Here is a simple and delicious Korean fresh cream cake (aka Saeng cream cake). Soft and fluffy, it is made with sponge cake layers, fresh whipped cream, and juicy strawberries. With a few basic ingredients, you can create this eye-catching confection in no time.
The Japanese sponge cake recipe uses a whole egg method where you must pay attention to temperature, the whole egg beating, and mixing for success. The Korean sponge cake recipe is a bit different.
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It separates egg whites and yolks without a cooking thermometer and is made without butter. The Korean sponge cake 한국 스펀지 케이크 레시피 is a simplified take on classic Genoise cake. But despite its simplicity, it is yummy and delicious.
Filled and decorated with light and airy whipped cream and fresh fruit, it is absolutely divine.
What is Korean fresh cream cake?
Korean fresh cream cake is a signature layer cake of Aisan bakeries made with layers of soft sponge cake, fluffy whipped cream, and luscious fresh fruit.
One of the most popular variations is the Korean Strawberry Shortcake, which showcases juicy fresh strawberries. This cake resembles the Japanese strawberry shortcake, a Chinese sponge cake with fruit, and a Western-style fresh fruit cake.
A fresh cream cake is known as a Korean birthday cake, Strawberry cream cake, and Saeng cream cake 생크림 케이크 in Korean, which means whipped cream cake.
The first whipped cream cake was introduced to Korea in the 'Ryeomen Bakery' (now 'Shinmyeong Confectionery') in 1977.
Korean fresh cream cake recipe
- This Korean cake recipe is basic for making Asian-style cakes and is one of the best Korean cake recipes.
- It is easy and quick, with a few minutes of hands-on time, and is made with simple ingredients.
- Like other Asian sponge cakes, Korean sponge cake is made without baking powder or baking soda. Oil instead of butter helps the cake rise and gives it a lighter and fluffier texture.
- It is the perfect cake for any celebration, whether it is one of the special events: a 21st birthday, a wedding, graduation, etc.
Ingredients
For ingredients and detailed instructions, refer to the recipe card below.
High quality ingredients are the key to making fresh cream cakes.
- Eggs: The recipe calls for separated egg whites and egg yolks at room temperature. Use chilled eggs and an egg separator to separate egg whites from the yolks. Then bring them to room temperature. To ensure accurate measurements, opt for using a digital scale.
For the best results, choose fresh eggs. Fresh egg whites are whipped up easier, while the old ones struggle to keep the air up.
- Sugar: Use granulated, baker's, or caster sugar for making the sponge cake and icing (powdered) sugar to make fresh whipped cream.
- Flour: The recipe calls for cake flour, with a lighter protein content than all-purpose flour.
- Oil brings moisture to the sponge cake. Opt for neutral flavorless grapeseed or vegetable oil. Also, read about how to make a cake moist.
- Milk is another ingredient that provides moisture to the cake.
- Heavy cream: Opt for heavy or heavy whipping cream with a high fat content of at least 30%. In Korea, fresh cream has a minimal fat content of 18%. The higher the milk fat content, the better and easier to whip the cream.
- Fresh strawberries are the stars of the cake. Use frozen strawberries to make a cake filling if desired.
- Lemon juice: Make fresh lemon juice using a citrus juicer or buy it at a grocery store.
- Flavoring: Opt for Kirsch or vanilla extract to make the cake.
Recipe variations
- Number of cake layers: Experiment with a range of layered cakes, from two to four layers.
- Fresh berries: Replace strawberry cake filling with fresh strawberry halves, just like in a Japanese Strawberry Shortcake.
- Flavorings: Add some lemon zest to the cake batter or flavor the simple syrup with vanilla extract, cognac, dark rum, or other different flavors. Get a free fruit flavor pairing chart.
- Cake decoration is the best part of cake making. Add an extra batch of fresh whipped cream to decorate the cake with your favorite pastry tip for a range of stylish and creative designs.
How to make Korean fresh cream cake
Making Korean fresh cream cake consists of a few steps: preparing a sponge cake, fresh strawberry filling, sugar syrup, making whipped cream frosting, and assembling the cake.
