Swiss Roll Cakes are popular Western-style desserts in Japan made by rolling thinly baked sponge cake and filling it with cream, jam, or fruit. Roll cakes are enjoyed on various occasions such as celebrations, parties, or even everyday teatime. They not only have a pretty looking swirl but are also delicious and relatively easy to make at home, especially after a couple of practice rounds.
Japanese sponge cake (スポンジケーキ) is a very light and fluffy yellow-white cake that is a base component for a lot of Japanese Western-style sweets. Although we have our own traditional Japanese desserts like Mochi rice cake and Anko sweet red beans, Western-style cakes and other treats are tremendously popular in Japan. Once you master Japanese sponge cake, you will be able to make various Western-style Japanese sweets.
Japanese Strawberry Shortcake (いちごショートケーキ) is a western-style layered cake with whipped cream and strawberries. It is the most popular kind of western cake in Japan for everyone. It is said the Strawberry Shortcake was “invented” by a pastry shop in 1920s, but it became more popular in the 1950s. And since then it still is often the best seller in any bake shop.