Japanese Christmas Cake is most often recognized as a white or vanilla sponge cake with shipped cream icing. Strawberries are a popular addition, but sometimes the cake is decorated with marzipan fruit and winter or Christmas decorations, chocolate, or plastic holiday cake toppers.
Unknown, Shared with S. Maggio from a friend
Christmas Cake is not a new concept. Fruit cake and other baked goods have been popular for generations, if not centuries, in the West. But Japanese Christmas Cake is a completely Japanese idea.
Typically consumed on Christmas Eve, at parties with friends or shared by couples as gifts are exchanged, Japanese Christmas Cake is an annual favorite in Japan, but difficult to find in much of the Western world unless you happen to live near a Japanese bakery or a large Japanese population. That doesnt mean you cant have Japanese Christmas Cake for Christmas, however. With a little work, you can make your own.
Sponge Cake
Sponge Cake is very easy and makes a great base for your Japanese Christmas Cake. This recipe is one I use because it comes out perfect almost every time. This recipe makes one 9-cake layer which can be sliced in half to form two layers. You can also make two and stack them for a two-layer cake.
2 eggs
1 Cup Flour (all-purpose)
1 tsp. Baking Powder (not Baking Soda)
1 Cup Sugar
Cup Milk
2 TBSP Butter
1. Take the two eggs out of the refrigerator and leave them on the counter for about thirty minutes. Spray a 9 cake pan (round) with non-stick spray or grease with vegetable shortening.
2. In a bowl, combine the flour and baking powder then set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 350-degrees.
4. Using an electric mixer beat the eggs on high speed for 4 minutes. This is important to get the right texture in the finished cake, so use a timer. The eggs will be thick and light in color at the end of 4 minutes when beaten on high speed.
5. Next, add the sugar gradually, while beating the eggs. Have the mixer running on medium speed, beating the eggs (after the initial 4 minutes) and slowly add sugar a little at a time. Continue beating the eggs and sugar for a total of 5 minutes (use a timer). The sugar-egg mixture will be light and fluffy at the end of that time.
6. Put the milk and butter in a small pan. Heat over medium heat until the butter melts. When the butter is melted, turn off the heat and add the milk-butter mixture to the eggs. Run the mixer on medium to combine everything well. Pour into the prepared pan, using a spatula to scrape out the bowl. Smooth the top.
7. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. The top should be golden in color and the cake should feel dense when lightly pushed on with a finger be careful, its hot. You can test it with a toothpick as well, stuck in the center. The toothpick should come out clean (not sticky).
8. Cool the cake completely.
Whipped Cream for Cake
The whipped cream used to ice cakes in bakeries is made with a whipped cream stabilizer. This produces a firmer whipped cream that holds its shape longer than plain whipped cream and sugar. You can get whipped cream stabilizer from most grocery stores now, such as Dr. Oetker Whip It packets sold in the international aisle or baking aisle. If you cant find it, they can be purchased online or you can walk into a local bakery and ask to purchase whipped cream stabilizer. Most bakeries are quite accommodating, especially if theyre small.
Put the mixing bowl and beaters in the refrigerator or freezer briefly so they are extra cold. Any heat will interfere with the whipped cream process. This is also true of the cake. If the cake has not cooled completely, the whipped cream will melt right off and make a mess. It might help to store the cake in the refrigerator after it has cooled to room temperature.
To make the whipped cream, combine at least 2 cups of heavy whipping cream with the required amount of stabilizer (according the package instructions, usually one packet per cup of cream). Add 3 or 4 tablespoons of powdered sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Beat on high speed until stiff. This usually takes several minutes, but is quite fast with a high-power mixer.
As soon as the whipped cream is done, cover the bowl loosely with plastic and put it in the refrigerator until ready to use. For best results, whip the cream when you are ready to use it, not before. Stabilized whipped cream will usually start to fall apart in blueberry bundt cake two or three days.
Assemble Your Japanese Christmas Cake
If using one cake, stick toothpicks around the edges of the cake marking the half-way simple coffee cake point between the top and bottom. Do this all the way around the cake, then use a serrated knife to carefully cut the cake into two layers. You do not need to do this if you made two cakes.
If your cakes have uneven tops or top edges that extend beyond the sides of the cake, carefully slice these off to make it uniform all around. Use a serrated knife and slice back and forth with a sawing motion to prevent damaging the cake.
Place the bottom layer on a cake plate. Spread some whipped cream on cream cheese coffee cake top and smooth it out. About a -inch thick should suffice. Too much and it will spill out the sides when the top layer is put on. If desired, lay fresh cut strawberries on the bottom layer between two thin layers of whipped cream instead.
Place the top layer on the whipped cream filling, taking care to line the top layer up with the bottom so the cake is even and balanced. Carefully spread whipped cream along the sides. Then put whipped cream on top and smooth it out.
Decorate the Japanese Christmas Cake with Fresh Strawberries, chocolate decorations, or take marzipan and food coloring and create little Santa, snowmen or other holiday decorations for the top. Store the cake in the refrigerator and eat within two days for best flavor and appearance.
