Easy Chinese Bakery–Style Whipped Cream Cake

Fruit-topped whipped cream cakes from Chinese bakeries have a special place in my heart. These fluffy, tender cakes decorated with whipped cream and fruit were a staple of family celebrations when I was growing up: We ate them at weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, and graduations. I have memories of slicing into birthday cakes with my mom, using the dinky plastic serrated knife that the bakery provided, and clamoring for the mango balls that would sit on top of the cake.

These cakes may look intimidating and elaborate, but they can actually be quite simple to make. Most Chinese bakeries use a chiffon cake as their base, which requires gently folding meringue into the cake batter. Here, I streamline things with a hot milk sponge, which is just as light as chiffon, but less fussy. The liquid fat coats the flour particles in the cake, yielding a tender cake with minimal gluten development.

Most hot milk sponge cakes are made with milk and butter. Because butter is solid when cold, I opted for vegetable oil instead, which ensures the cake stays moist and tender even when refrigerated. To increase the fat for an even more tender cake, I used half-and-half, which is richer than milk but not quite as viscous as heavy cream. If you have a microwave, there are zero pots involved in this recipe, nearly making it a one-bowl cake. (You do have to whisk your dry ingredients in another bowl, but that barely counts, right?) All you have to do is microwave your half-and-half in a measuring cup until hot to the touch and rinse out your mixer bowl between making the cake batter and your whipped cream.

As for decorating the cake, you can keep it simple, or you can use a piping tip to create patterns with the whipped cream before garnishing it with slices of fruit.

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