Walk into a bakery in Japan and you won’t see any of these, at least not if they’re catering to the locals who demand their traditional Japanese Christmas cakes. These special cakes use only certain ingredients and have their own special style that specially distinguishes them from your garden variety, all-season cakes.


What ingredients, you ask? Well, Japanese Christmas cake can be described as a glorified strawberry shortcake. That means it starts with a sponge cake base, then comes the frosting: white, of course, and ideally made with fresh whipping cream. Fill & top with juicy strawberries and maybe a few strategically placed chocolates for effect. Santa ought to eat a few of these each year to keep him in holiday trim!