Japanese Strawberry Shortcake

Japan's most beloved cake: a cloudlike génoise sponge soaked in light syrup, layered and frosted with pure white whipped cream and decorated with jewel-like whole strawberries: Japan's definitive Christmas cake and the country's most iconic strawberry confection

Origin: Japan (Taisho–Showa era, early 20th century)

From the journey of Strawberry.

The Japanese strawberry shortcake is not derived from the American biscuit-based version. It was independently developed by Japanese confectioners (pâtissiers) in the early 20th century, influenced by French génoise technique and the Japanese perfectionism for seasonal fruit. It became Japan's Christmas cake: a tradition that began in the post-war period, when confectionery company Fujiya began marketing Western-style Christmas cakes decorated with strawberries and cream in the 1950s and 1960s. Today, Christmas Eve in Japan is unimaginable without a strawberry shortcake; shortcake shops sell out weeks in advance, and the white cream and red strawberry colour scheme evokes both Father Christmas and the Japanese flag. The strawberries used are Japan's extraordinary premium varieties, Amaou (from Fukuoka), Tochiotome (from Tochigi) and Benihoppe, which are among the finest strawberries in the world: large, intensely sweet, perfectly formed. Japanese strawberries are luxury gifts, sold individually in padded boxes for prices that would astonish Western buyers.

Ingredients

Génoise sponge

4 large eggs, at room temperature
120 g caster sugar
100 g plain flour, sifted
20 g cornflour (cornstarch)
25 g unsalted butter, melted

Soaking syrup

100 ml water
60 g caster sugar
2 tbsp kirsch or brandy (optional)

Cream

600 ml double cream (heavy cream), very cold
4 tbsp icing sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Decoration

400 g large, ripe, uniform strawberries (Japanese varieties if available), hulled

Filling

200 g additional strawberries for filling, sliced

Method

Make the génoise: preheat oven to 170°C. Grease and line a 20cm springform tin. Place eggs and sugar in a stand mixer bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Whisk until the mixture reaches 38–40°C and the sugar dissolves. Transfer to mixer and whisk on high speed for 8–10 minutes until tripled in volume, very pale and at the ribbon stage.
Sift the flour and cornflour together. Fold gently into the egg mixture in three additions using a large spatula; cut down through the centre, sweep along the bottom and fold up. Add the melted butter and fold in.
Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 25–30 minutes until the sponge springs back when touched and is golden on top. Cool completely on a wire rack. Slice into three horizontal layers.
Make the soaking syrup: dissolve the sugar in the water over heat. Cool and add the kirsch if using.
Whip the very cold double cream with icing sugar and vanilla to medium-stiff peaks; the cream should hold its shape but remain smooth and glossy, not grainy or stiff.
Assemble: place the first sponge layer on a serving plate. Brush generously with soaking syrup. Spread a layer of cream, then arrange the sliced strawberries over it. Add more cream to cover the strawberries. Repeat with the second layer. Place the third layer on top, brush with syrup.
Frost the entire outside of the cake with the remaining cream, smoothing to a perfectly white surface. Decorate the top with whole strawberries arranged in a pattern; typically a ring of whole berries with one in the centre, or a more elaborate arrangement. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving.

Notes

Japanese strawberry shortcake is available at every pâtisserie and convenience store in Japan from mid-November to January. The premium versions, from Shinjuku Takashimaya or Patisserie Sadaharu Aoki, use Amaou strawberries, which at peak season cost ¥500–1,000 per berry. For this recipe, use the best strawberries you can find. The cake should be refrigerated and eaten within 24 hours of assembly: the génoise absorbs moisture from the cream and becomes very tender over time, which is either a feature or a flaw depending on your preference.

The Gastrographer

Name: Japanese Strawberry Shortcake
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 3 h
Yield: 10
Cuisine: Japan
Ingredients: 4 large eggs, at room temperature; 120 g caster sugar; 100 g plain flour, sifted; 20 g cornflour (cornstarch); 25 g unsalted butter, melted; 100 ml water; 60 g caster sugar; 2 tbsp kirsch or brandy (optional); 600 ml double cream (heavy cream), very cold; 4 tbsp icing sugar; 1 tsp pure vanilla extract; 400 g large, ripe, uniform strawberries (Japanese varieties if available), hulled; 200 g additional strawberries for filling, sliced

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