Tuesday 23 February 2010

Strawberry Shortcake, Japanese Style

If you pick up any baking books written by Japanese authors, chances are, the first recipe that appears at the basic cake making section will be a Strawberry Shortcake.



This is different from the Strawberry Shortcake recipe that you will see in cookbooks written by American authors. A strawberry shortcake is a scone or biscuit which is cut in half and then filled with whipped cream and sweetened strawberries. To the Japanese, a strawberry shortcake is a layered sponge cake with strawberry filling and whipped cream frosting, and is a favorite Christmas or birthday cake in Japan.

It is a very simple cake to make, at least for someone like me who has not been to any baking class or workshops, I am able to get the sponge cake right, most of the time. It is no surprise that I kept going back to the same recipe, see here and here.



I made the same cake again for Valentine's Day this year. We usually don't celebrate the occasion, but since we didn't celebrate our past two wedding anniversaries, I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to bake a layered cake to mark this special day...when the Chinese Lunar New Year falls on the same day as Valentine's Day. I doubt we will still be around to celebrate the next time these two festivals coincide.

I baked the sponge cake first thing in the morning. Since I have made it several times, it was an uneventful and a straight forward task. The challenge came when I started to assemble the cake. I had used up too much whipping cream to fill the layers, after frosting the entire cake surface I was left with no cream to pipe any rosettes.

I spent the next half an hour fiddling with the cake...trying my best to spread the whipping cream as smooth and even as possible so that it will still look presentable without any piped swirls or rosettes. As stated in most cookbooks, the more swipes you make across the frosted surface, the uglier it will get. In the end, I gave up and simply used the back of a spoon to create some swirls, haphazardly. This is the worst frosting I have done, even the sides looked horrible. Fortunately, those Korean strawberries which I bought on sale were very fresh and looked very pretty, they really made up for my lousy skills.


Despite the blunder I made, the cake tasted good, light and refreshing. The sponge layer was soft and airy, and the strawberries were sweet...it was indeed a delightful treat and fitted the occasion to a T :)

Strawberry Shortcake


Ingredients:
(makes one 18cm sponge cake)

for the sponge layer:
100g cake flour
3 eggs, room temperature
90g caster sugar
20g unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons fresh milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

for the filling:
1 pack of strawberries (about 250g)
300ml non-dairy whipping cream
2 tablespoons caster sugar
4 tablespoons hot boiling water


Method:

To make the sponge layer:
  1. Sift cake flour for 3 times, set aside. Line bottom and sides of an 18cm (7 inch) round pan with parchment paper, set aside. Pre-heat oven to 170degC. Position rack at the lower bottom of the oven.
  2. With an electric mixer, whisk eggs and sugar on HIGH speed for about 5 to 7 mins, until the batter turns pale, becomes thick, double/triple in volume and is ribbon-like (the batter should leave a ribbon-like trail when the beater is lifted up). Turn to LOW speed and whisk for another 1 to 2 mins. Whisking at low speed helps to stabilise the air bubbles in the batter.
  3. Sift over cake flour into the batter in 3 separate additions. With each addition, use a spatula, gently fold in the flour until well blended. Take care not to deflate the batter.
  4. Add the melted butter, fold in gently with spatula until well blended
  5. Add in fresh milk, vanilla extract and fold in gently with spatula until well blended.
  6. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 30~35 mins, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Unmold and invert onto cooling rack, cool completely.
To Assemble:
  1. Dissolve caster sugar in hot boiling water, set aside to cool.
  2. Reserve 10 strawberries for decorating the cake. Slice remaining strawberries into thin slices (about 4 slices per strawberry).
  3. Slice sponge cake horizontally into 3 layers.
  4. Whisk non-dairy cream with an electric mixer till stiff peak.
  5. Place one sponge layer cut-side up on a cake board or serving plate and brush the surface with the sugar syrup. Spread on some whipped cream and arrange the strawberry slices over the surface. Spread over with some whipped cream.
  6. Brush both sides of the 2nd sponge layer with the sugar syrup and place it over the first layer. Repeat with whipped cream, strawberry slices and whipped cream.
  7. Brush the cut-side of the 3rd layer with the sugar syrup and place it over the 2nd layer. Frost sides and top of cake with whipped cream. Decorate as desired and garnish with reserved strawberries.
Recipe source: adapted from 点心达人, 轻松学 / 小川智美著

117 comments:

Kitchen Corner said...

