Sushi cake is a cute, show-stopping twist on traditional sushi—perfect for parties, potlucks, or impressing guests without rolling a single sushi roll. It’s also ideal for those who prefer a savory cake over a sweet one! It is so much easier to make than rolling sushi or making nigiri without compromising the taste. Whether celebrating a birthday or having guests over for dinner, sushi cake is a fun and delicious alternative that blends Japanese flavors with a modern presentation.
Ingredients:
- Japanese short-grain rice—Short-grain rice is ideal for making sushi as it is sticky and will keep the rice together. Medium-grain rice is acceptable.
- Chirashi sushi rice mix—this is optional. If you do not have this, you can substitute with seasoned rice vinegar or rice vinegar. I like using chirashi mix because it adds more flavor, color, and texture. Plus it’s really easy to use!
- If you are using regular rice vinegar (not seasoned), combine it with sugar and salt.
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar, pinch of salt
- Seasoned rice vinegar – seasoned rice vinegar includes sugar and salt, so you don’t have to mix anything else. I like to use it for convenience, but if you make your own sushi vinegar, you can customize it to your liking.
- Tamago — this is the only part that requires cooking, if you decide to add this to your sushi cake. I mix the egg with mirin, dashi powder, and sugar.
- Spicy crab — imitation crab meat, kewpie mayo, sriracha, and chili oil
- Salmon avocado — salmon sashimi, avocado, tobiko (fish roe), soy sauce, and sesame oil
- Tobiko (fish roe) — this is used for decoration as it adds vibrancy and sparkle
Garnishes and vegetables
- Cucumber
- Avocado
- Oba (perilla leaves)
What is sushi cake?
Sushi cake is everything you want in sushi—sticky rice, fresh fish, veggies, swet egg, and creamy sauces—all layered into a beautiful, sliceable “cake.” You can dress it up or down however you like—get creative and play with colors, flavors, and texture!
Consider it a deconstructed sushi roll built into a cake pan or pot. If you have a springform cake pan, that is the easiest way to make it. I am using a pot, which requires a few more steps. The base is seasoned sushi rice layered with fillings like salmon, spicy crab, cucumbers, or avocado, then topped with vibrant garnishes like avocado and salmon in the shape of a flower.
Best of all? There’s no need for sushi-rolling skills or special mats. Just press, layer, and chill.
Why you would like this recipe?
- It’s a showstopper. The layered presentation looks as good as it tastes.
- Perfect for those who prefers savory over sweet! Make this for your savory food loving person in your life
- Great for sharing. Slice it like a cake—perfect for gatherings.
- Totally customizable. Go traditional, vegetarian, or even dessert-style.
- No rolling. Just layer your ingredients into a springform pan and press.
- No cooking required. Unless you make tamago (egg) as on of the layers, you do not have to cook anything else! Just chop and layer.
Products mentioned in this recipe
How to Store Sushi Cake & How Long It Lasts
How Do You Store?
Sushi cake should be stored tightly covered in the refrigerator. After slicing, wrap the remaining pieces in plastic wrap or place them in an airtight container to prevent the rice from drying out and the fish from oxidizing.
If you’re prepping in advance, it’s best to assemble the cake, cover it well with plastic wrap, and refrigerate before adding any final garnishes —I keep the garnishes for last to keep everything fresh.
How Long Does it Last in the Fridge?
Sushi cake is best eaten within 24 hours, especially if it contains raw or cooked seafood.
- With raw fish (like sashimi or spicy tuna): Consume within 24 hours for food safety and best texture.
- With cooked fillings (like crab, tofu, or veggies): It can last up to 48 hours, though the rice may harden over time.
Tip: The fresher the ingredients, the better the sushi cake will taste—even a few hours can make a big difference in texture and flavor.
Can You Freeze?
Freezing is not recommended. The texture of sushi rice, avocado, and fresh fish will be unpleasant after thawing.
