Fresh whipped cream and strawberries, sandwiched in between a vanilla chiffon cake makes the perfect dessert!

Strawberry Sandwiches are very popular in Japan because of how aesthetic they look. It is a simple combination of white bread, cream, and strawberries that makes it so easy and delicious as well. I wanted to swap out white bread for vanilla chiffon cake to make it more dessert-like, and while the outcome looks just like the sandwich, I liked the slight sweetness and fluffiness of the cake better than white bread.

Besides strawberries, you may consider using other fruits such as kiwi, pineapple, oranges, peaches, and the list goes on. Strawberries are the most popular because of its vibrant color and beautiful cross-section. The chiffon cake is the same chiffon cake I used for my Oreo Cake Roll since it is so versatile. In the cake-making process, one of the most important things about the cake is to make note of where you place the strawberries. You do not want to cut in the wrong area which would destroy the cake presentation entirely. I advise that after you wrap the sandwich in plastic wrap, mark the wrap with a permanent marker to make note of where the strawberries are placed. These steps are included in the directions.

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Strawberry Sandwich Cake

yield: 8 x 4 in. double cake, yields 2 large or 4 medium slices

For Cake:

• 1/3 c. cake flour
• 4 tsp. granulated sugar
• 1/4 tsp. baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 3.5 tbsp. 2% or whole milk
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/2 tsp. lemon juice
• 3 tbsp. vegetable oil
• 1/4 tsp. vanilla extract
• 4 egg whites
• 3 tbsp. granulated sugar

For cake filling:

• 1.5 c. heavy cream
• 1/2 c. condensed milk
• 6-8 whole strawberries, washed, de-stemmed, and dried

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, sift together cake flour, 4 tsp sugar, baking soda, and salt.
3. Add the yolks, oil, lemon juice, vanilla extract and milk and whisk to incorporate and set aside.
4. In a medium sized bowl, whisk the egg whites on high and add the 3 tbsp sugar halfway through whipping. Whisk the beats until stiff peaks form, to where you can turn the bowl upside down and the meringue will not fall out.
5. Gently fold the meringue into the flour batter by adding it in 3 batches. Gently fold with a spatula for about 35 folds.
6. Line a small cookie pan with parchment paper and use some batter to let the batter stick to the pan.
7. Pour the cake batter into the cake pan and spread it out with the spatula. Tap the pan down to remove air bubbles.
8. Tap the pan on the counter to release large air pockets.
9. Bake the cake for 16-18 min. and remove the cake from the oven. Allow the cake to cool for about 10 min. and flip the cake over onto a cooling rack. Remove the parchment paper and allow cake to cool 5 min.
10. In the meantime, in a separate bowl, whip together the heavy cream and condensed milk on high until sturdy whipped cream is formed.
11. To assemble the cake, lay down a piece of plastic wrap and move the cake from the cooling rack to the plastic wrap. Slice cake in directly in half to form two equivalent square of rectangular slices. I trimmed the cake to form a square, but this is optional.
12. On the first layer of cake, spread on about 1/3 of the whipped cream. Lay the strawberries diagonally on the cake to form an “X” and add the additional whipped cream. Make sure the whipped cream gets filled in the crevices. You may use a butter knife to make this process easier.
13. Place the second layer of cake on top, lightly press down on the cake, and smooth the sides of the cake.
14. Wrap the cake with plastic wrap and use a permanent marker to mark where the strawberries are. This helps ensure you cut in the correct direction for the strawberry cross-section effect.
15. Let the cake rest in the fridge for one hour. Remove the cake and cut the cake directly through the plastic wrap along the marked lines or remove the plastic wrap before cutting. Enjoy!

Although I cut the cake diagonally in two pieces, you may cut in any way, shape, or form. I find that this pan size yields 4 smaller slices or 2 large slices. If you do not want triangles, you may cut in rectangles, as long as you know where the strawberry cross-section will be and you plan accordingly.

This cake is light and delicious, and pairs well with coffee and tea. Place the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days for best freshness.

*Nutrition facts are estimates