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 so 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 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 have not rolled 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 I am 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 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 who felt that way. It was all of us!
We all loved it and instantaneously fell in love with anything sushi. Since then, we have been 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 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 in our house now and it has been for a good few years now.
👩🏻🍳Why this recipe works
- it is 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.
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.
🥒Ingredients for sushi cake
Here's what goes into this 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 so 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 choose 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 may also want to use:
- 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!
🤹🏻♀️Variations
- Incorporate Furikake Seasoning: Mixing furikake-a Japanese seasoning blend of dried fish, sesame seeds, and seaweed-into the sushi rice can enhance its flavor.
- Add a Spicy Layer: Introducing a spicy element, such as a creamy spicy salmon or tuna mixture, can provide a delightful kick. Combine sushi-grade fish with Japanese mayonnaise, sriracha, soy sauce, sesame oil, and green onions/scallions for a flavorful layer.
- Incorporate Textural Variety: Adding layers of super thinly sliced cucumber or avocado can introduce a refreshing crunch and creaminess, enhancing the overall texture.
💡Tips and Ideas
Use a Mold for Shaping: Utilizing a springform or bundt cake pan can help achieve a well-defined and visually appealing shape for your sushi cake.
Enhance Presentation with Toppings: Garnishing the sushi cake with nori pieces, togarashi (a Japanese spice blend), sesame seeds, or thinly sliced serrano peppers can elevate the flavor and its visual appearance.
💭Recipe FAQs
Needless to say, 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! It allows you to get 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.
I also use raw tuna, raw salmon, raw sea bass, or any fresh raw fish I can find available. 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...
Check out my Sushi Bake - new recipe!
⭐ Rate my sushi cake recipe
Have you tried this amazing Sushi Cake recipe? Please leave a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ rating below and let me know how you liked it. Hearing your feedback is one of the best parts of creating and perfecting my recipes so please review it below and leave a comment!
🍣Homemade sushi cake
Equipment
- 1 chopping board
- 1 cake tin with lose bottom - springform tin
- 1 pan or a plate
- 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 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 it to your taste. Cut, and serve with pickled ginger, soy sauce, and some wasabi paste. OMG!! Enjoy!
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!
Elena says
What a great, unique idea! And it's easier to make than sushi rolls!
Chandice Probst says
This is the best thing ever! All my favorite sushi flavors in one delicious and gorgeous presented savory sushi cake…such a genius idea! Love it so much!
Ramona says
Thank you so very much dear Chandice! Merry Christmas to you and your family!
Moop Brown says
I'm a big sushi fan but have never seen anything like this! This cake looks really tasty and is such a unique recipe.
Ramona says
Thank you so much - it came out as a necessity and it is now such a regular for over 7 years - kids always want this over the rolls 😉 a real winner xx
Liz says
What a great idea! I am a sushi lover! I've never tried making a traditional sushi roll, but will definitely be giving this sushi cake a try!
Ramona says
Thank you dear Liz.
Loreto and Nicoletta says
Ingenious!🥰 love the presentation, the colors and freshness. This is such a great idea!😋 i too am a sushi late bloomer. My first experience was pretty good however had a bit of mishap with the wasabi!😁 That didn't deter me from trying sushi again and again! Thanks for sharing, a true work of art!
Ramona says
Thank you so much guys! Sushi is amazing and we are definitely the biggest fans here - kids in particular.
Brianna says
What an ingenious way of making sushi for a group! Made this for a dinner party and everyone loved it.
Ramona says
Thank you dear Brianna,
I am so happy you guys loved it too.
Thanks for the feedback, I really appreciate it.
Mikayla says
So many fantastic flavors, lovely colors and a crowd pleaser as well. Lunch or dinner your choice.
Amy Liu Dong says
I love sushi so much, and I am so excited to make this for everyone on Christmas day. So delicious!
Jere Cassidy says
Great idea for a twist on sushi to make it into a cake, plus I am loving how colorful this is. So many tasty ingredients.
Debra says
Such a fun idea and so customizable.
Linda says
What a great idea to eat sushi and I love how simple it is to make
Raquel says
Such a fun and festive idea! Sushi fans will love it!
Rene says
This sushi cake idea is absolutely brilliant and like someone said already - it's genius! I have made it yesterday again and it is a shame we cannot share pictures but it was outstanding. Maybe not so good looking as yours but it tasted DIVINE! It is my family's favorite too and I am so happy to get away with this little work and have sushi in a flash. I did try to get away without doing the pressing bit but that helps a lot. Again a genius idea! Well done Ramona and thank you so much for coming up with such a stunning idea! Bring on more.
Oh, I love your recipes by the way and today I will make the sardines with polenta and that garlic sauce - oh, I cannot wait!!
Ramona says
Thank you so much dear Rene!
