Source: Irina2511, AdobeStock One of the interesting culinary discoveries from Korean cuisine that has spread worldwide is bento cakes. It's impossible to ignore such a practical yet beautiful trend. A bento cake is a complete cake, but made very small, for one person, and at the same time, from the simplest ingredients, almost on the fly. We share the best recipes!
1. Bento Cake with Cream Cheese
Source: Sf1nks, AdobeStock Don't forget to decorate your bento cake with chocolate, fruits, or whipped cream.
You will need:
For the sponge cakes: 6 eggs, 120 g flour, 150 g sugar, 1 tsp baking powder.
For the syrup: 70 ml water, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp lemon juice.
For the cream: 300 g cream cheese, 20 g condensed milk, 100 g butter, 20 g powdered sugar.
Preparation: Separate the egg whites and beat them thoroughly with sugar until fluffy. Add the yolks, flour, and baking powder, then gently mix the batter. Spread it onto a baking sheet, bake in the oven at 170 degrees Celsius for about 20 minutes, and cut into round layers. Boil a syrup from water, sugar, and lemon juice, and soak the cake layers. Blend all cream ingredients until smooth, and assemble the bento cake.
2. Bento Cake with Chocolate Sponge
Source: Aleksandr, AdobeStock Cherry syrup pairs wonderfully with chocolate cake layers.
You will need:
For the sponge cakes: 6 eggs, 120 g flour, 10 g cocoa, 150 g sugar, 1 tsp baking powder, cherry juice.
For the cream: 250 g cream cheese, 2 tbsp powdered sugar, 2 tbsp cocoa, 40 g dulce de leche, 60 g butter.
Preparation: Separate the egg whites and beat them until stiff peaks form. Separately beat the yolks with sugar, add the sifted flour with cocoa and baking powder, then gently fold in the egg whites with a spatula. Pour the batter onto a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius in the oven.
Cut the sponge cake into small round layers and soak them with cherry juice. Blend all cream ingredients until smooth and assemble the finished bento cake. Decorate to your taste.
3. Milk Bento Cake
Source: Sf1nks, AdobeStock An interesting bento cake recipe with a delicate and airy sponge cake combined with a cream cheese frosting.
You will need:
For the sponge cakes: 60 g flour, 55 g sugar, 1 pinch salt, 15 ml vegetable oil, 1 egg, 40 ml milk, 0.5 tsp baking powder.
For the filling: 100 g fruit puree, 15 g sugar, 4 g pectin, 1 pinch citric acid.
For the cream: 180 g cream cheese, 25 g powdered sugar, 20 ml cream.
Preparation: Beat the egg with sugar until fluffy, add warm milk and vegetable oil, then add the sifted flour with baking powder and salt. Mix everything and bake the cake layer for 15-20 minutes at 170 degrees Celsius in the oven. Cut into circles.
Heat the fruit puree and add sugar mixed with pectin. Bring to a boil, add citric acid, simmer for 2 minutes, and let the filling cool. Whisk the cream ingredients with a mixer. Assemble the bento cake, layering to your taste.
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4. Bento Cake with Vanilla Sponge and Strawberry Cream
Source: New Africa, AdobeStock The ingredients in this recipe are enough for two small bento cakes.
You will need:
For the sponge cakes: 2 eggs, 80 g sugar, 2 drops vanilla essence, 25 ml milk, 20 ml vegetable oil, 80 g flour, 1 pinch baking powder, 1 pinch baking soda.
For the cream: 250 g strawberry puree, 90 g sugar, 1 egg, 30 g starch, 100 g butter.
Preparation: Beat eggs with sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Add milk, oil, and dry ingredients, and beat again. Bake the sponge cake in molds for about 30-40 minutes at 160 degrees Celsius, let it cool, and cut into layers.
Mix egg, starch, and sugar until smooth. Bring strawberry puree to a boil and gradually pour into the egg mixture, stirring. Bring the mixture to a boil once more and let it cool slightly. Beat butter until fluffy and mix with the cream. Assemble the bento cake.
5. Cherry Bento Cake
Source: Natalya Mali, AdobeStock Not the easiest, but incredibly beautiful and delicious!
You will need:
For the sponge cakes: 110 g flour, 100 g sugar, 1 egg, 90 ml kefir, 100 ml vegetable oil, 0.5 tsp cocoa, 0.5 tsp baking powder, 1 pinch baking soda and salt, red gel food coloring.
For the filling: 100 g pitted cherries, 30 g sugar, 0.25 tsp starch.
For the cream: 200 g cream cheese, 50 g powdered sugar, 50 ml 33% cream.
Preparation: Mix baking soda with kefir and separately mix all other dry ingredients for the batter. Pour oil, eggs, and food coloring into the kefir, and whisk until smooth. Gradually add the dry mixture, knead the dough, and pour into two round molds. Bake the sponge cake for 30-40 minutes at 170 degrees Celsius, let it cool slightly, wrap in cling film, and let it cool completely.
Bring cherries with sugar to a boil. Dissolve starch in water, pour it in, and simmer briefly. Whisk all cream ingredients until fluffy. Cut the cake layers and assemble the bento cake, layering as desired.
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6. Bento Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Source: Окси Нем, AdobeStock Optionally, add another layer of thick jam or preserves.
You will need:
For the sponge cakes: 1 egg, 40 ml milk, 60 g flour, 1 pinch salt, 15 ml vegetable oil, 55 g sugar, 0.5 tsp baking powder.
