Today I translated my go to Birthday Cake recipe. I've probably made this cake more than 100 times for my friends and families because you only need eggs, flour and sugar.
My twins were allergic to dairy so it worked perfectly using soy cream or coconut cream to decorate. If using coconut cream to decorate, It's important that the coconut cream doesn't have guar gum. I use this one.
My Birthday Cake
INGREDIENTS
4 Large Eggs (at room temperature) if using small eggs please try to add half an egg
90g Sugar (I use regular white sugar but if children were making it alone, it may be easier to use powdered sugar)
70g Flour (sieve the flour beforehand)
Whipping Cream 生クリーム (milk fat content 35%) 150ml - 300ml (if it says vegetable based 植物性 on the package it doesn’t mean veggie it means cheap cream with additives - you can use cashew cream, coconut cream, etc… if you are a veggie)
9g sugar
You can make it extra moist by brushing some syrup (1tbs Strawberry Jam and 1tbs water, boiled and cooked down)
Rolled cake tray is better if it's completely square (This recipe is made for 28cm x 28cm rolled cake tray) But I don't have one so I use 28cm x 38cm oven tray. Please make it 1.5 times of the portion in the recipe. You will also need a hand held electric mixer.
You’d only need these 3 ingredients that you probably have at home and it works perfectly with any kind of cream for the children with dairy allergy.
You’d only need these 3 ingredients that you probably have at home.
First, thaw the eggs. When the egg white is cut off, add sugar and mix gently.
Put this bowl of egg and sugar mix over a bowl of hot water without burning yourself - be careful for the hot water to not get into the bowl of egg and sugar (if you are making with the kids, not to worry about this method, you can make it without using the hot water) and start beating the eggs.
While whipping at the highest speed, this mixture becomes warm. When it reached to the level of our body temperature, remove it from the hot water and beat again.
It's OK to stop beating when the egg liquid slowly drops like a ribbon and piles up, leaving a clear mark.
Mix in the flour little by little sprinkle the flour from the low position using a sieve and mix quickly with a rubber spatula so that the flour is quickly dissolved. (repeat this process at least 6 times.)
When you finished mixing in the flour, then mix from the bottom part with a rubber spatula while turning the bowl toward you with one hand. It’s like lifting the bottom part of this mixture up while turning the bowl.
Keep mixing using this method. Try to drop some of this mixture and if it still leaves a mark, it’s not ready yet.
It’s ready if it drops into streaks and disappears immediately. (I will take 3-5 minutes to of mixing).
* The amount of egg froth that has been whipped should be reduced to about half by now. This is the process is to convert he large bubbles created by the hand mixer into small bubbles that are difficult to collapse. If this is not done carefully, the cake won’t be super fluffy.
Pour the mixture into a baking sheet. Make sure the edge of the tray is also covered by enough dough. Use thin plastic like bread dough cutter or just anything you have in the house like Japanese Shitajiki to level the surface of the dough. Tap the back of the plate with your hand to gently remove air bubbles.
Bake in a preheated (180 degree) oven for 10-12 minutes. After baking, drop the tray from a height of about 20 cm and remove steam. (To prevent the dough from shrinking)
When the steam is gone but while it’s still hot, take the cake out, then flip the plate upside down using it as a lid while cooling the cake (preventing the dough from drying). You can also use food wrap instead.
Remove the paper from the cake. Place a piece of baking sheet and normal paper like photocopying paper connected to the size of this cake) under the dough and do it carefully.
Add sugar to the fresh cream and whisk until it makes a thorn when you lift the whisk from the cream. Spread the fresh cream over the cake. The front part should be thick and the back part should be thin. Try to put less cream at the end of the sponge so when you roll, cream won’t come out.
Put a rolling pin under the paper and lift them together. Try to roll the dough tightly to make a core.
If the cream sticks out, remove it with a rubber spatula and wrap it up to the end. Lightly press with your hands to shape.
Wrap it in a cling film/wrap over a piece of paper and chill it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour. If possible, it is best to leave it for more than half a day.
FOR THE TOWERED CAKE
Use the same recipe as above but we use an oven tray of (27cm x 38cm)
Cut it into 6 strips and cut 1 of the strips in half.
Cut the fruits into small sizes. Thinly slice the strawberries for decoration and set aside.
Add sugar to fresh cream and whisk for 8 minutes until it makes a thorn when the cream is lifted.
Apply 60% of fresh cream evenly over the cake. The remaining fresh cream will be used to decorate the top and the side.
After rolling the first strip, continue to roll using the second strip so that there is no gap between them.
After you finished rolling, smooth the surface. Flatten the surface by smoothing out the fruits. The end of the sponge can be cut diagonally as shown in the photo to make it more beautiful for the end of the roll.
After adjusting the shape by hand, fix it with cut paper.
Repeat the same process. Bottom layer 2.5 strips Second bottom layer 2 strips Third layer from bottom 1 strip and Top layer half a strip.
Keep them in the fridge for 1-2h until the shape is settled.
Put the cake on top of each other and decorate!