Japan's Whipped Cream Sandwich Is Too Simple & Creamy Not To Try

Whether slathered over a homemade scone, served alongside a slice of your favorite pie/cake/tart/pudding, or piped onto a cup of hot coffee, whipped cream is the crème de la crème of toppings. Yet despite its widespread use, you may not have thought about adding this delightfully fluffy ingredient to a sandwich — which is exactly what's happening in Japan. Think thick slices of soft and sweet Japanese milk bread (or shokupan, as it's known) stuffed with nothing but a hefty layer of pure white whipped cream and a little condensed milk for extra sweetness. These cloud-like treats have been popping up at convenience stores like Lawson and 7-Eleven around the country, and the public is swooning.

Interestingly, the idea for these creamy creations — which wouldn't look out of place in a Studio Ghibli movie or Pokémon game — isn't entirely new. Those familiar with Japanese cuisine will know all about fruit sandos, the country's famous, perfectly formed sandwiches featuring sliced fresh fruit like strawberries, kiwifruit, and orange, slapped neatly between two slices of white bread with about an inch of whipped cream. Using whipped cream as a sandwich filling on its own, however, is an entirely new concept which you can easily replicate in your home kitchen.

If you don't have access to shokupan (look for it at your local Japanese grocer), that's perfectly fine — any kind of soft white bread will do. Thicker slices will better carry the cream, and be sure to cut off the crusts to give the sandwich a cleaner look and more cohesive texture. Spread a little condensed milk over each slice, then whip up a batch of fresh cream — adding powdered sugar and the seeds of a vanilla pod if you want to gourmet about it (bear in mind that the latter will stand out as small black flecks in the cream) — then spread or pipe it in a thick layer over top. Cutting the sandwich without sending said layer of cream flying across the kitchen can be tricky, so wrap the sandwich tightly in cling film first before slicing it on the diagonal with a sharp knife.

This treat tastes phenomenal as is, but if you DO want to mix things up, try swirling some freeze-dried fruit powder, cocoa, or emerald green matcha into the mixture. You could add or replace the condensed milk layer with your favorite flavor of jam, Nutella, Biscoff, or even marshmallow fluff to keep the creamy white theme. And, of course, you could always go down the fruit sando route and add some slices of in-season fruit. In any case, we promise this won't be the last whipped cream sandwich you make.