This homemade sushi cake is incredible in so many aspects. Well, I like calling it a cake because it looks exactly like a cake and I always make it in a cake springform.
I often make it with three rice layers but there are a few ways you could choose to make it. I'll come back to this a bit later though.
Let me tell you a little more about it.
Back in 2016 when this idea struck my head, I googled sushi cake and there were only sushi rolls piled as a cake but that's not what I wanted so I have made something similar to this and perfected it since. My first cake was flying rice everywhere but I have come up with a technique to make this soo much better, hold it together, etc. Taste-wise was perfect but the rest was a bit of fragmented rice and bits.
Jump to:
How did the idea for sushi cake emerge?!
Well, I gave my sushi-making kit about two years ago to my sister-in-law to use. One day, shortly after that we craved sushi really, really badly. I was then thinking and remembering telling my kids how lazy and not in the mood I was feeling to go out and get a new kit. All I knew was that we badly fancied some sushi.
I had to get a little creative so then I thought... Hmm, what about layering the rice and making a sushi cake?
My little judges, quite little then, thought it was a brilliant idea but we were pretty unsure about the outcome and what was really going to come out. Kids were very quick to help with the chopping. We have formed a good team and given it a go.
We’ve made the sushi cake with ingredients we found in the fridge and unlike now, I used only canned/tinned tuna and no fresh fish. That was that first attempt and quite frankly, I do this many times when fresh fish isn’t an option due to availability.
We did not roll sushi since. I have to admit though that making sushi always used to put me off a little as it is a lot fiddlier to prepare. Not anymore. No more rolling unless really in the mood.
True love for sushi...and then this sushi cake
Let me go a little further back on sushi making and our true love for it.
I’m a little ashamed to admit it, but my love for sushi only emerged recently, I wish I tried sushi a lot longer before.
One fine spring day - March time (2009) - I remember clearly when we decided to go out and try some sushi. We went to this local authentic Japanese restaurant which,.... oh, waw and yeassss, really and totally turned around my appetite for sushi. I was hugely impressed. Very impressed. My eyesight, my taste buds, and my whole being were impressed. It did not take that long to realize that I was not the only one that felt that way. It was all of us!
We all absolutely loved it and instantaneously fell in love with it. Since then, we are utterly hooked on it and eat it regularly.
I even went for a sushi-making class as soon as I could ( it was the following March) so I could start making it home for all those sushi addicts in my house, myself included.
Coincidence or not but this recipe comes out in March too perhaps to celebrate my sushi love and beginnings anniversary ;-).
Kids ask me for sushi almost every week now, and they’re super happy when mummy delivers a nice homemade sushi cake like this. My son wanted a sushi birthday cake when he was 6 😉 Whenever we mention sushi they want the cake so, this homemade sushi cake is such a regular now in our house now and it has been for a good few years now.
Well, yes, of course, it is regular because ...
- it is absolutely delicious,
- it's homemade,
- it involves no rolling,
- no special tools and skills are required,
- it comes out a lot of it
- it is quick and super easy to make.
Ingredients for sushi cake
For the rice :
- sushi rice (Japanese rice)
- rice vinegar (sushi vinegar or seasoned vinegar)
- water
For filling:
- tuna (canned) - this needs to be in water or brine
- lemon juice
- spring onions or scallions - an important ingredient here
- red pepper - adds soo much flavor and color
- avocado - I cannot think of a sushi cake without it
- sriracha sauce - adds spice but you can leave it out if you don't like spicy
- avo mayonnaise - any other mayo will do but why not a healthier option?
- salt and pepper
Other ingredients to have when making or decorating your sushi cake:
- cucumber
- spring onion /scallion
- pepper (any color you like - I always chose red)
- avocado
- surimi ( also known as crab cake, fish cake, or crabmeat)
- raw fish (the freshest ever 'sushi grade' fish)
- fish roe
- pickled ginger
- soy sauce
- wasabi paste
- seaweed
You can also have:
- egg omelet
- seaweed salad to serve with
- Japanese pickled cucumbers
There are so many ways you can decorate this marvellous cake and the sushi cake designs can vary every time, come on turn on your creativity button!
FAQs
Needless to say that the fish must be at its most freshness and there is absolutely no point in thinking of having any sushi at all with any fresh raw fish otherwise.
I am very lucky to have the best fishmonger at a very reasonable walking distance where I can buy whatever fresh fish and fresh fish roe I want.
Everything with this sushi cake from A-Z happens in real time. It is truly a homemade sushi cake in a flash.
Here is a full guide on how to get 'sushi grade' fish and how to prepare it.
Ok, but don’t panic if you do not get access to super-fresh fish. There are alternatives if you are not lucky enough to be able to buy the freshest of fish, just use canned fish it’s safest.
This is the beauty of it really! It allows you to get really creative with the fillings.
Err, definitely not. As you probably imagine, sushi, in general, is nice when is freshly made and that's about it.
The most time-consuming in making this beautiful sushi cake at home is the chopping and getting the fillings ready which ultimately is super easy, so all in all this is a lot of writing, but when it comes to actually doing it it’s a lot easier than it may look or sound at first.
Decide on what ingredients you want to use or have and get going. Here, in this recipe is an idea of some, most liked by us but there are many, many more you could try.
Cook's Tips
Fresh fish source ...
