Serve up a showstopping layer cake for Christmas this year. Traditionally enjoyed throughout December in Japan, this kurisumasu keki, or Japanese Christmas Cake recipe, is filled with rich whipped cream and fresh strawberries. We'll walk you through how to make the airy sponge cake, including tips for making it ahead and storing the finished holiday dessert.
What Is Japanese Christmas Cake?
Classic Japanese Christmas Cake is made with layers of vanilla sponge cake, fluffy whipped cream, and fresh strawberries. The result is a light and airy dessert that tastes like strawberries and cream. It's very popular in Japan around the holidays and you'll often find it in convenience stores and restaurants.
How to Store Japanese Christmas Cake
Frosted cake can be stored in the refrigerator up to 2 days. To freeze the layer cake portion, place in a freezer storage bag, label, and freeze up to 3 months. Thaw completely in the refrigerator or at room temperature before frosting.
Can You Make Japanese Christmas Cake Ahead?
Yes, you can prepare the layers ahead and store. Do not frost the cake until ready to serve. Make and cool cake as directed. Wrap in plastic wrap and store at room temperature up to 24 hours before finishing.
Ingredients
Cake
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6 eggs, room temperature, separated
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3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
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2 teaspoons vanilla
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1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
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1 1/2 cups cake flour, sifted
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1/4 teaspoon salt
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2 tablespoons vegetable oil
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2 tablespoons whole milk
Simple Syrup
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1/2 cup warm water
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1/3 cup sugar
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3 tablespoons Cointreau® or other orange liqueur
Decoration
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3 cups heavy cream
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1/2 cup powdered sugar
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3 tablespoons vanilla instant pudding mix
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1 tablespoon vanilla
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1 pound strawberries, hulled and sliced
Directions
Cake
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Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease an 8-inch springform pan. Line the bottom and sides with parchment paper. The parchment should extend beyond the top by at least 1-inch to allow the cake to rise.
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In a large bowl, beat egg yolks and 1/2 cup of the sugar with an electric mixer until the mixture is pale, creamy and thick, 2 to 3 minutes.
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In a separate large bowl with clean beaters, beat egg whites, vanilla, and cream of tartar until soft peaks form. Beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar, 1 Tbsp. at a time until nearly stiff peaks form.
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Gently fold one-third of the egg whites into the yolk mixture to lighten it. Add remaining egg whites and fold in gently until combined.
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Sift half of the flour and the salt over the mixture; fold in. Sift remaining cake flour over the mixture and fold in until combined.
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Combine oil and milk in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high (100% power) 30 seconds. Pour over the mixture; fold in until combined.
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Pour batter into the prepared pan. Smooth top with a small offset spatula. Lift the pan 6 inches above the work surface. Gently drop to release air bubbles. Bake in the preheated oven 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown, a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, and the internal temperature measured with an instant-read thermometer registers at least 190°F.
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Cool cake in pan on a wire rack 15 minutes. Remove from pan and remove parchment. Cool cake completely, upside down, on a wire rack.
Simple Syrup
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In a small bowl, whisk together water and sugar until dissolved. Add Cointreau. Let cool to room temperature.
Decoration
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In a large bowl, beat cream with an electric mixer until thickened. Add powdered sugar, pudding mix, and vanilla. Beat to stiff peaks.
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Carefully slice cake horizontally into 2 layers. Brush simple syrup onto each cake layer, using all of it.
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Place top cake layer, top side down on a serving plate. Spread whipped cream and half of the strawberries on the cake layer. Filling should be about 1-inch thick. Place remaining layer over the filling, cut side down. Frost cake with the remaining whipped cream. Decorate top of the cake with remaining strawberries. Chill 1 to 2 hours before serving.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
| 469 | Calories |
| 27g | Fat |
| 50g | Carbs |
| 7g | Protein |
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings Per Recipe 12 | |
| Calories 468.6 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 26.5g | 34% |
| Saturated Fat 14.8g | 74% |
| Cholesterol 160.5mg | 53% |
| Sodium 217.3mg | 9% |
| Total Carbohydrate 49.6g | 18% |
| Dietary Fiber 1g | 4% |
| Total Sugars 35.1g | |
| Protein 6.6g | 13% |
| Vitamin D 1.5mcg | 7% |
| Vitamin C 22.6mg | 25% |
| Calcium 66.3mg | 5% |
| Iron 1.9mg | 11% |
| Potassium 195mg | 4% |
| Fatty acids, total trans 0.8g | |
| Vitamin D 59.3IU | |
| Alanine 0.3g | |
| Arginine 0.3g | |
| Ash 1.3g | |
| Aspartic acid 0.6g | |
| Caffeine 0mg | |
| Carotene, alpha 0mcg | |
| Choline, total 87.8mg | |
| Copper, Cu 0.1mg | |
| Cystine 0.1g | |
| Energy 1961.2kJ | |
| Fluoride, F 10.7mcg | |
| Folate, total 55.2mcg | |
| Glutamic acid 1.3g | |
| Glycine 0.2g | |
| Histidine 0.2g | |
| Isoleucine 0.3g | |
| Leucine 0.5g | |
| Lysine 0.4g | |
| Methionine 0.2g | |
| Magnesium, Mg 15.5mg | |
| Manganese, Mn 0.3mg | |
| Niacin 1.4mg | |
| Phosphorus, P 168.2mg | |
| Pantothenic acid 0.8mg | |
| Phenylalanine 0.3g | |
| Phytosterols 10.2mg | |
| Proline 0.5g | |
| Retinol 282.2mcg | |
| Selenium, Se 10.7mcg | |
| Serine 0.4g | |
| Starch 0.1g | |
| Theobromine 0mg | |
| Threonine 0.3g | |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 1.1mg | |
| Tryptophan 0.1g | |
| Tyrosine 0.3g | |
| Valine 0.4g | |
| Vitamin A, IU 1018.5IU | |
| Vitamin A, RAE 286.2mcg | |
| Vitamin B-12 0.3mcg | |
| Vitamin B-6 0.1mg | |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 7.3mcg | |
| Water 105.4g | |
| Zinc, Zn 0.6mg | |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