Hi HHB,
No matter how's the cake turn out to be, it's always the best one for your family because you did it from the bottom of your heart. That's the most beautiful one and the most meaningful one! I feel that love by just looking at your strawberry shortcake.

Allie said...

I think you're too modest. Your Strawberry Shortcake looks great and delicious! Looking at the amount of strawberries I see on supermarket shelves these days, I'm very tempted to make one this weekend!

Anonymous said...

hi, the 3000ml non-dairy whipping cream, is that amount correct?

uzettes said...

Oooh, if only it had chocolate too~ I'd love a whole slice(:
*looking forward to more yummy goodies!

thecoffeesnob said...

What are you talking about, HHB? It looks absolutely perfect!

I would kill for a slice of this luscious cake now :D

Tia said...

where do you get non dairy whipping cream? brand? is it a cream or a powder? thanks!!!

Blessed Homemaker said...

The first time I tasted a strawberry shortcake was from Four Leaves and I fell in love with it instantly.

For the whipped cream, my problem is I whipped too little cream and barely enough for piping.

I like your strawberry shortcake, simple and nice. I don't think you did a bad job on the frosting, I thought it looks very original :-)

Cosy Bake said...

Hi HHB,

the cake looks good.can see the light and airy sponge! more important is the taste for a home made cake. I just got back form Japan this morning. I managed to bring back thier strawberries which is in season now. was thinking about making the same JApanese strawberry short cake while the berries are stil nice and fresh, I also brought back few packets of the Japanese dairy whipping cream. It just doesn't taste the same using our localy bought whipping crream. Wish me luck! Cheers!

Happy Homebaker said...

Grace, I agree, we can always buy a pretty cake from the bakery, but it is never the same when time and effort is spent making one at home :)

Allie, no I am not being modest, there are so many talented home bakers that out there who are able to create beautiful cakes, I actually feel shy to post this ^_^"

Hi Anonymous, thanks for pointing out the mistake! It should be 300ml ;)

Hi Tia, I got it from the local baking supply store, it is their housebrand, Redman, it is a cream not powder.

Thanks thecoffeesnob, Blessed Homemaker!

Hi Honey boy, I have seen those Japanese dairy whipping cream at Meidi-Ya supermarket at Liang Court, but it is very expensive, so I didn't buy! I can't wait to see your strawberry shortcake!!

Cuisine Paradise said...

Ya... HHB, you are too modest le.. your Strawberry Shortcake look so nice... I never have the courage to bake whole cake with cream decoration.. (me poor at handling big cake). You red/white combination make it look great!!!! Love it

Unknown said...

Waw, it looks so yummi.:))))))))))

martina said...

Nice job! I think you're not so unskilled...this shortcake looks professional to me. Congrats
cheers Martina

Irene's Footprints said...

Hi HHB
I am really impressed with your strawberry shortcake...it looks so pretty and fresh to me!

Btw, could I clarify step 4 (do you whip the cream over iced water) and step 5 (why do you spread sugar syrup on the cake?)

I will try this...now that supermarkets have many fresh strawberries.
: )

quizzine said...

I thought the swirls were made deliberately 'artistic' - beautiful! I couldn't remember when was the last we celebrated anniversary or valentine's day, so sad right? ;-(

Happy Belly said...

I just baked this last month too! What a coincidence ; )
I followed Bakerzin, Daniel Tay's recipe and it uses mascarpone cheese which really add depth to the flavor of the cream ; p

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Ellena, I am sure you can bake and ice a cake, you are such a great cook and a talented baker too!

Thanks Laura, Martina!!

Hi Irene's Footprints, I don't whip the cream over iced water since I am using a handheld electric mixer. Just make sure you only take out the cream from the fridge when you are ready to whip it.
The sugar syrup will help to keep the sponge layer moist especially since the cake will be kept in the fridge.

Hi quizzine, I used to forget about our anniversary, I only started to 'remember' it the past few years so that I can have an excuse to bake a cake ;)

Hi Happy Belly, saw your strawberry shortcake, yours is lovely, and with mascarpone cheese, I am sure it will taste awesome!

Irene's Footprints said...

Thanks HHB....