Your comment has definitely made my day, my weekend, and my month too! Thank you so much for stopping by and letting me know of your sushi cake experience! It is good, isn't it?
Kseni says
Such a GORGEOUS sushi creation! I’ve heard of sushi pizza, but never a cake like this. It reminds me of Norwegian smorgasbord cakes. I would take this any birthday!
Jamie says
This is brilliant! Love the presentation!
Audrey says
What a fun recipe! I never knew how to make one before.
Mama Maggie's Kitchen says
Oh my! I need this in my life. Must print your recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Chef Dennis says
This sushi cake is one of the bests I've ever tasted! It's really delicious.
Audrey says
Yum! I am such a huge sushi fan!!
Emily Flint says
Such a fun idea and looks like it would be fun to make as well as delicious!
Sue says
I never make sushi because of all the time it takes to roll it. This is the perfect solution!
Kim @ Three Olives Branch says
What a cute idea! I love how simple the sushi cake is, and it looks beautiful! We had a sushi night with friends and everyone loved it!
Ramona says
Thank you so much dear Kim, I am so pleased you liked my sushi cake recipe - we love it too.
Choclette says
Ooh, what a super clever idea. I adore sushi, but it's a bit of a faff to make, so we very rarely have it. Your cake is much more doable and looks so good too. I can see sushi cake becoming a firm favourite with us.
Ramona says
Thank you so much dear Choclette,
I am so thrilled you found my recipe inspiring. I agree the making sushi can be a bit of a faff but this sushi cake is a real saviour. My kids are so happy every time as the finally can get enough sushi and it's ready in no time. I hope you will make it soon and enjoy it as much as we do.
Lauren Vavala | Delicious Little Bites says
What an amazing idea! I've never seen anything like this before but can say without a doubt, my fiance would devour this entire thing!
Ramona says
Thank you so much, Lauren, every time I make the sushi cake my kids are so happy! We love it (me in particular) since it is always plenty to eat with very little work involved - lol. We are now all happy bunnies. When I used to do the sushi rolls I was rolling forever and kids were always saying it was not enough. 😉
Natalie says
Beautiful presentation. And such a fun idea to serve sushi. I will definitely save this recipe and give it a try. My family loves sushi.
Ramona says
Thank you so much Natalie,
WE enjoy it tremendously and this sushi cake never fails to fully satisfy our sushi cravings.
Kay says
Wat a fabulous idea I love sushi but have never made it at home before. I will pick up ingredients from Asian supermarket next time I go.
Ramona says
Thank you Kay,
A delicious idea indeed and this is easy to make homemade sushi
I hope this inspired you enough to give it a go
Geoffrey at Spoonabilities says
This is genius. Laziness is the mother of invention. Trust me, I know. I thought you would be the only "sushi cake" on the internet, but I did a search and turns out it's a thing. Nice job!
Ramona says
Thank you Geoffrey,
Thank you so much for your kind comment. I know exactly what you are saying. Indeed, there are now a few sushi cake recipes like this one but a few years back when I have made and posted this recipe, there was no sushi cakes round other than the ones made out of piled sushi rolls. It was a great and sudden idea at the time that is now a good practical one over here ever since. I am very proud of my lazy moment sudden invention. 😉
Allison hanson says
AMAZING! I am headed to Disney soon and I saw they have a sushi "Donut" I am excited to try. I'm going to save this and make it for a girls' night party!
mydeliciousmeals says
That's such a great idea. I love sushi and have never thought about making them into a cake. I'm literally leaking my screen 🙂 thinking to try this recipe with salmon...
Emily says
Love this unique combo of sushi + cake! Delicious and beautiful!
Cathleen @ A Taste of Madness says
Oh my goodness, I absolutely love this idea!! I would love a slice! I'm putting this on the list of projects I want to try over the spring break!!
Ramona says
Thank you so much dear Cathleen xx
Jenni LeBaron says
This sushi cake is seriously so cool! I've never seen one of these before but I love sushi so I am all for it. I love how you've cut the toppings into cute heart shapes too!
Ramona says
Thank you Jenni, I am so glad you like this sushi cake, I do hope you will make one soon. all that cutting it’s some credit to the kids as they always help making their favourite sushi 😉
Mikayla says
This made me smile! I love sushi but it's so expensive to eat out, my husband and I can't wait to make this, it's going to be a really fun change for dinner!
Ramona says
Thank you Mikayla,
This sushi cake definitely makes my kids smile every time - they LOVE IT too and so we the adults. Easy and wuick to make, not to mention, iy goes a long way 😉 Enjoy making and eating it guys! xx
Amy Dong says
For me, making a sushi cake is a brilliant idea no need to exert an effort of rolling it to form it and I am sure that it's still delicious even eating it on a different size or shape. I will definitely make one for my mom's birthday, thank you!
