Japanese Christmas customs are heavily influenced by the American Christmas customs. Christmas cake too was a remnant of the Second World War, however the Japanese modifies it a bit to suit their palette. They would buy butter cream cakes from the shops that served the westerners and ice it with whipped cream. Even today the butter cream or fresh cream cake is the Japanese Christmas cake of choice.
Like in other western countries, the Christmas cake in Japan is traditionally eaten on Christmas Eve. It is a simple sponge cake, frosted with whipped cream, decorated with fresh strawberries and topped off with Christmas chocolates or other seasonal fruits. By extension, Japanese women over the age of 25 have occasionally been called "Christmas cake" to express the traditional Japanese idea that women over 25 are undesirable as marriage partners. This is a play on the idea that Christmas cake is no longer desirable after the 25th! Regardless, here’s a recipe for a totally sumptuous Japanese Christmas cake.
Ingredients
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
¼ tsp baking powder
3 eggs
1 ½ tbsp butter
For whipping cream:
2 cups heavy cream
4 tbsps sugar
10 pieces whole strawberry
Other seasonal fruits
Some chocolate for decoration
Directions
Put eggs and sugar in a bowl and whisk very well. Place the bowl over hot water in another large bowl and whisk further. When the egg mixture becomes white, sift flour and baking powder together and add to the bowl.
Add melted butter in the bowl and mix gently. Preheat the oven in 350-degree. Spread some butter inside of a round cake pan and place baking wax paper. (8 inches round pan.)
Pour the batter in the pan and bake in the preheated oven for 25-35 min. Remove the cake from the pan and cool it on a rack.
Cut the cake in half horizontally. Mix heavy cream and sugar in a bowl.
Whip the cream well.
Slice 4 pieces of strawberries into thin pieces. Take the half of the whipped cream and mix the sliced strawberries. Place the cream on top of a round cake slice.
Place another cake slice on top of the cream. Spread the rest of the whipped cream on top and around the cake.
Decorate the cake with 6 pieces of strawberries and chocolate.
Geschenkideen
