Japanese Strawberry Cake
6 servings
180 minutes
The author of the recipe, Japanese pastry chef Fuji Ranemon, based it on German berry pies and American angel food cake with whipped egg whites (that's its official name). He created his own cake with weightless biscuit dough , snow-white cream and a filling of fresh berries. The strawberries add a piercing summer freshness and erotic overtones to the sensations. The cake, now called Japanese all over the world, turns pink like a bride's blush and has that degree of tenderness that doesn't exist in nature , which is best conveyed by the English word fluffу (the Russian equivalent "fluffy", although it reflects the essence, gives rise to unnecessary associations). We highly recommend trying it. And especially for those who never eat sweets.
1
Separate the eggs into whites and yolks. Put the whites in the refrigerator, the yolks should be at room temperature.
- Chicken egg: 4 pieces
2
Place the yolks in a mixing bowl, add 20 grams of sugar, and whisk quickly until the sugar dissolves.
- Sugar: 55 g
3
Add milk, strawberry syrup, and vanilla extract, and whip until smooth. Then add vegetable oil and whip again.
- Milk: 20 ml
- Strawberry syrup: 20 ml
- Vanilla extract: 0.5 teaspoon
- Vegetable oil: 40 ml
4
Sift the flour with corn starch three times, gradually adding it to the bowl while continuously whisking until a smooth mixture without lumps is achieved.
- Wheat flour: 30 g
- Cornstarch: 30 g
5
Whip the egg whites separately with salt, lemon juice, and sifted powdered sugar until stiff peaks form — they should be glossy and not fall off the whisk.
- Chicken egg: 4 pieces
- Salt: pinch
- Lemon juice: 5 ml
- Powdered sugar: 60 g
6
Use a spatula to fold the egg whites into the yolks - the batter should be airy, tender, and free of large bubbles.
7
Place the dough in a baking paper-lined form (rectangular, 22x23 cm; if the form is slightly smaller or larger, it's okay), spread the dough well, and tap the form on the table to ensure large bubbles disappear.
8
Bake the sponge cake for 25–30 minutes in a preheated oven at 165–170 degrees on the middle rack — it should become golden and springy. Remove the sponge cake from the oven, take it out of the mold, turn it onto a rack, remove the paper, and let it cool completely.
9
While the biscuit cools, whip the cream with the remaining sugar (25 g) until thick; once the cream starts to thicken and increase in volume, and the sugar dissolves, reduce the mixer speed to avoid overwhipping.
- Cream 33%: 200 ml
- Sugar: 55 g
10
Slice the strawberries (150 g) into thin slices. Put the cream and strawberries in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Strawberry: 250 g
11
When the biscuit is completely cool, cut off the crust around its perimeter and slice it in half horizontally to make two layers.
12
Place one layer on a work surface or board, putting baking paper underneath to prevent the sponge from sliding and the cream from making a mess. Cover the layer with 1/4 of the cream and smooth it out.
13
Layer the strawberry pieces on top.
- Strawberry: 250 g
14
Apply another 1/4 of the cream and smooth it out. Place the second layer on top. Cover the top and sides of the cake with a thin layer of the remaining cream. Put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
15
Take out the cake and coat the top and sides with cream again. The top layer of cream should be approximately equal in width to the cream layer between the layers. Put the cake in the refrigerator for another 2 hours.
16
Cut the cake into small pieces and decorate each piece with strawberries. Keep in the refrigerator before serving.
- Strawberry: 250 g