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This Baked Sushi Cake is the only one in my sushi bundt cake family that goes under the broiler. It layers seasoned Calrose rice, toasted nori, cucumber, and avocado in a springform pan, finished with a spicy scallop mixture broiled just long enough to caramelize the top without warming what’s underneath. Served cold under the topping, hot on top, with a citrus tamari sauce on the side.
Table of Contents
What Makes the Baked Version Different
Three things: the pan, the topping, and the broil. The springform replaces the bundt because the scallops sit on top and need an open surface, not a sealed mold. The scallops get tossed in spicy mayo and broiled into a caramelized crust, which is a texture the other versions can’t pull off. And because broiling takes 3 to 4 minutes max, the cold rice, cucumber, and avocado underneath stay cold. The contrast between the hot, just-set scallops on top and the cool layers below is the whole point.
Required Equipment
6-Inch Springform Pan: The springform is non-negotiable for this version. The sides come off so the broiler can hit the scallops directly, and so the cake comes out without flipping. A regular cake pan won’t work because you can’t unmold a hot cake without breaking it.
Cutting Board and Knife: Cubing scallops evenly matters for the broil, since uneven pieces cook unevenly.
Rice Cooker (Optional But Strongly Recommended): A rice cooker gets the Calrose rice to the starchy, tacky texture that holds the cake together when you remove the springform sides.
Oven Broiler: High setting, top rack. If your broiler runs hot, watch the cake closely – 2 minutes can be enough.
Nadia’s Tips
- Cook the Rice the Night Before: A rice cooker the night before gives you stickier rice, which means the cake holds together when the springform comes off.
- Pat the Scallops Dry: Wet scallops won’t caramelize – they steam under the broiler instead. Dry them well with paper towels before tossing with the mayo mixture.
- Watch the Broiler: 3 to 4 minutes max. Stay in the kitchen. The line between caramelized and burnt is about 30 seconds.
How to Broil the Scallops
The broiler is the only thing separating this cake from its siblings, so this is the step worth getting right. The good news is it doesn’t take long. The less good news is you can’t walk away from it.
Pat the scallops dry before tossing them in the spicy mayo. Wet scallops steam under the broiler instead of caramelizing, and you lose the buttery texture. Cube them small and even, about a half inch, so they cook at the same rate.
When the cake is assembled and the scallops are spread in an even layer on top, slide it under a preheated broiler on high, top rack. Start checking at 2 minutes. The tops should look lightly browned with a glossy caramelized crust, and the cubes should feel firm when you press one with the back of a spoon. Most home broilers land it at 3 minutes, and 4 is the max for cubed scallops at this size.
The thing to remember is that the cake itself stays cold. The broiler is only searing the tops while residual heat finishes the inside, so the rice, cucumber, and avocado underneath never warm up. That hot-cold contrast is the whole point of this version, and overbroiling kills it – the moment the layers below start to soften, you have lost the texture and the scallops are about to turn rubbery. Pull early if you are unsure. Scallops keep cooking for another 30 seconds out of the oven.
Prep the Ingredients
This is one of the most make-ahead friendly cakes in the family because most of it happens cold. Here is the schedule.
Seasoned Calrose Rice: Make this 1 to 2 days ahead. It needs at least 3 hours in the fridge to chill and turn tacky enough to hold its shape when the springform comes off.
Citrus Tamari Sauce: Whisk it together up to 24 hours before serving. The cilantro and serrano get better as they sit in the citrus.
Spicy Scallop Mixture: Mix it up to 24 hours ahead and refrigerate. Pat the scallops dry first so the mayo coats cleanly.
Cucumber and Avocado: Slice the cucumber up to 24 hours ahead, stored airtight with dry paper towels. Slice the avocado right before assembly so it stays green.
Ingredient Swaps
Scallops: Any seafood works on top. My shrimp sushi bundt cake uses gochujang shrimp, my salmon sushi bundt cake is the raw fish version, and the original is crab tampico if you want the foundational recipe.
Japanese Mayo: Regular mayo with a splash of rice vinegar and a pinch of sugar gets close to Kewpie. Vegenaise works if you are dairy-free.
Calrose Rice: Any short-grain sushi rice works. Long-grain rice like jasmine or basmati does not hold and the cake will collapse.
Serranos: Jalapeños bring similar flavor with less heat, or skip them.
Tamari: Soy sauce works, just slightly saltier.
Storage & Food Safety
Room Temperature: Cooked rice and seafood should not sit out longer than 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F.
Refrigeration: This one handles leftovers better than the raw versions since the scallops are cooked. Wrap well and refrigerate. Best within 24 hours, fine up to 2 days. Hit the avocado with lemon juice if you know you will have leftovers, since it browns the most.