Yee Er said...

Hi, I love ur strawberry shortcake. I'm phobia in baking those sponge cake or angel cake.

Do I have to use special pan for sponge cake like those chiffon cake?

Pei-Lin said...

Dear HHB,

Your Japanese strawberry shortcake looks amazing! So simple and yet elegant! Nope ... I couldn't see any blunder at all ... Perfect 10 from me!

You know what, I first learned about the cake when I was writing at work about Christmas celebrations around the world. Hahaha ...! Besides the cake, fried chicken also sells like a hot cake during Christmastime! Usually, the Japanese have to reserve in order to make it to the local fast food restaurants on Christmas! Believe it or not!!??

Can't wait to hear more from you!

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Yee Er, no, you only need a normal baking pan for sponge cake.

Pei-Lin, yes and they go for KFC?!! I missed Popeye in the States, although there are a few outlets here, the chicken just don't taste the same, and the biscuits are just so different from those we had in CA.

Anonymous said...

hi...

just to check how do u fold in the flour?

i've got problem folding in the flour...


kay kay

Jenni Kim said...

Hi Anonymous,

Here's a video that Happy Homebaker shared before in one of her previous replies: http://vsx.onstreammedia.com/vsx/JuliaChild/search/PBSPlayer?assetId=69208&ccstart=386166&pt=0&vid=pbsbwja102

They explain how to fold the batter and other nice tips to know about certain techniques.

To Happy Homebaker:

I'm going to try this cake tomorrow for my father's birthday, I hope it'll end up well! *crosses fingers* This is the first time I'm attempting a cake from scratch, nonetheless a layer cake!

IcePandora said...

Hii sweetie
I have a question about something else actually...
Can you please tell me what the HTML code is for the 'Home' and 'About' and 'My Flickr' button is?

Thanks!

Daisy said...

Love your blog, everything is so yummy!
For that I've awarded you with the Sunshine Award. Here's a link to my blog to read all about it
http://daisy-sevenseas.blogspot.com/

ENTRA EN MI COCINA (ALIMONIA) said...

delicious and nice... Nice to meet you... i like your blog...
bye

Happy Homebaker said...

Thanks Jenni for including the link in your comment :) I am sure you can bake a nice cake for your father :D

Hi Kay Kay, pls visit the site stated in Jenni's comment. Hope it helps.

Hi IcePandora, I do not know the html code, it came with the template. However, Blogger has got a new feature for you to add static pages (eg 'About'), just got to "Posting" and then to "Edit Pages" to create your own pages.

Hi Daisy, thanks for the Sunshine Award, it really brightens up my day :):)

Thanks Alimonia, hope to see you around :D

Shirley @ Kokken69 said...

Hello HHB. Your worst frosting is better than my frosting any time! Lovely cake and the sponge looks soft and cottony too... :)

Mamatkamal said...

Your cake looks perfect! You are so good.
Cheers,

IcePandora said...

Ooh thanks for answering! I'm still a newbie with HTML codes...
can you please tell me where you have download your template?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi IcePandora, I got it from this site: http://www.ourblogtemplates.com

petite nyonya said...

This cake looks super! Thanks for sharing the recipe...have been looking for strawberry shortcake recipe just like this one for a long time.

WendyinKK said...

Ur sponge looks really nice and soft :)
Imperfections is what makes it look best being homemade. I don't think that is important if it's for personal consupmtion.:)

touria said...

This is a great cake it looks so prety

Anonymous said...

Hello HHB!
You're blog is the first food blog i have ever been to and you really inspired me to start baking. It's been 2 years since i started at 16 and it is now my passion and love to bake :D and ike you, i even started my own food blog. You are inspirational and i always love to try out your recipes, always believing that they work and they have all came quite satisfyingly well. A GREAT THANK YOU to you! I LOVE strawberries and fluffy sponge cakes, so strawberry short cake is on one of my top lists for a birthday cake :D Thank you for sharing the recipe! Knowing that the recipe could churn out such an lovely cake, it gives me greater confidence when trying out the recipe. i had similar problems like you before, I was making a fruit cake and there was not enough cream! So i tried to cover up the sides with toasted almond flakes and thin slices of fruits on the top. It worked :D and saved the day.