Unknown, Shared with S. Maggio from a friend
Christmas Cake is not a new concept. Fruit cake and other baked goods have been popular for generations, if not centuries, in the West. But Japanese Christmas Cake is a completely Japanese idea.
Typically consumed on Christmas Eve, at parties with friends or shared by couples as gifts are exchanged, Japanese Christmas Cake is an annual favorite in Japan, but difficult to find in much of the Western world unless you happen to live near a Japanese bakery or a large Japanese population. That doesnt mean you cant have Japanese Christmas Cake for Christmas, however. With a little work, you can make your own.
Sponge Cake
Sponge Cake is very easy and makes a great base for your Japanese Christmas Cake. This recipe is one I use because it comes out perfect almost every time. This recipe makes one 9-cake layer which can be sliced in half to form two layers. You can also make two and stack them for a two-layer cake.
2 eggs
1 Cup Flour (all-purpose)
1 tsp. Baking Powder (not Baking Soda)
1 Cup Sugar
Cup Milk
2 TBSP Butter
1. Take the two eggs out of the refrigerator and leave them on the counter for about thirty minutes. Spray a 9 cake pan (round) with non-stick spray or grease with vegetable shortening.
2. In a bowl, combine the flour and baking powder then set aside.
3. Preheat the oven to 350-degrees.
4. Using an electric mixer beat the eggs on high speed for 4 minutes. This is important to get the right texture in the finished cake, so use a timer. The eggs will be thick and light in color at the end of 4 minutes when beaten on high speed.
5. Next, add the sugar gradually, while beating the eggs. Have the mixer running on medium speed, beating the eggs (after the initial 4 minutes) and slowly add sugar a little at a time. Continue beating the eggs and sugar for a total of 5 minutes (use a timer). The sugar-egg mixture will be light and fluffy at the end of that time.
6. Put the milk and butter in a small pan. Heat over medium heat until the butter melts. When the butter is melted, turn off the heat and add the milk-butter mixture to the eggs. Run the mixer on medium to combine everything well. Pour into the prepared pan, using a spatula to scrape out the bowl. Smooth the top.
7. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes. The top should be golden in color and the cake should feel dense when lightly pushed on with a finger be careful, its hot. You can test it with a toothpick as well, stuck in the center. The toothpick should come out clean (not sticky).
8. Cool the cake completely.
Whipped Cream for Cake
The whipped cream used to ice cakes in bakeries is made with a whipped cream stabilizer. This produces a firmer whipped cream that holds its shape longer than plain whipped cream and sugar. You can get whipped cream stabilizer from most grocery stores now, such as Dr. Oetker Whip It packets sold in the international aisle or baking aisle. If you cant find it, they can be purchased online or you can walk into a local bakery and ask to purchase whipped cream stabilizer. Most bakeries are quite accommodating, especially if theyre small.
Put the mixing bowl and beaters in the refrigerator or freezer briefly so they are extra cold. Any heat will interfere with the whipped cream process. This is also true of the cake. If the cake has not cooled completely, the whipped cream will melt right off and make a mess. It might help to store the cake in the refrigerator after it has cooled to room temperature.
To make the whipped cream, combine at least 2 cups of heavy whipping cream with the required amount of stabilizer (according the package instructions, usually one packet per cup of cream). Add 3 or 4 tablespoons of powdered sugar and a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Beat on high speed until stiff. This usually takes several minutes, but is quite fast with a high-power mixer.
As soon as the whipped cream is done, cover the bowl loosely with plastic and put it in the refrigerator until ready to use. For best results, whip the cream when you are ready to use it, not before. Stabilized whipped cream will usually start to fall apart in blueberry bundt cake two or three days.
Assemble Your Japanese Christmas Cake
If using one cake, stick toothpicks around the edges of the cake marking the half-way simple coffee cake point between the top and bottom. Do this all the way around the cake, then use a serrated knife to carefully cut the cake into two layers. You do not need to do this if you made two cakes.
If your cakes have uneven tops or top edges that extend beyond the sides of the cake, carefully slice these off to make it uniform all around. Use a serrated knife and slice back and forth with a sawing motion to prevent damaging the cake.
Place the bottom layer on a cake plate. Spread some whipped cream on cream cheese coffee cake top and smooth it out. About a -inch thick should suffice. Too much and it will spill out the sides when the top layer is put on. If desired, lay fresh cut strawberries on the bottom layer between two thin layers of whipped cream instead.
Place the top layer on the whipped cream filling, taking care to line the top layer up with the bottom so the cake is even and balanced. Carefully spread whipped cream along the sides. Then put whipped cream on top and smooth it out.
Decorate the Japanese Christmas Cake with Fresh Strawberries, chocolate decorations, or take marzipan and food coloring and create little Santa, snowmen or other holiday decorations for the top. Store the cake in the refrigerator and eat within two days for best flavor and appearance.