Step 1. To make a sponge cake, preheat the oven to 305°F (150°C). Sift cake flour with a flour sifter twice in a large mixing bowl.
Step 2. Butter and dust a 7-inch (18 cm) pan with flour, and remove the excess flour. Or line the bottom and sides of the baking pan with a parchment paper circle and strips.
Step 3. Place egg whites in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and beat on low-medium speed until frothy.
Step 4. Add â…“ of sugar and continue whisking on low speed. Add â…“ of sugar and continue whisking on low speed. Add another â…“ of the remaining sugar, and beat the egg whites until soft peaks (photo 1). Avoid stiff peaks and glossy meringue.
Step 5. Add egg yolks and gently mix with a hand whisk with circular movements (photo 2). Avoid any up-and-down whisking motions.
Step 6. Sift ½ of the flour over the bowl and carefully mix with a hand whisk without whisking. Add the remaining flour and mix until the flour is invisible.
Step 7. Place oil and milk in a small microwave-safe bowl and warm them up in the microwave for 20 seconds. Add the warm milk and oil mixture to the main preparation.
Step 8. Gently mix by scooping the batter up from the bottom with a spatula until you obtain a uniform batter (photo 3).
Step 9. Pour batter into the prepared pan (photo 4) and tap it on the table a couple of times. Stir the batter with a bamboo screw with circular movements.
Pro tip: These tricks help eliminate air bubbles and create an ideal texture for the cake.
Step 10. Bake the cake for 60 minutes. Remove the baking pan from the oven and tap the mold on the table. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes (photo 4).
Pro tip: Baking a sponge cake at a low temperature for an extended period provides the best cake rise. Baking at higher oven temperatures results in a lower cake not being enough for all four layers.
Step 11. Turn the pan upside down on a wire rack and let the cake cool for 5 minutes. Then turn it over, and while the cake is warm, scrape the crust from the top of the cake with a thin sharp knife (photo 5).
Step 12. Don't trim the cake yet; just remove the top crust. Let the cake cool down completely.
Step 13. To make sugar syrup, pour water and sugar into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Out of the heat, add kirsch, and let it cool.
Step 14. To make fresh whipped cream, pour â…” cup + 3 tablespoons (200 g) of chilled heavy cream and icing sugar into a cold bowl and whip cream with a hand whisk until soft-medium peaks.
Pro tip: Consult a Japanese strawberry shortcake for how to make fresh whipped cream. It is different from the Westen-style homemade whipped cream. If desired, opt for stabilized whipped cream.
Step 15. To make strawberry cake filling, wash and pat dry strawberries. Hull and cut strawberries into halves, then quarters. Mash using a potato masher or a fork.
Step 16. Combine mashed strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
Step 17. To assemble the cake, measure the height of the cake. You will need to get four 0.4 inches (1 cm) thick cake layers. If the cake size allows you to cut the bottom of the cake, do this. Otherwise, leave the bottom crust.
Pro tip: Asian-style cakes usually omit the crust to achieve ultra-white layers.
Step 18. Use a serrated knife or cake leveler to slice the cake into thin layers 1 cm thick. Adjust a mousse cake mold to 6.4 inches (16 cm) and trim each layer to fit.
Step 19. Place the first layer on a turntable. Soak it with syrup using a pastry brush. Spread ¼ of the cream evenly with a bent spatula.
Pro tip: To achieve a clean and stylish look, assemble the cake using a mousse cake mold with an acetate cake collar.
Step 20. Then, using a pastry bag or spoon, add ⅓ of the strawberry filling on top of the cream. Make sure to leave a ½ inch (1.5 cm) gap from the edge (photo 7).
Step 21. Place the second cake layer and repeat the above procedure. Finish the cake with the third cake disk and soak it. Crumb coat the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer of cream.
Step 22. Whisk â…” cup (150 g) of the cold heavy cream with a hand whisk until soft peaks and cover the entire cake (photo 8).
Step 23. Decorate the cake with an angled spatula: read a Wilton tutorial on how to make spatula icing. Arrange a few fresh strawberries on top.
Expert Tips
- Keep the top and bottom crust if desired, but make sure the cake layers are 6.4 inches (16 cm) in diameter. The fresh whipped cream recipe is created for this cake size.