Please drop by my blog ;D

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Sweeter side of life, you have a lovely blog! I am glad the recipes you have tried turn out well, we really have to thank the original authors for creating such fool-proof recipes ;) I am as novice a baker as you, but I am really happy that I have inspired you to start baking at such a young age! I am sure this hobby will stay with you for life :)
I can't frost a cake properly, so I always cover up my flaws with whatever I could find...be it almond flakes, chocolate rice, oreo crumbs, sponge fingers and cocoa powder ;p

Bakericious said...

i always like to look at your layer cakes, you give me a lot of inspirations :) thanks

DC said...

Hi HHB,
I'm new to your blog and I also just started to explore into baking cakes. After reviewing your recipe and realise you don't use baking powder in your sponge cake. But some other recipe do use baking powder in sponge cake. May i know why? Thanks.

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi DC, thanks for visiting (^^)
Sponge cake does not need baking powder at all as the method of beating the eggs and the sugar will create enough leavening (air is beaten into the mixture) to allow the cake to rise upon baking.

Unknown said...

Hi Happy Homebaker

I have started reading your blog and found it interesting. I tried baking your Japanese Shortcake, but turn out not so light and spongy (I have followed the steps exactly). Do not know why?
Is the parchment paper same as grease paper? Where did you buy whipping cream? I got it from NTUC Fairprice. The cream after I whisked, it was lumpy and watery. It did not stick onto the cake. Why?
Lastly, the cake brush with sugar syrup will become soaky?
Waiting for your reply :) thanks

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Junie, there could be several reasons why your sponge cake was not light and spongy. May I ask a few questions? Did you beat the egg and sugar mixture till the mixture double/triple in volume? turns pale and thick? and is able to leave behind a ribbon like trail when you lift up the whisk? What about the folding of the flour? Did you deflate the mixture while folding?
You may want to hop over to the video link as listed under the comment by reader Jenni Kim on this post. It shows you how to go about folding the flour.

Parchment paper or baking paper is different from grease paper. You can get parchment paper from supermarts...usual brand is GLAD.
I got the NON-dairy whipping cream from Phoon Huat. I think you may have bought the dairy one instead. For dairy cream, if you over beat it, the cream will separate (the fat from the water). So I guess you may have over beat it.
The brushing of the sugar syrup will not make the sponge layer soggy, you only need to brush the surface.

udit said...

This cake looks delicious ... very interesting and makes me want to try to make it ..

catherine Chua said...

hi HHB,
is the red man whipping cream from phoon huat name topping cream?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Catherine, yes it is.

catherine Chua said...

hhb, ok..thx

goosey said...

hi HHB,

I tried this recipe out a few times but my cake doesn't seem to rise :( Is there something I'm doing wrongly? I got all the measurements right.. Should I add baking powder?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi goosey, no, it is not necessary to add baking powder. You need to beat the eggs and sugar mixture until the batter turns pale, thick, and can leave a ribbon like trail when u like up the whisk. eg, lift up the whisk and draw an "8", by the time u finish drawing it, the trail should not disappear immediately. You need to sieve the flour at least 3 times before using. When u add in the flour, sieve over in 3 separate additions, dont just dump it in. Use a spatula to 'fold in' the flour, do not deflate the batter. U can take a look at my video clip on how to go about making the sponge cake, refer the one on "Making a Roll Cake'...the steps are the same. Hope this helps.

Anonymous said...

hi, the cake i made tasted great but it didnt turn out as soft or fluffy.. What did i do wrong?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, I am not sure what went wrong as you didn't mention how you went about making the cake. maybe it is the way you beat the eggs and sugar mixture? or the folding of the flour into the batter?

Anonymous said...

Hi, I followed the recipe but for some reason the sponge turned out very thin and having an egg flavor... what did i do wrong? thanks

Reira said...

Hi HBB,

I am currently baking this strawberry shortcake!!! Hope it will goes well and that I could bake this again on Tuesday night for my son's actual birthday celebration with the 3 of us only! =) Can't wait for the outcome!

I watched the red bean roll video! If not, my cake will definately failed again.

Thank you so much for the recipe & video! haha really lucky that I've always remember your blog name after hearing it so many times from my ex-online-bf many many years ago who is in USA.

Reira

Reira said...