Sushi Cake
Equipment
- 1 pot or springfoam cake pan about 6in diameter, 4in height
- 1 Rice cooker
- 1 sushi oke or big bowl
- 1 pan 8in pan to cook egg layer
Ingredients
- 3 cups Japanese short grain rice 4 rice cooker cups
- 1 pack Chirashi sushi mix
- 2 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
Salmon avocado
- 1/2 lb Salmon sashimi diced
- 1/2 avocado diced
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp tobiko (fish roe)
Tamago (egg ingredients)
- 5 eggs egg
- 1 tbsp mirin
- 1 tbsp dashi powder
- 1 tsp sugar
Spicy crab mix
- 10 sticks Imitation crab about 8oz or 1/2lb
- 2 tbsp Kewpie mayo
- 2 tbsp sriracha
- 1 tbsp chili oil
Garnishes
- avocado 1/2 avocado for flower avocado
- salmon sashimi about 1/2lb for flower salmon
- cucumber
- tobiko egg (fish roe)
- oba (perilla leaves)
Instructions
Cook the Sushi Rice
- Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Cook it with water- 1:1 ratio of rice to water
- Once rice is done, place cooked rice in oke or wooden bowl made for sushi rice. You can use a regular bowl of choice as well.
- While warm, gently fold in the chirashi rice mix. If you are not using the rice mix, then mix rice vinegar, sugar, and salt. Let it cool to room temp.
- Make the cake layer. Making the rice layer first makes the sushi cake more stable, and the ingredients don't bleed into the rice.
- Cover the inside of the pot with plastic wrap to prevent the rice from sticking.
- Place the rice in the pot and press down firmly. You can also cover the top of the rice with plastic wrap so you can use your hands to press down.
- Repeat this 2 more times to make 3 rice cake layers. Keep in fridge to cool.
Prep the Fillings
- To make the spicy crab filling, cut imitation crab to bite sized pieces and shred. Mix in kewpie mayo, sriracha, and chili oil.
- To make salmon avocado filing, cut salmon and avocado to bite sized pieces. then in a bowl mix in salmon, avocado, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sesame seeds
- To make the tamago (egg) layer, crack eggs in a bowl or measuring cup. Mix in mirin, dashi powder, and sugar. Mix well
- Then on low heat, pour in a thin layer about 3cm of egg mixture in a pan and cook one side of the egg until done. Flip over and cook until fully cooked through. Repeat this 2 more times to make 3 egg layers. Set aside to cool
Layer the Cake
- If you are using a pot like I am, keep in mind the top layer will become the bottom layer and vice versa because we are flipping the pot over to reveal the sushi cake. We will start from the top of the layer even if it is the bottom layer going into the pot.
- Top layer: Add a layer of sushi rice that was made earlier.
- Add filling layer: Spread kewpie mayo, thinly sliced cucumber, salmon avocado, perilla leaves, and tamago egg layer. Feel free to customize ingredients and order of placement to your liking.
- Middle rice layer: Add another layer of the rice
- More filling: Spread mayo, add thinly sliced cucumber, spicy crab mixture, perilla leaves, tamago egg layer, more mayo
- Bottom rice layer: Add another layer of the rice
- Refrigerate the cake for at least 30 minutes to help it set.
Flower avocado and salmon
- To make the flower avocado, use half an avocado and remove the skin.
- Place the half face-down (flat side down) on a cutting board. Thinly slice the avocado. Try to keep the slices in place
- Using your fingers, gently spread the slices out into a long line, so they overlap slightly like dominoes. You should end up with a curved ribbon of avocado.
- Starting from one end, begin rolling the slices tightly, forming a spiral. Keep it snug but not squished—this is your flower center.
- As you roll, the outer slices will naturally start to fan out like petals. Once you’ve rolled the entire strip, you’ll see a rose shape.
- To make the flower salmon, thinly slice salmon
- Take one slice and roll it tightly into a small coil—this forms the center of the flower.
- Wrap another slice around the center, slightly overlapping the edge. Continue adding slices, each one slightly looser, fanned outward to mimic petals. Usually 4–6 slices are enough to form a small rose.
Assemble
- Remove sushi cake from fridge and on a big enough plate, flip the pot over and detach the cake from the pot.
- You may have to wiggle the pot a bit to help the cake come out. The plastic wrap should help the cake from detaching easily
- Add the last layer of tamago egg to the top of the cake
- Add any decorations you may have- avocado flower, avocado salmon, tobiko eggs, etc.
How to serve
- To serve, slice the sushi cake as you would a cake. Recommended to serve immediately. Plate and enjoy!