Ramona says
Hey Amy, I cannot agree with you more! Happy Brithday to your mummy!! I hope you will enjoy both making and eating this sushi cake.
Renu says
What a great idea for sushi lovers . A cake with fresh fish, even health wise it would be better. The pic with the slice cut off is just wow, has all the layers so well arranged.
Ramona says
Thank you Renu - healthy and delicious indeed.
Jere Cassidy says
This sushi cake is absolutely amazing, I would like to make this for our game nights since my family is crazy about sushi.
Ramona says
I’m so happy you like it dear Jere, I’m sure your sushi loving family will enjoy it ?
Stine Mari says
What a great idea to make a huge sushi cake! So much easier and quicker when you don't have to roll every bite.
Ramona says
so, so true. rolling is so time consuming and when you get to eating it its not so much of it - never enough over here, anyway but a sushi cake is always such a pleaser.
Leanne says
I only tried sushi for the first time a few years ago and I'm still working my way up to raw sushi! This sushi cake is such a creative and brilliant idea. I bet this would be a crowd pleaser at dinner parties!
Ramona says
Hi Leanne and thank you so much for stopping by! I know what you mean however, you can start with other fillings than raw fish. If you like smoked salmon, that is a perfect ingredient to use in a sushi cake - we live that but the tuna filling it’s absolutely gorgeous - we make it every single time without a fail. No canned tuna - no sushi cake - this is how it starts here 😉 but you can get so creative with the layers and the fillings ;-). I do hope you will give this sushi cake a try super soon.
Jacqui Debono says
We all like sushi, but it is my 5-year-olds absolute favourite! He loves anything with fish! There are 6 of us in the house, so sushi feels like it doesn't go far - this would be perfect for us! I love the way it looks too, ingenious.
Ramona says
Thank you so much dear Jacqui,
That is soooo true- this is one reason my kids get so, so , so excited every time I make a sushi cake. It is because the rolls never go far and whenever I used to make them they never have enough and wanted more whereas this is always plenty for the four of us. Thank you again, I do hope you will be trying is super soon.
Lesli Schwartz says
So creative, Ramona! I've made sushi pizza, sushi tacos, but never sushi cake! My friends would love this! Did you do a layer of seaweed sheets? I thought I saw some seaweed in there.
Ramona says
Dear Lesli
Thank you so much for your lovely comment. Oh, I would love the sound of sushi tacos, must try that soon!!
Yes, I do put one ( at least ) layer of seaweed sheets and I normally use one layer to start off so that the cake does not stick to the pan. Easier to handle. 😉
I do hope you will be making this sushi cake and get creative even further - would love to see some pics too 😉
Jacque Hastert says
My birthday is coming up and I sent this to my best friend to make for me! I can't wait it will surely be a hit!
Ramona says
Hey, Jacque, happy birthday in advance! This would definitely be the best sushi birthday cake for sure if you are a sushi lover.I would love to hear how it came out and how you and your guests liked it.
Danielle says
I haven't made a cake like this before - certainly a fantastic recipe to try. Just need to get a few ingredients, and I am ready to try it! 🙂
Ramona says
Thank you Danielle, it is very nice indeed. I am so glad you will be giving this sushi cake a go, I am sure you guys will love it!
Amber says
SO creative! I have never seen this done before and it the layers look absolutely delicious. Me and the kids love sushi so this is a must make.
Ramona says
Thank you so much dear Amber - we love it too and kids in particular are so super excited when they know sushi cake is on the make.
Jessica Stueck says
I am a busy mother and this helped me!
Ramona says
Thanks Jessica 😉
Beth says
Such a gorgeous presentation and what a unique idea! I'm very impressed!
Ramona says
Thank you so much Beth, I am so glad you liked it 😉
Melve says
Thanks for the recipe. Looks delicious and so creative. I am sure my daughter will likes this.
Ramona says
Thank you Melve. It’s super delicious ? your daughter will ask for more. My kids are so happy dancing around when I tell them mummy makes sushi cake ?
Laura says
What a great idea. I love to make Sushi at home, for the same money I can make 4 times the amount I would pay for the prepared ones even at a Supermarket. My son Liam is a Sushi fan, I could make this cake for his birthday and surprise him.
Ramona says
Thank you Laura, it’s so good and so much quicker than rolling them. I hope you’ll try. Have a great weekend! ?
Tamari says
So creative and delicious, we love sushi but never thought of making it into a cake - what a great idea, thank you so much for this share.
Ramona says
Thank you so much dear Tamari, I am so happy you liked this sushi cake recipe and the idea. It is a much easier option to rolling these individually, we prefer it this way to sushi rolls actually 😉 especially when the time it's an issue.