Reheating: Don’t. The whole point is cold layers with a hot topping, and microwaving turns everything into the same warm temperature. Eat it cold from the fridge instead.
Freezing: No. The rice, avocado, and cucumber don’t freeze well.
What to Serve with Baked Sushi Cake
Start your night off with a fresh cucumbertini. A salmon crudo with yuzu soy and spicy mayo works as a bright appetizer that keeps the Japanese fusion theme going. On the side, a crispy sesame handheld salad adds the crunch this meal wants. Finish with amaretto peaches, warm caramelized peaches with amaretto and ice cream.
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Frequently Asked Questions
3 to 4 minutes max. The goal is to caramelize the scallops on top, not warm the rice or melt the avocado underneath. Watch it closely. If your broiler runs hot, 2 minutes can be enough.
Yes. Cubed shrimp, salmon, or crab all work. Whichever you use, cube it small and even so it broils consistently.
Almost always one of two things. The rice didn’t chill long enough, so it never got tacky. Or it wasn’t short-grain rice, which is the only kind sticky enough to hold these layers together. Give the rice the full 3 hours minimum, and use Calrose or another sushi rice.
The rice should be made 1 to 2 days ahead. The scallop mixture and sauce can be made the day before. Assemble and broil close to serving, since the hot-cold contrast is the whole texture.
Yes for this version. The sides need to come off so the broiler can reach the scallops, and you can’t flip a hot cake without breaking the layers. If you don’t have a springform, make my original sushi bundt cake instead, which uses a regular bundt pan.
The tops should be lightly browned and caramelized, with the mayo giving them a glossy golden crust. If you see any black edges, pull the cake immediately. Texture is the other cue: the cubes turn from translucent to opaque and firm. Press one lightly with the back of a spoon, if it gives easily it needs another 30 seconds, if it bounces back it’s done. Most home broilers land it at 3 minutes, and the scallops keep cooking for another 30 seconds after the cake comes out, so slightly under is better than over.
Equipment
- rice cooker (optional)
- Mixing bowl
- oven broiler
Ingredients
Rice
- 1 1/2 cups calrose rice, uncooked
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 tbsp black sesame seeds, toasted
Spicy Scallop Mixture
- 1 lb scallops, cubed
- 1/4 cup Japanese mayo
- 2 tbsp sriracha
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp tamari
- 3 scallions, green parts only, chopped
Citrus Tamari Sauce
- 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
- 1 serrano, chopped, to taste
- 1/2 orange, juiced
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- tamari, to taste
Sushi Cake
- cooking oil spray
- cooked rice, from earlier
- toasted nori, crushed, to taste
- 2 avocados, sliced
- 1 english cucumber, thinly sliced
- spicy scallop mixture, from earlier
- 1 tbsp Japanese mayo
- 1 tbsp sriracha, adjust to taste
- shichimi togarashi, to taste
- 1 serrano, sliced
Instructions
- Make the Rice: Rinse the rice until the water runs clear. Cook in a rice cooker or according to package directions. Combine the rice vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl, then fold it into the cooked rice with the sesame seeds. Cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, overnight is preferred.
- Spicy Scallop Mixture: Pat the scallops dry with paper towels. Combine in a bowl with the Japanese mayo, sriracha, sesame oil, rice vinegar, tamari, and scallions. Mix until evenly coated.
- Citrus Tamari Sauce: Combine the cilantro, chopped serrano, orange juice, and lemon juice in a small bowl. Stir in tamari to taste.
- Assemble the Cake: Preheat the broiler. Coat the springform pan with cooking oil spray. Press half of the seasoned rice into the bottom of the pan. Layer in the crushed nori, avocado slices, and cucumber slices. Press the remaining rice firmly on top and add another light layer of crushed nori. Top with the scallop mixture in an even layer.
- Broil: Broil for 2 to 4 minutes, watching closely. The scallops should caramelize on top without warming the layers below. Remove the springform sides.
- Top and Serve: Squeeze about 1 tbsp Japanese mayo in an S pattern over the top, then the same with sriracha. Sprinkle with shichimi togarashi and place the serrano slices around. Serve with the citrus tamari sauce on the side.
Kitchen Cam
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This worked exactly as written, thanks! Just a little messy coming out of the pan, but completely delicious.
Hey Jennifer,
If it was messy coming out of the pan, next time make sure you give your springform a good spray with the cooking oil spray and hopefully that will help when you unlatch and the springform pan and pull it apart! Also make sure you’re using sushi rice. It’s sticky, regular rice will fall apart. You may have done these things already but hopefully it helps! I’m so glad that you liked it though!