes? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for my latest updates. If you make this recipe, please leave a star rating on the recipe card and comment below!

Print

Recipe card

The nutritional information has been calculated using an online recipe nutrition calculator such as Verywellfit.com and is intended for informational purposes only. These figures should be used as a general guideline and not be construed as a guarantee.