Japanese Christmas Cake is a light, creamy centerpiece for your holiday table

The Christmas season is filled with rich and decadent sweets. As much as everyone loves decorative cookies, brownies and candies, wouldn’t having a gorgeous cake in the center of your dessert table be nice?

Forget about the fruitcake that so many avoid every year. We’re talking about a Japanese Christmas Cake, a dessert that is so light and airy it might just melt in your mouth. This cake is the perfect alternative for party guests who are on chocolate overload (is there such a thing?) but still want a festive treat.

Japanese Christmas Cake, or kurisumasu keki, is similar to a strawberry shortcake. Delicate vanilla sponge cake layers sit on top of whipped cream layers and strawberries. Sometimes, the cake is also coated with the whipped cream; other times, the layers are left visible to showcase the confection’s beauty.

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Although fewer than 2 million people in Japan are Christian, the country’s population does embrace the secular celebrations connected with Christmas. Following World War II, Japan considered America’s ideal Christmas a reflection of prosperity and fun. Having a beautiful cake in the center of the table became the idyllic image of the holiday.

Unlike many holiday desserts, Japanese Christmas Cake is easy to make. We found a few different variations on the popular recipe that look delicious.

We like The Spruce Eats recipe for Japanese Christmas Cake. It’s easy to follow, even for making the meringue, which can intimidate some people.

Here’s what you’ll need to make this lovely cake:

• Butter
• Rice bran or sunflower oil
• Eggs
• Milk
• All-purpose flour
• Caster sugar (super-fine texture)
• Baking powder
• Cream of tartar
• Vanilla extract
• Heavy cream
• Fresh strawberries

If you’re looking for an extra dose of holiday cheer in your cake, try the AllRecipes Japanese Christmas Cake. It only takes a total of 1 hour and 10 minutes, including prep and baking time. Beyond the traditional genoise sponge cake ingredients such as flour, sugar, eggs, vanilla extract and salt, this recipe infuses an orange flavor with a little Grand Marnier.

If you’re looking for a new dessert to add to your annual Christmas dinner menu, the Japanese Christmas Cake should be at the top of your list of contenders for a sweet holiday season!

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