I do get a little repetitive here but I do have to stress it out - It is so crucially important to have a fresh source and if you happen to have a good source of fresh fish like I do, you are in good fortune, if not... stick to canned fish. We also use fried shredded duck, yummy, it really depends on what we fancy and/or have handy.
Many times I use raw tuna, raw salmon, raw sea bass, or any fresh raw fish I can find available. I chop these into tiny little cubes too and make a layer with just that instead of the tinned tuna mix. I sometimes use smoked fish too like salmon or mackerel. It is delicious whichever way, just go for it 😉
Regarding the lining or oiling of the edges, if you decide to oil the edges and not use the seaweed sheets then scrunch those up and sprinkle between layers and on the edges. It will make taking the ‘cake’ out of the form easier.
🦀 Other Seafood Recipes You May Like...
Sushi Bake - new recipe
The beauty of making a sushi cake at home is that it allows you to get really creative with the fillings and the toppings as well as the design.
Here’s this really cool recipe you lovely, sushi lovers!
Homemade sushi cake
Equipment
- 1 chopping board
- 1 cake tin with lose bottom - springform tin
- 1 pan
- 1 knife
Ingredients
For the rice:
- 600 g sushi rice (21.2 oz)
- 600 ml water (20.3 fl oz)
- 120 ml sushi vinegar (4.1 fl oz)
For the (spicy) tuna filling:
- 1 tin tuna (in brine)
- ⅓ lemon (or lime juice)
- 1 spring onion
- ½ red pepper (finelly chopped into little cubes)
- 1 small avocado (soft and perfectly ripe)
- 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce (for spicy option)
- 1 tablespoon mayo
- 1 pinch pepper (freshly ground)
- 1 pinch Himalayan salt
Other ingredients:
- 100 g cucumber (3.5 oz) (finely cubed)
- 100 g red pepper (3.5 oz) (finely cubed)
- 1 medium avocado (cut into thin slices)
- ½ pack surimi (finely cut)
- 20 g seaweed (0.71 oz) (seasoned, roasted)
- 2 medium spring onions/scallions (finely chopped)
- 150 ml soy sauce (5.10 fl oz)
- 50 ml soy sauce (1.69 oz) (sweet type)
- 2 teaspoon wasabi paste or less
- 100 g ginger (3.5 oz) (pickled)
- 80 g salmon roe (2.9 oz) (or any fish eggs you find)
Instructions
- Start by preparing and cooking the rice first. I always do this in advance. This is how this needs to be done. Wash rice thoroughly by placing it in a sieve and running through cold water for about 2 minutes. Leave on the sieve to rest for min 20 min.
- While the rice rests prepare the tuna mix. Take a mixing bowl, put the tinned fish and the avocado in, and mix with a fork until the fish becomes really small flakes.
- Put the rice in a pot, pour water over and cover with a lid. Cook on medium heat for 3-5 min until it starts to boil. Then reduce the heat to a minimum and allow to cook for another 9 min till ready. I always set an alarm to make sure the rice is cooked to perfection.
- When the time is up turn the heat off and pour the 120 ml sushi vinegar all over the rice. Take the rice out in a bigger dish where you can mix it well and also it allows it to cool a lot quicker. Allow it to rest and cool for 15 min or so.
- Chop all the needed ingredients, the cucumber, pepper, spring onion, avocado, and the surimi. Place all on a large plate for later use.
- Prepare a springform cake tin by either slightly oiling the edges or lining it with the seaweed sheets. Start by layering ¼ of the rice using a metal or wooden tablespoon. Apply some pressure onto the rice and press it down all uniformly until you have the same thickness all throughout.
- Over the rice layer, sprinkle most of your chopped ingredients. Depending on the number of rice layers you choose to have you can simply choose how to distribute the ingredients between the rice layers. Place another rice layer and then spread the tuna mix equally so that this covers the whole surface.
- Once the last rice layer has been placed press down as usual. Cover with cling film. Place a springform tin bottom of a slightly smaller tin over the top of the cake and the cling film. Press slightly, especially on the edges and then place some heavy bottles or jars over to press the whole sushi cake down. This will help to make it firmer and a lot easier to cut when serving. It is important that you do this so you do not end up with crumbling sushi cake slices.
- Finish by taking the sushi cake out of the springform. Place it on a plate, and decorate to your taste. Cut, serve with pickled ginger, soy sauce, and some wasabi paste. OMG!! Enjoy!
Amy Liu Dong says
I like this sushi cake idea, and I am so excited to make this at home. Yum!
tiannaskitchen says
this is such a unique idea
Katie says
This recipe is so fun and turns out so beautifully!
Jacqui says
Wow, I never thought about making a cake out of sushi! That’s creative!
Giangi Townsend says
What a fantastic idea! Love it and put it on my list of recipes to do. I so love sushi and here I have all I want in a plate.
Colleen says
What a fun, creative idea for sushi when you don't want to fiddle with rolls. I must make this next time a sushi craving hits. Thank you!
Natalie says
Oh, wow. This sushi cake looks fantastic. What a presentation. Love this. I can't wait to throw a party and serve my guest s this. I'm saving this recipe. Thanks.
Chenée says
What a fun idea! I love sushi but rolling it out is so difficult! I'm definitely gonna try this!