For the cream: 150 g cottage cheese, 50 g butter, 15 ml cream, 30 g dark chocolate, 12 g vanilla sugar.
Preparation: Whisk the egg with sugar using a mixer, add warm milk with oil, and whisk again. Add the sifted flour with salt and baking powder, bake the cake layer for 15-20 minutes at 170 degrees Celsius in the oven, and slice.
Melt chocolate in a double boiler and mix with butter and cream. Blend all cream ingredients until smooth and assemble the sponge bento cake.
7. Condensed Milk Bento Cake
Source: Elena, AdobeStock Minimal ingredients – yet so delicious!
You will need:
For the sponge cakes: 300 g condensed milk, 120 g flour, 2 eggs, 5 g baking powder.
For the cream: 250 g cream cheese, 150 g 33% cream, 50 g powdered sugar.
Preparation: Whisk all ingredients for the cake layers with a mixer until smooth. Pour onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and bake the cake layer for about 12 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius. Let it cool and cut into circles. Separately whisk all cream ingredients until fluffy, and assemble the bento cake.
8. Chocolate Banana Healthy Bento Cake
Source: Sf1nks, AdobeStock We recommend baking these layers separately, thin from the start. By the way, it's almost a diet-friendly recipe!
You will need:
For the sponge cakes: 1 banana, 2 tbsp cocoa, 1 egg, 0.5 tsp baking powder, sugar substitute.
For the cream: 180 g cottage cheese, 4 tbsp fruit yogurt.
Preparation: Mash the banana in a blender, add the remaining ingredients, and blend everything until smooth. Bake thin round cake layers in the oven for about 10-12 minutes at 170 degrees Celsius. Or in the microwave – 3-4 minutes at maximum power. Whisk the cream ingredients until fluffy and assemble the bento cake.
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9. Bento Cake with Banana Cream
Source: New Africa, AdobeStock Not only can the cake layers be banana-flavored. The cream for this bento cake is made in just a couple of minutes.
You will need:
For the sponge cakes: 2 eggs, 80 g sugar, 25 ml milk, 80 g flour, 20 ml vegetable oil, 1 pinch each of salt, baking powder, and baking soda.
For the cream: 2 bananas, 2 tbsp sugar, 100 g butter.
Preparation: Beat eggs with sugar until fluffy, and add warm milk with vegetable oil. Add the sifted dry ingredients and beat again. Bake the sponge cake on a baking sheet for about 20 minutes at 170 degrees Celsius, and cut into circles. Blend all cream ingredients until fluffy and assemble the cake.
10. Chocolate Orange Bento Cake
Source: Окси Нем, AdobeStock A simple cream cheese frosting that pairs effectively with an orange filling.
You will need:
For the sponge cakes: 170 g flour, 35 g cocoa, 180 g sugar, 2 eggs, 200 ml milk, 35 g each of vegetable and butter, 1 tsp baking powder.
For the filling: 50 ml orange juice, 10 g butter, zest of 1 orange, 1 egg, 10 g butter.
For the cream: 250 g cream cheese, 100 g powdered sugar, 100 ml 33% cream.
Preparation: Mix all dry ingredients for the sponge cake. Whisk milk with melted butter, and eggs with vegetable oil. Combine both mixtures and gradually add the dry mixture. Bake the sponge cake in a round mold for about 45 minutes at 170 degrees Celsius, cool, wrap in cling film, and refrigerate for a couple of hours. Then cut into layers.
Whisk all cream ingredients into a fluffy mass. Separately mix all filling ingredients, simmer until thickened, then strain through a sieve. Assemble the bento cake, layering as desired.
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11. Zebra Bento Cake
Source: Anastasiya, AdobeStock An original bento cake recipe for a birthday or any other celebration.
You will need:
For the sponge cakes: 6 eggs, 120 g flour, 150 g sugar, 10 g cocoa, 1 tsp baking powder.
For the cream: 150 g 25% sour cream, 60 g powdered sugar, 40 g dark chocolate, 1 pinch vanilla.
Preparation: Separate the yolks and beat them with sugar. Gradually add flour and baking powder. Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, and gently fold into the batter with a spatula. Divide the batter in half, and add cocoa to one half.
Pour everything onto a baking sheet in arbitrary patterns, and bake the sponge cake for 20 minutes at 170 degrees Celsius. Cut it into layers. Whisk sour cream with powdered sugar and vanilla until fluffy, add melted chocolate, and whisk the cream again. Assemble the bento cake.
12. Bento Cake with Peanut Butter Cream
Source: Sriba3, AdobeStock Sure to please all peanut butter lovers!
You will need:
For the sponge cakes: 2 eggs, 80 g sugar, 1 tsp cocoa, 25 ml milk, 20 ml vegetable oil, 80 g flour, 0.5 tsp baking powder.
For the cream: 55 g butter, 120 g peanut butter, 200 g powdered sugar, 40 ml cream.
Preparation: Beat eggs with sugar until fluffy, and add oil with milk. Beat again, and gradually add the dry ingredients. Bake the sponge cake on a baking sheet for 15-20 minutes at 170 degrees Celsius, let it cool, and cut into layers.
Beat butter with peanut butter until fluffy. Gradually add powdered sugar, and finally add the cream. Beat the cream once more and assemble the bento cake.