Are you a sushi lover but not really an expert in making perfect sushi rolls? Or you're looking for a champion-size sushi to satisfy your cravings? We have a solution for you! This homemade surimi and salmon sushi cake recipe will ensure you can taste your favorite sushi in almost no time and without bothering about the shape and perfection of your sushi rolls. It's also an attractive dish to serve to your guests.
Sushi is one of our favorite dishes, and we can never have enough of it. But it also requires some time to roll those perfectly round and good-looking rolls. This recipe lets us enjoy the delightful taste of freshly made sushi with less effort. Furthermore, you can make a unique and tasty sushi birthday cake, like we did for our 2-year-old sushi enthusiast!
We've picked the ingredients we love adding to sushi, but the recipe is flexible. Do you prefer shrimp or tuna? Or are you a fan of caviar and would like to use it for garnish? No problem! Add any ingredients you would normally add to your sushi rolls and serve them as a cake. Not only will it save you some effort, but it will also make the dish more attractive and fun to eat.
What you'll love about this sushi cake:
- it's highly adjustable - use whatever garnish and filling you would normally use for sushi rolls;
- it's big enough for 8-12 people, depending on the diameter that you choose;
- it has very versatile applications - from a fancy party snack to a tasty family dinner;
- it can be prepared ahead of time because it'll taste just as good the following day;
- it'll save you time and leave less mess in the kitchen!
The taste of this sushi cake resembles that of Philadelphia maki, our favorite type of sushi. It's creamy, moist, and extremely satisfying. We find it works great as a light dinner dish or a fun dish to serve to guests, or even as a birthday or party snack.
Ingredients of the Sushi Cake
To make this delicious sushi masterpiece, we used:
- sushi rice (now, let's face it, this isn't an authentic sushi recipe by any means, which means you can deviate from the traditional recipe; we often use regular round rice for the cake, making sure to rinse it carefully to avoid the rice being sticky, and it works like a charm)
- rice vinegar (prepare your own or buy ready-made at a store; we usually go for the second one)
- nori leaves (you'll either want to cut or tear them into smaller pieces as we did, or you can apply whole sheets and then add some smaller parts to fill in the space around the edges (this is exactly what we did in this video); just make sure everything is covered)
- Philadelphia cream cheese (again, feel free to use any cream cheese that you like but opt for a slightly salty one)
- fresh cucumber (we don't normally remove seeds from a cucumber; it doesn't make that much of a difference and the key advantage of this sushi cake is time-saving; therefore, why bother removing the seeds?)
- avocado (in our stores, there rarely are any ripe avocados, but an efficient tip is to keep avocados in a dark place for a day or two, and they'll be good to go!)
- salmon (this recipe contains slightly salted salmon, but trout can be used just as well)
- surimi (For a healthier version, skip this ingredient and add extra salmon or another ingredient of your choice; why not try shrimp?).
- toasted sesame seeds (the keyword here is 'toasted' - it makes so much of a difference!)
- fresh dill (while this might not be an ingredient traditionally used in sushi dishes, it fits well and gives a fresh feel to the cake)
Sure! You can make it as high as a tower if you want to—the sky is the limit. The suggestion, though, would be to focus more on the filling and make the rice layers slightly thinner to make the cake juicier and lighter for the stomach.
The safest choice would be to buy rice labeled as sushi rice. But the truth is that regular round rice usually works just as well. You'll only want to make sure it's rinsed well before cooking to avoid the rice being too sticky.
Of course, you can! This sushi cake is just as versatile as regular sushi rolls. Make it Philadelphia, California, Hamachi, or any other style. Mix and match the ingredients and toppings normally used in sushi rolls.
If you dislike fish and seafood, you can make a vegetarian version of the dish or use chicken. The teriyaki chicken version of the sushi cake is AMAZING!
There are many options, but some of the toppings we love to use include caviar, thin salmon slices, fresh cucumber, radish, dill, and edamame beans. We don't suggest using avocado because it will change its color rather quickly.
While technically you can, we wouldn't advise you to do so. When you defrost the cake, it can become soggy. So better enjoy the cake while it's fresh! And I'm sure you won't have many leftovers because it's too delicious!
How to Make This Sushi Cake
1. Boil sushi rice according to the instructions on the packaging. Once cooked, let the rice cool slightly, then add rice vinegar and stir well to combine.
2. Cut veggies - cucumber and avocado. It's best to dice the cucumber thinly using a grater to ensure the slices are almost transparent.
3. Chop the surimi sticks and salmon finely. Leave some thinly sliced salmon for decoration.
Slice the radish finely for decoration.
Also, you can cut or tear the nori sheets into smaller pieces for better coverage when using a round-shaped baking tin. You can either make whole nori sheet layers using the torn pieces or simply add them to the places that are missing coverage. We used a round baking tin with removable sides and cut the nori sheets into small pieces to allow for easy coverage around the edges.
4. Take the pan or plate where you're going to layer the cake. It's best to use one that has removable sides. Place the first layer of sushi rice at the bottom of the pan.
5. Add a layer of cream cheese.
6. Place a nori sheet on top and cover the edges with the pre-cut pieces.
7. Add a layer of sliced avocado (or cucumber).
8. Cover with chopped surimi.
9. Add another layer of sushi rice.
10. Cover with a nori sheet (= repeat Step 6).
11. Add another layer of cream cheese.
12. Add sliced cucumber on top and start decorating.
Decorate with thin slices of slightly salted salmon, toasted sesame seeds, fresh radish, and edamame.
Here's another way of decorating the cake (this one is shown in the YouTube video below):
How to Make a Sushi Cake
Ingredients
- 400 g sushi rice
- 400 g Philadelphia cream cheese
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 250 g lightly salted salmon
- 400 g surimi sticks
- 10 nori sheets
- 100 g toasted sesame seeds
- some fresh dill for decorating
Instructions
- Boil sushi rice as per instructions on the packaging. Once cooked, let the rice cool down slightly and add rice vinegar. Stir well to combine.
- Cut the cucumber, radish, and avocado into very thin slices.
- Chop the surimi sticks and salmon finely. Leave some thinly sliced salmon for decoration.
- Cut or tear some nori sheets into smaller pieces. Skip this step if serving the cake in a pan or a plate of a rectangular shape where whole Nori sheets can easily be layered.
- Take the pan or plate where you're going to layer the cake, preferably with removable sides. Place the first layer of sushi rice at the bottom of the pan.
- Add the rest of the layers in the following order: > cream cheese > Nori > avocados > surimi > sushi rice > Nori > cream cheese > cucumber > sesame seeds.
- Decorate with thin slices of slightly salted salmon, toasted sesame seeds, edamame, and fresh radish. Alternatively, use salmon, toasted sesame seeds and fresh dill.
- Serve with soy sauce, pickled ginger, and wasabi paste for extra heat!
Video
Notes
- Use a deep pan or a plate with removable sides for easy assembling and serving.
- Salmon can easily be replaced by trout or shrimp.
- Add wasabi and pickled ginger for spiciness.
Nutrition Facts
Disclaimer: This nutrition label has been created using the calculator provided by www.edamam.com, and it may not be 100% accurate.
Padma
This recipe couldn’t have crossed my path at a better time! I am travelling to Japan later this year and wanted to learn some dishes just to get in the mood. This one is so good! Thank you.
Foodywise Editorial Team
Thank you for the kind words, and all the best wishes for a successful trip to Japan!