The Korean cream cake, better known as the “minimalist cake” or “Korean minimalist cake,” is currently one of the trendiest cakes in the baking world. Its popularity is attributed to its simplicity, which is a style that has been making waves in the industry because cake buyers wanted to try a simple but delicious cake as opposed to an overly designed cake that sometimes tastes bad. If you want to bake a minimalist cake, we are here to provide you with recipes for some of the best Korean cakes online. So, here are the best Korean cake recipes.
Fresh Cream Cake
The first Korean cake on the list is the fresh cream cake, a popular recipe that features a thick cream coating and sliced strawberries that would make the cake taste milky and sweet. Here the ingredients you need to bake this lovely cake.
Ingredients for the sponge cake:
- 1 cup of cake flour
- ¼ cup of vegetable oil
- 4 eggs
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon of cream of tartar
- ¾ teaspoon of vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon of water
- Juice from a half portion of lemon
Ingredients for the frosting and syrup:
- Peels from a half portion of lemon
- ¼ cup water
- 1 cup of heavy cream
- ¼ cup of granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- ¼ cup of confectioner’s sugar
- 1 pinch of kosher salt
- 1 pint of sliced strawberries
Instructions:
- Get an aluminum cake pan and place a sheet of parchment paper on top of it. Then, cut strips of parchment paper and cover the sides of the cake pan until the inside part of the pan is covered entirely with parchment paper.
- Separate the egg whites from the egg yolk and place the white in a bowl used for mixers, while the yolks should be placed in another large bowl. Whisk the egg whites until they change consistency, then add the cream of tartar with the whites while mixing it. After one or two minutes of mixing, add the sugar and keep mixing it for about 30 seconds to one minute.
- Add the remaining granulate to the bowl of egg yolks and mix them together. After mixing the two ingredients, add in vegetable oil, lemon juice, water, and vanilla extract, and then whisk or mix them.
- Prepare the cake flour and add salt to it in a large bowl. Put the salted flour in small proportions in the bowl with the yolk mixture and mix it in the bowl until all the flour is in the bowl. Then, whip the egg whites and add 1/3 of them to the yolk mixture.
- Add the remaining whites to the mixture, then fold the batter in the bowl using a spatula until all ingredients are mixed together without any white streaks.
- Put the batter in the cake pan you prepared, and then tap the cake pan to release air bubbles. Afterward, bake the batter for 30 to 45 minutes until the sponge cake is browned on the top.
- Remove the sponge cake from the oven, and then prepare the syrup. Mix the ¼ cup of granulated sugar, ¼ cup of water, and the lemon peels in a saucepan and heat them for a few minutes before they boil. After heating, stir the ingredients to dissolve the sugar and keep it cool in a fridge.
- Whisk heavy cream in a mixer, then add vanilla and a pinch of salt to the mixture. Keep whipping the mixture while you are adding powdered sugar to make it sweeter.
- Get the sponge cake and trim off the browned pieces at the top and at the sides. Then, cut the cake in half horizontally in order to make two layers that you will coat with syrup in between. Put the syrup at the top of the bottom layer of the cake and then spread whipped cream on it. Next, place sliced strawberries on top of the bottom layer carefully, and then put the top layer back to the cake. Brush the top layer with syrup and apply the whipped cream frosting at the top and at the sides of the whole cake. You can opt to decorate the top of the cake with sliced strawberries if you want to.
Vanilla Minimalist Cake
This Korean cake has fewer ingredients and a simpler taste, although it is still as delicious as the first one on the list. Here are the ingredients for the Vanilla minimalist cake and how to prepare it.
Ingredients for the sponge cake:
- ½ cup of water
- ¼ teaspoon of fine salt
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1 and ¼ cups of all-purpose flour
- ½ cup of all-purpose cream
- 4 egg yolks
- 4 egg whites
- ¼ cup of corn syrup
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- ¼ cup of vegetable oil
- ½ cup of white sugar
- 1 teaspoon of softened butter
- ½ teaspoon of cream of tartar
Ingredients for the syrup and filling:
- 1 bar of cream cheese
- ½ bar of softened butter
- 1 cup of powdered sugar
- ½ cup of all-purpose cream
Instructions:
- Pre-heat the oven you will use for baking to 320 degrees Fahrenheit for 2 minutes. Next, sift the all-purpose flour and mix it with baking powder and salt in a bowl.
- In another bowl, mix together the water, corn syrup, vanilla extract, egg yolks, all-purpose cream, and vegetable oil for 3 minutes.
- Then, mix the dry mixture and the wet mixture together in a bowl.
- Whisk the cream of tartar with the egg whites until they have a frothy texture. Then, mix in the sugar and whip it for a few minutes.
- Get a cake pan and grease it with butter. Next, place parchment paper on top of it to prevent the cake from sticking.
- Pour the cake batter on the pan, and then bake the cake for about 30 minutes until the top is browned.
- Remove the unfrosted cake from the oven and let it cool down for one hour. After an hour, make the frosting by whisking cream cheese and butter together until the mixture is smooth. Once mixed, add the all-purpose cream and powdered sugar to make it creamier and sweeter.
- Take the sponge cake out of the pan and slice it in half horizontally. Put in the filling between the two slices and then apply frosting to the top and the sides of the cake.
Cocoa Minimalist Cake
If you want more flavor to your minimalist cake, you should try this simple recipe that incorporates cocoa powder as one of the primary ingredients. Here are the ingredients needed and how to prepare this delectable cake.
Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- 1 and ¼ cups of milk
- 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
- 1 and ½ tablespoons of vinegar
- ¼ cup of cooking oil
- ½ tablespoon of baking soda
- 1 and ½ cups of flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- 1 and ¼ cups of brown sugar
- 1 egg white
- ½ cup white sugar
- ¼ teaspoon of salt
- 1 cup of unsalted and softened butter
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
- ¾ cup of processed cocoa powder
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Then, get two 6-inch cake pans and line their bottom and sides with parchment paper.
- Mix vinegar with milk in a jug and set the mixture aside for 5 minutes until the mixture thickens. After it thickens, add oil, vanilla extract, and eggs to the mixture and mix well.
- In another bowl, mix cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and cake flour together. Mix in sugar and salt after a few minutes.
- Add the liquid mixture of milk and vinegar to the dry mixture, but make sure that you keep the liquid mixture at the center first before mixing them together using a spatula.
- Divide the cake batter into two and place each batter piece into one cake pan. Bake each batter for about 40 minutes in the oven until the top of the cake is slightly browned. Remove the very hot cake from the oven and let it cool for about an hour.
- To make the filling and frosting, mix egg white, sugar, and salt in a bowl. Then, place the mixing bowl over a pot of boiling water and let it heat up for a few minutes before it boils and after the sugar and salt have dissolved.
- Then, mix the hot mixture on a stand mixer at medium speed. After it has been mixed, let it cool down until it no longer feels warm.
- Once the mixture is cool, add softened butter to it and mix it again. Next, add the vanilla flavor and whisk it until the ingredients are all properly mixed.
- Get one baked cake, then slice it horizontally in half. Smear or brush the cake with the filling and frosting between the layers, and then put the top layer back and brush the top and the sides with frosting. Repeat the process on the other baked cake.
Those are three recipes for the best Korean minimalist cake that you can bake on your own. Be sure to try at least two of these recipes and see which one is the most suitable for your loved one’s tastes.