- Use a digital scale for the accurate measurements of ingredients.
- Make sure the ingredients are at room temperature.
- To recalculate ingredients for another cake pan size, use a simple cake pan converter. You may need to adjust the baking time.
- Don't overmix the cake batter: overmixing results in a heavier cake.
- Don't open the oven door during baking.
- For evenly smooth layers, let the cake cool before slicing. For easier slicing, wait until the day after baking.
- Use a hand mixer with caution: it is easy to overwhip the cream filling.
- Make-ahead option: Bake a sponge and make a strawberry cake filling in the evening, and finish the cake the next day.
Storing and freezing
Store Korean fresh cream cake under a cake dome in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Keep the leftover cake in an airtight container refrigerated.
Can you freeze it? You can't freeze the whole cake, but you can freeze the sponge cake for up to 3 months.
Recipe FAQ
Authentic sponge cake is made with eggs, flour, and sugar, resulting in a light and airy texture. The secret lies in beating the eggs with sugar to create air bubbles that give the cake its fluffy rise.
In Korea, there are two different methods of making a sponge cake: the "public method" and the "separate method." The public method uses whole eggs to create airy bubbles, resulting in a delightfully soft and moist texture. The separate method involves separating the whites and yolks, using the whites to create a meringue, and putting them back together. It makes the cake fluffier.
If you choose to use the method that uses whole eggs, you will need a mixer and a cooking thermometer to measure temperature during the cake batter preparation. However, if you decide to separate the egg yolks from the whites, this method is less demanding and only requires an electric mixer.
Love cake recipes? Try these next!
If you enjoy Korean fresh cream cake, you will also love the other sponge cakes on the blog.
- Italian Pan di Spagna
- Genoise Sponge Cake
- Chiffon cake
- Angel Food Cake
- Japanese Sponge Cake
- Vietnamese Bánh Bông Lan
- Asian Sponge Cake (Chinese sponge cake)
- Wagashi Sponge Cake (Japanese castella cake)
- Japanese Roll Cake
- Korean Lunchbox Cake
- Bento Cakes
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PrintRecipe card
Korean Fresh Cream Cake (Saeng Cream Cake)
Korean fresh cream cake (aka Saeng cream cake) is a soft and fluffy cake made with sponge cake layers, fresh whipped cream, and juicy strawberries. With just a few basic ingredients, it is made in no time.
- Total Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Korean
Ingredients
For a sponge cake:
- 4 large egg whites (130 g), room temperature
- ½ cup + 1 ½ tablespoons (130 g) caster sugar
- 4 large egg yolks (80 g), room temperature
- 1 â…“ cups (130 g) cake flour
- 3 tablespoons (43 g) whole milk
- 2 â…“ tablespoons (31 g) grapeseed oil
For sugar syrup:
- â…“ cup (75 g) water
- 3 tablespoons (40 g) granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon Kirsch (or vanilla extract)
For strawberry cake filling:
- 7 oz. (200 g) fresh strawberries (or frozen strawberries)
- 3 tablespoons (40 g) granulated sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoons lemon juice
For assembling the cake:
- â…” cup + 3 tablespoons (200 g) heavy cream, 30% fat
- 2 ½ tablespoons (20 g) icing (powdered) sugar
For decoration:
- â…” cup (155 g) heavy cream, 30% fat
- 5.3 oz. (150 g) fresh strawberries
- 2 tablespoons (15 g) icing sugar (optional)
Instructions
-
To make a sponge cake, preheat the oven to 305°F (150°C). Sift cake flour with a flour sifter twice in a large mixing bowl. Butter and dust a 7-inch (18 cm) pan with flour, and remove the excess flour. Or line the bottom and sides of the baking pan with a parchment paper circle and strips.
-
Place egg whites in a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment and beat on low-medium speed until frothy. Add â…“ of sugar and continue whisking on low speed. Add another â…“ of the remaining sugar, and beat the egg whites until soft peaks. Avoid stiff peaks and glossy meringue.
-
Add egg yolks and gently mix with a hand whisk with circular movements. Avoid any up-and-down whisking motions.
