My Childhood Strawberry Shortcake 思い出のいちごショートケーキ

My grandma just turned 90 years old and specifically requested a strawberry shortcake! The only problem is that it is incredible difficult to find strawberries in September! I ended up finding strawberries that were imported from the UK which were a biiit pricey — but that’s what you gotta do to grant your 90-year-old grandma’s wishes!

When I went to birthday parties as a kid in the US, I was the girl who would ask for another slice of pizza instead of eating cake…but it was because I did not like the sweet buttercream cakes that were alllll kinds of colors. Just not really my thing. I do like it more now as an adult, but if I had to choose, I would pick my mom’s strawberry shortcake ANY DAY.

The whipped cream is the perfect sweetness (not too sweet) and it is so delicious with the fluffy genoise sponge and the tart strawberry slices in between the cake. Topping it off with a big strawberry on top and THAT is my dream cake (FYI do you eat the strawberry on top first? Or last?)

ANYWAYS, if you don’t normally like decadent cakes, this strawberry shortcake might become your new favorite dessert. The key to making this dessert is to not overmix! This applies for both the fluffy genoise sponge batter as well as the whipped cream.

The fluffy genoise sponge is so easy to make as long as you don’t overmix, and you can decorate it however you’d like!

TIPS AND TRICKS:

• Bring the eggs to room temperature before whipping together with the sugar — this will help the sugar dissolve better into the egg mixture which will help create a fluffier, more airy cake batter.

• Sift your cake flour into the batter quickly and write the letter “J” into the batter to mix it from the bottom. DO NOT OVERMIX. The more you mix, the more the batter will deflate resulting in a more flat cake.
• Microwave the milk, butter and vanilla mixture first to allow it to cool down a bit before adding it into the batter.
• Depending on your oven temperature, your cake might be done baking before the 26 minutes are over — if the top of your cake looks golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean, your cake is done baking!

• After baking the cake, flip it out upside down from the cake pan onto a cake cooler.

• If you want a 2 layer cake, slide the cake in half horizontally and first put the top half down right side up. Then after layer the cream and strawberry on, flip the bottom half upside down and place on top (see my Instagram video for the how to!) This would work for a 3 layer cake as well with the extra middle layer.

• Microwave together 1 tbsp of water and 1 tbsp of sugar in a bowl for 45 seconds – 1 min. Adding in 1 tbsp of Kirschwasser after the sugar syrup has cooled down a bit.
• Whip up the heavy cream in a cold bowl which will help keep the cream easier to handle while you are decorating the cake.

ALTERNATIVES:

FLOUR: You can use all-purpose flour if you don’t have cake flour, but your cake might be slightly more dense (but not by too much!)

LIQUOR: If you want an alcohol free cake, feel free to only use the sugar syrup.

As always, tag me @takahasheats on socials if you make it! I’d love to see it and hear about what you think! 🙂

My Childhood Strawberry Shortcake お思いでのいちごショートケーキ

Birthdays, Christmas, celebrations — all won't be complete without this strawberry shortcake! The layers of fluffy genoise sponge soaked in kirschwasser, whipped cream and strawberries will make make you wanting more each bite!

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Course Dessert

Cuisine Japanese

Servings 1 15cm cake

Ingredients

  

Ingredients:

• 2 eggs
• 5 tbsp granulated sugar
• 70 g cake flour
• 1 tbsp milk [A]
• 20 g unsalted butter [A]
• A few drops of vanilla extract or oil [A]
• 1 tbsp of kirschwasser [B]
• 1 tbsp water + 1 tbsp sugar heated together to create a syrup [B]
• 200 g heavy cream [C]
• 1 tbsp sugar [C]
• Strawberries

材料:

• 2個 卵
• 5 大さじ グラニュー糖
• 70 g 薄力粉
• 1 大さじ 牛乳 [A]
• 20 g 無塩バター[A]
• 少々 バニラエッセンスまたはバニラオイル [A]
• 1 大さじ キルシュワッサー [B]
• 水と砂糖 各大さじ1（加熱してシロップを作る） [B]
• 200 g 生クリーム [C]
• 1 大さじ 砂糖 [C]
• いちご 適量

Instructions

 

Directions:

• Line a 15cm circular cake pan.
• Preheat oven to 180C or 355F.
• Microwave your [A] mixture together for 30 seconds or just until the butter is melted.
• Whip up the eggs and granulated sugar until it’s light yellow-ish white in color and very fluffy.
• Sift in the cake flour and mix just until you only see a few flour streaks left (don’t overmix!)
• Gently drizzle in the [A] mixture and fold it into the batter just until you don’t see the flour anymore.
• Pour the batter into your circular pan.
• Bake for 25-27 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
• Cool upside down to prevent the cake from getting flat.
• Mix together the [B] syrup.
• Whip up [C] until soft peaks form — don’t overmix!
• Once the cake is cooled, slice horizontally into 3 layers.
• Brush [B] onto each layer of the cake then layer on the cream and strawberries (leave enough cream for the final layer on the outside.
• Decorate the cake however you please!
• Itadakimas!

作り方:

• 15cmの円形ケーキ型にクッキングシートを敷く。
• オーブンを180℃に予熱する。
• [A] の牛乳、無塩バター、バニラエッセンスを電子レンジで30秒ほど加熱し、バターが溶けるまで混ぜる。
• 卵とグラニュー糖を白っぽくふわふわになるまで泡立てる。
• 薄力粉をふるい入れ、粉っぽさが少し残る程度まで混ぜる（混ぜすぎないように注意）。
• [A] の混合物を優しく生地に加え、粉が見えなくなるまでさっくりと混ぜる。
• 生地を型に流し入れる。
• 25〜27分焼き、竹串を刺して生地がついてこなければ焼き上がり。
• ケーキが平らにならないように、逆さまにして冷ます。
• [B] のシロップを混ぜる（水と砂糖を加熱して作る）。
• [C] の生クリームと砂糖をソフトピークが形成されるまで泡立てる（泡立てすぎないように注意）。
• ケーキが冷めたら、水平に3層にスライスする。
• 各層に[Ｂ]のシロップを塗り、生クリームとイチゴをのせる（外側の仕上げ用にクリームを少し残しておく）。
• お好みでケーキをデコレーションする。
• いただきます！

Video

https://www.instagram.com/p/C_8zQbXuMYY/

Keyword Baking, Birthday, Cake, Celebration, Dessert, Easy Japanese food, Genoise Sponge, Japanese Dessert, Strawberry, Strawberry Shortcake, Whipped Cream