Hi HBB,

Just finished baking my cake. OMG it turned out horrible. Really have no idea what i did wrongly. it is really rubbery at the bottom and the top is brown & crispy. So sad... guess I will have to make no-bake cake for the birthday.

Reira

Happy Homebaker said...

Reira, sorry to hear about your unsuccessful attempt. I am sure with a few more practise, you can get it right. The most important thing is to make sure you beat the eggs and sugar mixture till very thick, and double/triple in volume. Sieve the flour a few times before using. When folding in the flour, take care not to defate the batter. Did you get these steps correct? If yes, then maybe it could be due to your oven??

Reira said...

Hi HBB,

Told my friend about my attempt and went to her house to try today. The result ends up the same! flat, top is crispy brown & bottom is rubbery. =( For the oven, which option do i use? i was told to use the one option with fan when baking sponge cake.

One thing is maybe i didnt beat the mixture thick enough. When folding flour in, how to prevent from deflating the batter? I need to join baking class to get these right haha

Happy Homebaker said...

Reira, your friend is an experienced baker as well? Then I really do not know what is the cause. Sorry, my oven is a simple table top oven, no other functions, no fan as well.
You can check youtube to look for demo videos on how to bake a sponge cake. It will give you a better idea.

Reira said...

Hi HBB,

Yep, my friend is an experienced baker. Well, atleast more experience than me hehe. It is alright, will check out youtube video.

Anyway, I noticed the batter both my friend and I did is a bit weird. If we live it unstir for a min, there will be a lots of air bubble on top which ends up to be darker brown, sugary sweet and crispy after baking. Am wondering if we did anything wrong with the batter? Did we beat the batter for too long? or we didnt stabilize the air bubble enough?

Thank you once again for your patience in answering my questions. And wow! you wakes up early!!! Guess I will need to wake up as early once my son goes to sch. I am not an early person but an night owl. =(

Reira said...

Hi HBB,

I just baked using this recipe again. This time i turn my mixer to the highest speed and the batter is volumed compare to sun night's. Now, the sponge cake looks alright with dark brown top and bottom. Is that how it is suppose to look like? I am thinking of making my own blog to blog about my experience in baking as a newbie. Shall upload the photo and link here when my son is napping =)

Happy Homebaker said...

Reira, hope to read your blog soon :)

Reira said...

Hi HBB,

=( Tasted the sponge cake the other day and it was horrible! The sponge cake is not soft and fluffly at all. Haiz, maybe it is my oven. =( The cookies I baked is dark in color too. Maybe i need to lower the temp of my oven

Florence said...

Hi HHB, I came to know of your blog thru Dottiedotz's blog! :) I tried making this earlier today (red and white cake on national day, you see!) but somehow it didn't go too well... I suspect it's something to do with the folding-in process. I find it really hard to fold in flour. Is it true that quite a lot of folding is required to get all the flour incorporated? Perhaps I caused the whole thing to deflate. Secondly, I think perhaps its to do with the time I left the cake in the oven (31 mins?), somehow it is rather on the dry side. Is it meant to be moist instead? Tried accessing the Julia child video, but my mac doesn't allow me :(

Happy Homebaker said...

H Florence, you can sieve the flour a few times before using, when ready to add to the batter, sieve the flour over in 3 separate additions. Also you need to make sure the eggs and sugar is whisk till the mixture becomes thick and double/triple in volume. You can do a google search, you should be able to find video clips on how to go about making a sponge cake. Hope this helps :)

water5melon2 said...

Hi HHB,
If i wanted to turn this into a chocolate sponge cake, how much cocoa powder or chocolate would i have to add? Just wondering since my family perfers chocoalte!! =]

Happy Homebaker said...

water5melon2, I am sorry I have not tried turning this into a chocolate sponge cake. If you are interested, you can try using 20g cocoa powder and 80g cake flour, however, since I have not tried it, I am not sure how the cake will turn out. I guess maybe it is better for you to look for recipes from other food bloggers.

Anonymous said...

hi! just wondering, could i use vanilla essence instead of vanilla extract for this recipe?

Thanks!

wei li said...

Hello!

Firstly, the cake looks lovely! Going to try my luck with it soon:)
Just to find out, how high would the cake be after baking it? my cake tin is about 6 cm high, and is 7 inches. Is the the appropriate size to bake it in?
Also, is there any substituitions for vanilla extract? Couldnt find it in my supermarket here. Would vanilla essence be fine instead? By the way, may i know the difference between both vanilla extract and essence?