-
Sift ½ of the flour over the bowl and carefully mix with a hand whisk without whisking. Add the remaining flour and mix until the flour is invisible.
-
Place oil and milk in a small microwave-safe bowl and warm them up in the microwave for 20 seconds. Add the warm milk and oil mixture to the main preparation. Gently mix by scooping the batter up from the bottom with a spatula until you obtain a uniform batter.
-
Pour batter into the prepared pan and tap it on the table a couple of times. Stir the batter with a bamboo screw with circular movements. These tricks help eliminate air bubbles and create an ideal texture for the cake.
-
Bake the cake for 60 minutes. Remove the baking pan from the oven and tap the mold on the table. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes.
-
Turn the pan upside down on a wire rack and let the cake cool for 5 minutes. Then turn it over, and while the cake is warm, scrape the crust from the top of the cake with a thin sharp knife. Don't trim the cake yet; just remove the top crust. Let the cake cool down completely.
-
To make sugar syrup, pour water and sugar into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Out of the heat, add Kirsch, and let it cool.
-
To make fresh whipped cream, pour â…” cup + 3 tablespoons (200 g) of chilled heavy cream and icing sugar into a cold bowl and whip cream with a hand whisk until soft-medium peaks.
Pro tip: Consult a Japanese strawberry shortcake for how to make fresh whipped cream. It is different from the Westen-style homemade whipped cream. If desired, opt for stabilized whipped cream.
-
To make strawberry cake filling, wash and pat dry strawberries. Hull and cut strawberries into halves, then quarters. Mash using a potato masher or a fork. Combine mashed strawberries, sugar, and lemon juice in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
-
To assemble the cake, measure the height of the cake. You will need to get four 0.4 inches (1 cm) thick cake layers. If the cake size allows you to cut the bottom of the cake, do this. Otherwise, leave the bottom crust. Use a serrated knife or cake leveler to slice the cake into thin layers 1 cm thick. Adjust a mousse cake mold to 6.4 inches (16 cm) and trim each layer to fit.
-
Place the first layer on a turntable. Soak it with syrup using a pastry brush. Spread ¼ of the cream evenly with a bent spatula. Then, using a pastry bag or spoon, add ⅓ of the strawberry filling on top of the cream. Make sure to leave a ½ inch (1.5 cm) gap from the edge.
-
Place the second cake layer and repeat the above procedure. Finish the cake with the third cake disk and soak it. Crumb coat the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer of cream. Whisk â…” cup (155 g) of the cold heavy cream with a hand whisk until soft peaks and cover the entire cake.
-
Decorate the cake with an angled spatula: read a Wilton tutorial on how to make spatula icing. Arrange a few fresh strawberries on top.
Notes
- Keep the top and bottom crust if desired, but make sure the cake layers are 6.4 inches (16 cm) in diameter. The fresh whipped cream recipe is created for this cake size.
- Use a digital scale for the accurate measurements of ingredients.
- Make sure the ingredients are at room temperature.
- To recalculate ingredients for another cake pan size, use a simple cake pan converter. You may need to adjust the baking time.
- Don't overmix the cake batter: overmixing results in a heavier cake.
- Don't open the oven door during baking.
- For evenly smooth layers, let the cake cool before slicing. For easier slicing, wait until the day after baking.
- Use a hand mixer with caution: it is easy to overwhip the cream filling.
- Make-ahead option: Bake a sponge and make a strawberry cake filling in the evening, and finish the cake the next day.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 549
- Sugar: 43.5 g
- Sodium: 55 mg
- Fat: 31.2 g
- Saturated Fat: 15.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 62 g
- Fiber: 2.2 g
- Protein: 8.7 g
- Cholesterol: 245 mg
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.
The recipe was adapted from https://en.cooking-tree.com/
Crystal L says
You say to use 1/3 of the sugar in step 2 to beat with the egg whites. Then you say to add another 1/3 of the sugar, but you don't say what to do with the other 1/3. Do you also add it or do you throw it away. I'm confused.
Irina Totterman says
Hello Crystal, Please read: "Add 1/3 of sugar and continue whisking on low speed. Add another 1/3 of the remaining sugar, and beat the egg whites until soft peaks." I corrected this in the recipe post.