Happy Birthday! Mayo Crab Spicy Salmon Sushi Cake
This year, I ditched the usual birthday cake for something that screams “Tiffy” from miles away—a mouthwatering SUSHI CAKE! Yes, you heard it right, a Birthday Sushi Cake, with creamy crab and spicy mayo salmon.
If you’ve been watching me on YouTube for a while, you know that the last year I’ve been filming a “Before 30” vlog series. Today, I end this series with a Sushi Cake Celebration of my 30th birthday. This is a fusion of my favorite sushi flavors crafted into a stunning layered “cake”. Making this sushi cake is SO EASY, ready in just about 20 minutes!
Age 29: A Year In Review
I’ve documented some of my major life moments at age 29 in “Before 30” vlog series as a way of showcasing a more authentic view of my life. In the past year, I’m proud to say that I’ve accomplished so many things – from launching my Taiwanese noodle and sauce brand – Kai Dong, to releasing my cookbook. Personally, I’ve also learned to be more comfortable in my own skin, recharge, and spend some more quality time with both myself and the people I love.
Dream Tokyo Trip: My Sushi Cake Inspiration
This Sushi Cake was inspired by my recent trip to Tokyo with my family, another life milestone that I’m grateful to be able to accomplish. Being able to surprise my parents with this Tokyo trip was undoubtedly one of my happiest moments of 29. This past year has been a little tough for our family while dealing with my dad’s health issues, and being able to spend that special time together is something I’ll cherish for the rest of my life.
This sushi cake, while a little non-traditional, is my way of reminiscing about the incredible time I had sharing my past Tokyo finds with my parents. It’s fun, edible, and a great reminder of adventures, blending my general love for sushi with the joy of exploring Japan with my family.
What Goes Into A Sushi Cake?
Let’s dive into the heart of this dish—the ingredients. I’m using my favorite sushi roll (or poke bowl) flavors: spicy mayo salmon and crab mayo. This combo reminds me a little of my Sushi Bake, without fully baking it!
This birthday sushi cake is made of 4 layers:
- Sushi rice seasoned with sushi vinegar and furikake
- CREAMY spicy salmon
- crab mayo mixture
- Sliced fresh cucumbers
For those who love a bit of PERSONALIZATION, this recipe is easy to customize! You can easily swap out salmon for tuna, or use real crab instead of imitation. For other flavor suggestions, consider your favorite poke bowl flavors, like wasabi tuna or miso salmon. Making it VEGETARIAN? Try Tofu, Mushrooms, Avocados, or Pickled Radish!
How to Assemble the PERFECT Sushi Cake
Now, you might wonder, “Tiffy, how do I get my sushi cake to look so perfect?” The secret is layering in the container and refrigerate to set! For this recipe, I used an 8” cake tin, but a glass container works just as well. The trick is to press down each layer firmly to get that tight, cake-like structure. Next, let it rest in the fridge for 20 minutes to help firm up before your final drizzle of spicy mayo. If you skip this step, your cake might fall apart when you cut into it!
Of course, don’t forget to torch your spicy mayo at the end! This extra steps gives it a nice, caramelized grilled flavor to your sushi cake!
Sushi Cake Ingredients
- 4 cups of sushi grain sushi rice, cooked
- 4 tbsp furikake seasoning
- 1 english cucumber, thinly sliced
Sushi Vinegar
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- A pinch of salt
Creamy Spicy Salmon
- 1 cup salmon, sushi grade, chopped
- ¼ cup Japanese mayo
- 2 Green onion, chopped
- 2 tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Sesame oil
- 1 tbsp Sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp Sriracha
Creamy Crab Mixture
- ½ lb Imitation crab meat, shredded
- 12 tbsp Soy sauce
- ¼ cup Japanese Mayo
- 1 tbsp Sesame seeds
Spicy Mayo
- ½ cup Japanese Mayo
- 3-4 tbsp Sriaracha
- 1 tsp Lemon Zest, optional
- 1 tbsp Ponzu Sauce, optional
Step By Step Instructions For Sushi Cake
- Mix all the ingredients of creamy spicy salmon: chopped salmon, Japanese mayo, green onion, Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil, Sesame seeds, Sriracha.
- Mix all the ingredients of creamy crab mixture
- Mix rice with sushi vinegar and furikake seasoning
- To layer, start with rice; make sure to press down tightly
- Add with a layer of creamy crab mixture, once again tightly packed
- Thin layer of cucumber
- More rice, tightly press down
- Creamy spicy salmon, tightly pressed down
- More rice, press down.
- Cover and let it rest in the fridge for 20 minutes to help firm up, and top with spicy mayo,
- Torch for 30 seconds or until everything gets nice and bubbly!
Happy Birthday! Mayo Crab Spicy Salmon Sushi Cake
By Tiffy Cooks
Equipment
Ingredients
- 4 rice cups sushi rice cooked, sizing is standard rice cooker cups (180 mL)
- 4 tbsp furikake seasoning
- 1 english cucumber thinly sliced
Sushi Vinegar
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- salt A pinch
Creamy Spicy Salmon
- 1 cup salmon sushi grade, chopped
- ¼ cup Japanese mayo
- 2 Green onion chopped
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tbsp Sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp Sriracha
Creamy Crab Mixture
- ½ lb Imitation crab meat shredded
- 12 tbsp Soy Sauce
- ¼ cup Japanese Mayo
- 1 tbsp Sesame seeds
Spicy Mayo
- ½ cup Japanese Mayo
- 3-4 tbsp Sriaracha
- 1 tsp Lemon Zest optional
- 1 tbsp Ponzu Sauce optional
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients of creamy spicy salmon: chopped salmon, Japanese mayo, green onion, Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil, Sesame seeds, Sriracha.
- Mix all the ingredients of creamy crab mixture
- Mix rice with sushi vinegar and furikake seasoning
- To layer, start with rice; make sure to press down tightly
- Add with a layer of creamy crab mixture, once again tightly packed
- Layer a single layer of cucumber on top of the creamy crab.
- Pack on more rice on top of the cucumber.
- Add creamy spicy salmon on top, tightly pressed down
- Pack on another layer of rice.
- Cover and let it rest in the fridge for 20 minutes to help firm up. Top with spicy mayo.
- Torch for 30 seconds or until everything gets nice and bubbly!
Video
Notes
- The “Rice Cup” measurement is based on standard rice cooker cups (180 mL), before cooking the rice.
- Japanese Mayo (I LOVE Kewpie brand) is sweeter and more sour than the traditional mayo. To make your own, use 1 cup of regular mayonnaise, add 2 Tbsp rice vinegar and 1 Tbsp sugar.
- You can switch up this recipe any way you like, from using different sauces to using different types of fillings (tuna, shrimp, and more!) You can also make a fully vegetarian version using tofu and veggies.
Nutrition
Looking for more Asian Fusion delights? Here’s a couple of my recipes inspired by recent travels!
I’ll be making this sushi cake for the second time soon. It’s an absolute delight! Thanks for the bomb recipe!