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eggless shortcake

EGGLESS JAPANESE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

Japanese Strawberry Shortcake is a simple cake very popular in Japan made with vanilla sponge cake, whipped cream and strawberries. This version is made with an eggless soft sponge cake but I can guarantee that nobody will notice it's made without eggs!
It became very popular as a Birthday Cake and during Christmas season, but I think it's perfect for any occasion.
Throught these years I've made many eggless cakes because many strict vegetarians or allergic followers asked me for them (and I've a friend allergic to eggs). I've found out that you get better results baking an eggless cake in thin layer than using a classic round tall cake pan.
For this reason I've used a rectuangular large baking sheet, then I've cut it in two to get 2 cake layers. You can use your oven baking tray (30x38cm-12x15inch) to bake this cake.
I've used long-life whipping cream for the filling because you can get more stabilized and thick whipped cream than using fresh whipping cream. Consider that more fat features your whipping cream, more stabilized will be your whipped cream. You can also use heavy cream if you can find it in your Country.
You don't need to soak these cake layers with sugar syrup because Eggless Sponge Cake features oil and milk in the batter, so it's already moist and if you soak it, it becomes too fragile.
You can make this cake the day before: the more it will stay in the fridge, the more soft and fluffy the sponge will turn out!
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Prep Time 45 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Chilling Time 4 hrs
Total Time 5 hrs
Course Dessert
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 12 Servings
Calories 210 kcal

Ingredients
  

Eggless Sponge Cake

  • 300 ml (1+1/4 cup) milk room temperature
  • 18 g (1+1/4 tbsp) white vinegar or any vinegar or lemon juice
  • 260 g (2 cups+2 tbsp) all purpose flour
  • 50 g (5 tbsp) cornstarch you can substitute it with all purpose flour
  • 10 g (2+1/4 tsp) baking powder
  • 4 g (1/2 tsp) baking soda
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 225 g (1 cup) sugar
  • 1+1/2 tsp vanilla paste or extract
  • 160 g (3/4 cup) vegetable oil

Filling

  • 600 ml (2+1/2 cups) heavy cream or long-life whipping cream chilled
  • 65 g (1/2 cup) vanilla powdered sugar or simple powdered sugar+2tsp vanilla extract
  • about 700 g (1,5 pound) fresh strawberries washed and well dried

Instructions
 

Eggless Sponge Cake

  • In a medium size bowl, mix milk and vinegar and set aside for about 10 minutes. This is the homemade method to get buttermilk: if you have buttermilk, use it and skip vinegar (or lemon juice).
  • Meanwhile sift and mix together into a large bowl flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, baking soda and sugar.
  • Add vegetable oil into the milk mix.
  • Gradually pour milk mix into flour mix and mix with a whisk until almost combined.
  • Incorporate vanilla paste or extract and mix until well combined: do not overmix!
  • Place the batter into a lined and greased baking sheet (30x38cm-12x15inch) and spread it eavenly.
  • Bake in preheated oven (no-fan, upper and lower heat) at 180°C-350°F for about 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Cool down slightly then remove from the cake pan and cool down completely.
  • When completely cooled down, divide the cake into 2 equal rectangles (30x19cm-12x7,5inch each one).

Filling

  • Put a very large bowl in freezer for about 15 minutes to chill.
  • Meanwhile cut in half about 500 g (1 pound) strawberries and place the cutted side onto kitchen paper to dry.
  • Remove the bowl from the freezer and use it for whipping the cream until medium peaks form.
  • Add powdered sugar (and vanilla if you're not using vanilla powdered sugar) and mix until medium-stiff peaks form. Be careful to not overmix whipping cream.

Assemble the Cake

  • Spread a thin layer of whipped cream on top of one cake layer.
  • Place halved strawberries on top, placing the largest ones obliquely on the corners of the cake.
  • Spread a generous amount of whipped cream on top of strawberries and fill all the gaps both on top than on the sides of the cake.
  • Place the second cake layer on top.
  • Spread some whipped cream on top (you'll get whipped cream leftover for decorating the cake top).
  • Put the cake in refrigerator for at least 4-5 hours to set.
  • Remove the cake from refrigerator and cut the sides with a serrated knife.
  • Decorate on top whith the remaining whipped cream and whole strawberries.

Video

Notes

Store in refrigerator for about 2-3 days.