The Kurisumasu Keeki is the typical Christmas cake in Japan, prepared with a light sponge cake and garnished with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. This dessert is a Japanese adaptation of Christmas traditions imported from the West, especially after the Second World War, a period during which Christmas became popular in Japan. Kurisumasu Keeki has established itself as a festive culinary tradition, often consumed on Christmas Eve. It is fresh, not very sweet, rather simple to make and accessible to gluten intolerants in this suitable recipe. Kurisumasu Keeki is sold in almost all Japanese pastries and often pre-commanded well in advance. So, ready to try the recipe?
Ingredients
Preparation
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Preparation of the sponge cake:
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Preheat the oven to 180°C. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar until frothy. Add the vanilla. Gently incorporate the sifted rice flour and cornstarch and baking powder.
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Whip the egg whites until stiff. Gently incorporate a first third of the whites into the dough with a wooden spatula. Then incorporate the rest.
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Pour the dough into a 20 cm high and round cake pan, pat the mold on a work surface to remove the air bubbles and prevent the top from the sponge cake to make a bump and cook for 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool before unmolding and cutting the sponge cake in half lengthwise.
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Be sure to place the utensils used to prepare the whipped cream (whisk, bowl, etc.) in the freezer for at least 30 minutes. Preparation of the cream: Whip the cream and mascarpone with the icing sugar until firm and light.
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Assembling the Kurisumasu Keeki: Place half a sponge cake on a serving dish. Spread a generous layer of whipped cream and arrange cut strawberries on top. Place the second half of the sponge cake on top and cover the cake with whipped cream (optional). Decorate with the rest of the strawberries.
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Finishing: Refrigerate the cake for at least 1 hour before serving so the flavors blend.
