Japanese Strawberry Shortcake | Gusto’s Holiday Kitchen

Japanese Strawberry Shortcake

This beloved Japanese-style Strawberry Shortcake features a feather-light sponge made by gently folding airy meringue into a silky yolk batter, then baking it in a water bath for exceptional softness. Layered with lightly sweetened vanilla bean whipped cream and fresh strawberries, the cake is delicate, tender, and not overly sweet—letting the fruit’s natural brightness shine. Its signature cloudlike texture and clean, elegant flavors make it a standout among classic holiday and celebration cakes.

Ingredients:

For the Sponge Cake:

• 8 large eggs, yolks and whites separated
• ½ cup (118.3 ml) whole milk
• 6 tbsp (89 ml) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/3 cup (315 g) cake flour
• 1 cup (237 g) granulated sugar
• ½ tsp (2.5 ml) salt

For the Simple Syrup:

• ¼ cup (59 g) granulated sugar
• ¼ cup (59 ml) boiling water

For the Whipped Cream:

• 1 cup (237 ml) heavy whipping cream
• 2 tbsp (30 ml) powdered sugar
• 1 tbsp (15 ml) vanilla bean paste

For Assembly:

• 1 pint (473.2 ml) strawberries, green tops removed and sliced in half

Method:

Make the Sponge Cake:

Preheat the oven to 325 F (160 C). Line the bottoms of two 8 inch (20.3 cm) round springform cake pans with round pieces of parchment paper.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed until frothy. Continue beating while adding the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time and mix until stiff peaks form.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, milk, melted butter, and salt. Add the cake flour and whisk to combine.

Add ¼ of the whipped egg whites to the egg yolk mixture and fold in with a rubber spatula. Then add the egg yolk mixture to the egg whites and fold in, making sure not to knock the air out of the meringue.

Transfer the batter to the cake pans. Place the cake pans in a high walled roasting pan and pour in 1 inch (2.5 cm) of boiling water around the outside of the cake pans to make a water bath. Transfer all of this to the oven and bake for 40-45 minutes, or until the cakes have started to pull away from the sides of the pans and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

Let the cakes cool in the pans, then run a knife around the sides and turn out onto a wire rack or cutting board. Wrap in plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Make the Simple Syrup:

Mix together the sugar and boiling water in a small bowl until the sugar has dissolved.

Make the Whipped Cream:

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the whipping cream and vanilla bean paste while slowly adding in the sugar. Stop beating when stiff peaks form. Do not over-whip or you will make butter.

Assemble the Strawberry Shortcake:

Remove the cakes from the fridge and unwrap them. Using a serrated knife, carefully cut the domed tops off the cakes.

Brush both cake layers generously with the simple syrup. Place one cake layer on a round cake board on top of a cake stand.

Add a large dollop of whipped cream on top and spread it out all the way to the edges of the cake using an offset spatula – it’s ok if the whipped cream goes over the sides. Arrange half the strawberries on top of the whipped cream, then top that with another layer of whipped cream. Place the second layer of cake on top. Use the offset spatula to spread the remaining whipped cream evenly on top of the cake and around the sides. Arrange the remaining strawberry halves decoratively on top of the cake.

Slice the cake and serve.