Thanks alot! Sorry for so many questions! Do reply soon!

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Anonymous, you can use vanilla essence.

Hi Wei li, you can use your 7" baking tin.
You can use vanilla essence instead. You can refer to this site for the difference between vanilla essence and extract: (http://www.joyofbaking.com/Vanilla.html) Hope this helps.

Anonymous said...

Hello!

I was finding a similar recipe to the Four Leaves "Strawberry shortcake" and your food blog caught my attention!

I'm very impressed in your baking culinary skills! I really fell in love with your food blog. OMG!

A question to ask you:

Is the non-dairy whipping cream similar to the cream in Four Leaves "Strawberry shortcake"?

I always love to eat that cake from Four Leaves. I am not a fan of eating whipped cream, but i really like the cream taste from Four Leaves.
That is why I was wondering if I can use the non-dairy whipped cream to subsitute with the cream I've tasted in Four Leaves.

If yes, could you kindly recommend me the brand of whipped cream you use and where can i purchase them?

Thanks a lot!

P.S. I've already added your food blog under my favorites tab. Really love your recipes!

Hope to see your reply soon! Thanks!!

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Anonymous, I am sorry I have not tried Four Leaves cake. I bought the non-dairy whipping cream from Phoon Huat, the brand is 'Red Man'. They taste is similar to those frosted cakes sold from neighbourhood bakery stores.

hanushi said...

HHB, I am excited to tell you that I have baked this for my dad's birthday cake. It is really well-received. Thanks for your clear instructions!

p/s: I think you did a very good frosting, way much nicer than mine. :)

bobbi said...

I'm going to try making this cake using your recipe but before I do I just want clarification on one thing in the sponge cake part. I notice in other Japanese strawberry shortcake recipes they mix egg white & sugar first then add egg yoke but here you just mention whipping the eggs & sugar does that mean you don't separate the eggs before mixing? you mix egg white, yoke & sugar all at once?

thanks in advance for he answer :3

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi bobbi, this recipe uses the whole egg method, ie you beat whole eggs with sugar together, what you are familiar with is the separate eggs method, where the egg whites are whisk separately, just like making a chiffon cake.

Anonymous said...

Hi, I chance upon your blog while looking for strawberry shortcake recipe. I baked e cake for one of my friend birthday n all my friends say e cake nice. Thanks for sharing e recipe. Intend to try your mango n strawberry cake recipe for my gathering. Now ur blog is under my fav:)

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, I am glad to hear that you like the recipe :)
Hope you have fun with baking!

Sweet Pea Yeo said...

Hi, I was looking for a recipe for the Japanese strawberry shortcake and saw your blog. Love your passion for baking and I have just picked up baking again. Will try this recipe and I am sure it will be a winner :) Cheers!

dawntan said...

Hi HHB, was intro to your blog by my baking neighbours. Am so green with envy at how nice your cakes turns out each time.

Tried this Jap Strawberry Shortcake last night but it turned out not the way i intended it to be.

Need your advise on these:
1) Quantities stated.. does it really fill an 18cm pan? My batter was so little that I had to do a second round of batter to fill up my 18cm pan

2) Turned out too sweet

3) After cooling, the cake sinked

Any advise? Am trying it again tonight

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi dawtan, may I ask whether you have any problem with other sponge cake recipes?

The ingredient amount is correct for an 18cm round pan.

Did you beat the egg and sugar mixture till the mixture double/triple in volume? turns pale and thick? and is able to leave behind a ribbon like trail when you lift up the whisk? What about the folding of the flour? Did you deflate the mixture while folding? The finished batter should appear thick and has got volume, not thin and runny...I suspect you could have deflated the batter as a result the cake didn't rise at all.

Anonymous said...

Hi HHB!
I tried this recipe yesterday and the cake turn out not bad.
Just that when i cut the cake, ready to serve it. its very messy and not very firm, bits and pieces started falling out. but i have left it in the fridge for a few hours before serving it. and also, the cake turn out not very smooth and is quite coarse..
Any idea what went wrong during the process of making the cake?
Thank you so much!

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, not sure what went wrong...the coarse texture could be due to the beating of the eggs and sugar...did the cake layer fall apart or break while you try to layer it horizontally? or it only fell apart after you have decorated it with cream and filling?

Anonymous said...

It fell apart only after i decorated with cream and filling. it was firm when i cut it horizontally.

Happy Homebaker said...

Oh, this is strange, so it means there is nothing wrong with it after baking...maybe the sponge layers were too soggy after brushing with syrup?

Anonymous said...

Hi! Awesome cake! I prefer simple designs. I am of Eastern European descent and we also use a syrup to moisten the sponge cake! I sometimes add some brandy (Grand Mariner, or Cointreau, etc) in the syrup. It gives the cake a nice touch.
I'll try to do it tonight, for my son's birthday!
Greetings from Toronto!

Anonymous said...

Hi HHB,

I tried your cake today and it tasted great! However, I would like to make a bigger cake. Can I increase all the ingredients weight by 2? Kindly advise. Thank you.

Joanne

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Joanne, I am happy to hear that you have great success with this recipe :):) I am sorry I have not tried double the recipe, it should work, but do take care not to deflate the batter when folding the flour as 200g of flour seems a lot to me.

Anonymous said...

Hi HBB,

I have tried baking this sponge cake after seeing ur beautiful pic.. But it doesn't rise as much as urs. I have beat the eggs n sugar enuff to triple the volume but it doesn't form the 8 swirl after I lift up my whisk. Y it is so? Can u advise how u achieve the 8 swirl when lift up e whisk? Thank u:)

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, if you have beaten the eggs and sugar till triple in volume, just a few more mins, the batter should become thick and ribbon like. Did you use room temperature eggs? You could have deflated the batter when folding in the flour, as a result the cake didn't rise much, the finished batter should be thick not thin and runny. See my video clip here:
http://happyhomebaking.blogspot.sg/2008/12/matcha-adzuki-again.html
Hope this helps :)

Sheryl said...

Hi Happy Home Baking! I would like to use this as a base for my ombré cake. Do you think it is suitable if I add paste food coloring into the batter?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Sheryl, I am not sure as I have not tried it before...

Baking Scientist said...

Thanks HHB! I tried to make this sponge cake yesterday and it tasted great! only thing is the top crust was not as nice as yours - mine appears a bit ugly haha. But it was my first successful sponge cake so I was really happy! I am starting my own blog (today in fact :p) and would like to link to your recipes, hope it is ok with you. You have inspired me :) Big Thank You!

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Baking Scientist, glad to know your cake turn out great and thanks for linking the recipe :)

Anonymous said...

Hi, i tried baking this cake just a while ago, but how come the volume of the batter kindda decreased while i was folding it? I used a rubber spatula, started from the side of the batter, scooped up the bottom and folded it over the batter. I did this lightly too. Do you know why it deflated? Thanks :D

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, did you beat the eggs and sugar mixture till the ribbon like stage? If yes, did u sieve the flour a few times before using? Also did u sieve it over the batter, in 3 separate additions, and fold in after each addition. If you have done the above, then you should be on the right track. The finished batter will deflate a little, but it should be able to fill up a 7" round pan to at least 3/4 full. After baking, the cake should rise just above the rim. How was the texture of your cake?

Anonymous said...

Hi, yep, i did all the steps above. Is the batter supposed to look foamy and sound foamy, like the foamy shampoo kind of foamy? It fill only about half of the pan, and did not rise after baking :(
The cake was quite dense, and hard especially after it haf cooled down. When i chew it, the cake would separate into large hard crumbs.

Anonymous said...

Hi, sorry about the separate reply, but I thought of something I may have done wrongly. After I beat the eggs and sugar, the batter kind of reached somewhere near the after soft peak stage. When I lift up the whisk, the batter just stayed on the whisk. Is it possible that the eggs and sugar mixture is over-beaten?

Anonymous said...

Hi, really sorry for the separate posts! The texture of the cake in the first post was for the layer from another recipe. I put the two of them together as they were really thin, and got mixed up.
I just tried the layer of cake from this recipe on its own. The cake is really dry, anot fluffly at all, and is quite compact. It falls apart into very small and hard crumbs. I can really feel the individual crumbs when I eat the cake.
Thanks and sorry for the separate posts!

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, the batter is not supposed to look foamy. I am not sure whether you have over beaten the egg and sugar mixture as I can't really visualise it. You may want to take a look at my video clip here (http://happyhomebaking.blogspot.sg/p/my-video-clips.html) on making a roll cake. The steps for preparing the batter is almost the same as making the sponge cake, the finished batter should appear thick. You can also refer to this post (http://happyhomebaking.blogspot.sg/2007/07/strawberry-mango-cake.html) for pictures of the finished batter. However, they were taken several years back and so it may not be a good example. Hope this helps :)

Anonymous said...

Hi, thanks for the help! I'll try making it sometime soon :D

Anonymous said...

Hi! Can I enquire about the preheat and the baking temperature --- how long should I preheat and then bake and at what temperature?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, it depends on your oven, mine usually takes about 15mins to preheat to the right temperature, and do use an oven thermometer to ensure the temperature is correct. The cake is baked at 170degC. Hope this helps :)

Unknown said...

Hi, may I know cake flour is same as self rising flour?

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Kit Kum, no they are different. self rising flour has got baking powder added.

Anonymous said...

Hi! I've baked it and it IS delicious)
Thank you for recipe)
For everyone who loves homebaked cakes http://bakedathome.wordpress.com/)

Unknown said...

Hi.... its very delicious dish. thanks.
japanese cook books

Anonymous said...

Hello may I know the estimated timing to make this? :)

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, to bake the cake, you will need about 30mins to prepare the batter and another 30mins to bake it. To assemble the cake you will probably need another 30mins to an hour.

phoebs said...

Hi hi been making this sponge cake few times but failed. Noticed my baked cake looked compact at bottom whereas the top part looked airy. Also found lumps of flour embedded inside the cake. Can you advise what went wrong? Thanks.

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi phoebs, I think it is because of the folding of the melted butter to the batter. Some of the melted butter may not be fully incorporated into the batter, as a result, it could have sank into the bottom, so the layer at the bottom became dense and 'kueh-like'. You need to scrape all the way to the bottom of the mixing bowl, then lift up the batter, to make sure all the melted butter is well blended into the batter.
As for the lumps of flour, it is also because of the folding of the flour to the batter. You can try sieve the flour a few times before using. When ready to add into the batter, sieve over the flour again (do not dump in), fold in the flour in 3 separate additions, it should help prevent lumps. hope this helps.

phoebs said...

Hi hhb, thanks for advice. Will try out again. Keep fingers crossed! :)

phoebs said...

Hi hhb failed again.. I'm so devastated. Wondering could it be the batter cos it is not as smooth as per your pics in another recipe. Mine is quite foamy when volume doubles and I stop whisking.

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi phoebs,

I guess you didn't beat the eggs and sugar mixture enough?
Did you beat until the batter turns pale, becomes thick, double/triple in volume and is ribbon-like? it should leave a ribbon-like trail when the beater is lifted up...

Anonymous said...

Hi HHB, quick question - for the non-dairy cream, how do I store it after I have opened the packet and only used some of it? Can I leave it in the fridge, or should I put it in the freezer (which the lady from Phoon Huat told me to but I'm not quite sure ... )?
Thanks.
Jan

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Jan, for the left over, I store it in glass jars (1 cup each) and keep in the fridge. When needed I will thaw it over night in the fridge. Hope this helps.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the tip, HBB. Unfortunately I froze the remaining whole pack already. I don't suppose I could thaw it for my next use, and then refreeze again (if I can't finish the pack) huh?
Anyway, will remember your advice. Cheers!

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, you can thaw the whole pack, leave it in the fridge and try to use up within the next couple of days. You will probably need to plan ahead on how to use up the cream asap.

Wendy said...

Hi HHB, Can i use this recipe and change it into a black forest cake for adding cherries instead of strawberries?? TIA

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi Wendy, I am afraid you can't. They are different.

plasterer bristol said...

This sounds absolutely delicious. Thanks for sharing this recipe.

Simon

Anonymous said...

Hi HHB

We do not to add sugar to the whipping cream? Is it already sweet on its own?
Does it taste like fresh cream cake that we bought from cake shop (eg. bangawan solo)

Happy Homebaker said...

Hi, I used non dairy whipping cream which I usually bought from phoon huat. It is already sweetened so no sugar is required. It tasted like bakery shop cakes with cream.